David McConnell was once a bookseller specializing in Shakespeare's works. Faced with drooping revenues, McConnell tried to boost his business by distributing free perfume with every sale. He soon found, however, that his customers were more interested in perfume than they were in literature.

McConnell promptly started another business (the California Perfume Company) -- which he later renamed in honor of the river which flows through Shakespeare's home town, Stratford-upon-Avon.

[Avon quickly became the largest direct-selling company in the world, with annual sales revenues of several billion dollars.]