1901AB Lux was founded in 1901, manufacturing and selling kerosene lamps for outdoor lighting applications. The company was very successful and continued to be successful until 1908. By 1912, however, the company met stiffer competition from manufacturers of electric lighting which caused a decline in sales. Adapting to this new market pressure, the company began to search for an alternative product to manufacture and sell. 1912In 1912, he found it -- when Axel Wenner-Gren came knocking on his door with the Model I, a vacuum cleaner that he had developed with the help of Swedish engineer Sven Carlstedt. Mr. Wenner-Gren had heard that Lux was interested in developing a vacuum cleaner to sell in the German market and he was sure that Lux would be impressed by the Model I. Lux could see the possibilities -- despite the fact that the Model I weighed 14 kilos and cost 350 Swedish Crowns in those days. In addition to the vacuum cleaner, Mr. Wenner-Gren also brought with him ten years of experience working as a salesman in Germany.

In December, he requested the sole right to act as the distribution agent for the Model I in Germany. His request was granted -- on the condition that he would personally guarantee a yearly turnover of 500 machines. He accepted the challenge and he succeeded. And in the meantime, he continued to work with Carlstedt to develop a lighter, cheaper, more efficient vacuum cleaner -- a household machine upon which he could build a world-class industry.The Pi-Dye T-Shirt ShopHaving fulfilled his first contract, Mr. Wenner-Gren returned to Lux with the Model II, a vacuum cleaner that weighed only 9 kilos and cost half the price of the Model I.German Rottweiler Puppies For Sale In Ma Convinced of the sales potential of the Model II, he tried to persuade Lux to manufacture the machine on a larger scale. Bloomingdale'S Short Prom Dresses

Once again, his request was granted. It was granted on the condition that Mr. Wenner-Gren would get orders for 5,000 vacuum cleaners ­– ten times the yearly turnover guaranteed in his original contract ­– then Lux would invest in mass production. He returned to his colleagues in Hamburg and offered them the sole right to sell his Lux II vacuum in Germany. Impressed with the machine and certain of its saleability, they immediately wrote an order for 5,000 machines. 1913The rest is Lux history. Orders for the Lux II flooded in not just from Germany but also from France and England. By the fall of 1913, barely one year after Axel Wenner-Gren met Sven Carlstedt and they began their co-operation with Lux, the business had grown to such proportions that Lux had difficulty producing enough machines to keep up with Mr. Wenner-Gren's orders. 1919In 1919, Mr. Wenner-Gren went from being a vacuum cleaner salesman to being CEO. By that time, he had already organised sales of Lux vacuum cleaners throughout most of Europe and was well on his way to achieving his goal of creating a world-class industry.

1920By the end of the 1920's, his vacuum cleaners could be found in households around the globe. Over the years, most of the major design innovations that have improved vacuum cleaning systems have been introduced by Lux. In fact, one of the original Lux vacuum cleaners is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design in New York. It's no surprise considering that we have always worked with the very best designers and engineers. 1998After many successful  years as part of the Electrolux Group, Lux once again becomes independent. The von der Becke-Family acquires the Lux Group from Electrolux. Lux International is founded with its headquarter in Zug, Switzerland. 2001The new Lux 1 is launched together with the new Eco 8000 and the new Turbo Clean model. 2004Lux International is successful in completing a difficult yet important restructuring of its European operations.2005 - 2010Lux expands its global operations starting new sales companies in over 10 new markets, including Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Russia and the Netherlands.

2006Formation of Forbes Lux Group, a 50:50 Joint Venture partner ship between Lux International and Eureka Forbes the largest direct sales company in India. 2008Launch of the world innovation: Lux Aeroguard. A revolution in air treatment systems. 2010Launch of the Lux Intelligence™, Lux UNIPROF and Lux Gourmet. In 2010, innovation continues to be tradition at Lux. 2010-2012Lux International embarks on a new journey of success and growth. For three years in a row the company achieves new record results in sales and profitability, thanks to a positive development in all its core markets, the expansion of its healthy home product range across new product segments and the start of sales operations in new markets.2013Lux International Switzerland and Eureka Forbes India, Asia’s Nr.1 direct sales company for premium healthy home products, join forces to create Forbes Lux International, a new global player in the international direct sales industry based in Switzerland.

As one of the 20 largest direct sales groups in the world, Forbes Lux International is today represented in over 40 markets, generates a global turnover of over $500 Million and promotes, through a sales network of over 15’000 mostly full time consultants, three of the world’s leading brands in the direct sales of premium healthy home products, Lux, Eureka Forbes and Forbes. Read more about the history of the vacuum cleanerAEG poster for Vampyr vacuum cleaner, 1920s. Advertising postcard with actress Edmonde Guy, 1929. © Deutsches Historisches Museum, BerlinCONSUMER CREDIT IN THE 1920s In the 1920s, more jobs paid middle-class salaries while new devices—radios, vacuum cleaners, phonographs, washing machines, for example--came onto the market, or became affordable. While St. Louisans tended to buy their day-to-day necessities with cash, starting in the twenties, they bought most of their more expensive durable goods on the installment plan, some money down at first, followed by a year of monthly payments.

Economic historians calculate that while in 1920, few middle class consumers used credit to buy goods, by the end of the decade, American consumers bought 60 to 75 percent of cars, 80 to 90 percent of furniture, 75 percent of washing machines, 65 percent of vacuum cleaners, 18 to 25 percent of jewelry, 75 percent of radios, and 80 percent of phonographs on the installment plan. In the 1920s, St. Louisans had no shopping malls. Instead, they did much of their shopping downtown at big department stores like Famous-Barr, Stix, Baer & Fuller, Scruggs, Vandervoorts & Barney’s, and Nugent’s at Washington and Fourth Street, or at small specialty stores.  Among them were music stores like Aeolian, 1004 Olive, P.A. Stark Piano Co., 1018 Olive , the Baldwin Piano Company, 1111 Olive, and Wurlitzer, 1006 Olive. Radios and phonographs could be purchased as Goldman Brothers 1102-8 Olive Street,  or Brandt & Co., 904 Pine. Jewelry could be purchased at Loftis Brothers, 717 Olive in the Chemical Building while furniture was sold at May-Stern Co., (southeast corner of Twelfth and Olive) and Welch & Co. at 1105 Olive.