Market America

Market America is a Greensboro, North Carolina-based product brokerage, ecommerce, and multilevel marketing company founded in 1992 by JR and Loren Ridinger. The company operates through the Market America Worldwide | SHOP.COM brand and promotes its independent-distributor opportunity as the UnFranchise business system.

Market America acquired SHOP.COM in 2010, expanding its ecommerce and cash-back shopping platform while continuing to use a direct-selling model built around UnFranchise Owners, product volume, downline volume, and management bonuses.

The company remains active, with Loren Ridinger serving as Co-Founder and CEO and Marc Ashley serving as President and COO. Market America has faced criticism and litigation alleging pyramid-scheme characteristics and deceptive income claims, but it continues to operate publicly as an active MLM/direct-selling company.

A 2017 federal class-action/RICO lawsuit accused Market America and related executives of operating an illegal pyramid scheme; Market America sought to compel arbitration, and a North Carolina federal court proceeding addressed that arbitration dispute. Those were allegations, not a finding in the sources reviewed.

Truth in Advertising also investigated Market America income claims in 2020 and 2023, saying the company had used atypical income claims; TINA.org says Market America removed the vast majority of the claims identified in 2020.

James H. Ridinger, CEO