Tuesday, August 07, 2007 Skin care product maker ventures into franchising
THE bullish beauty, health and wellness industry in the Philippines has paved the way for a skin care product manufacturer and retailer in Cebu to venture into franchising.
“There is a strong demand for skin care products in the country,” said Felissa Fleur beauty and spa business consultant and owner Felisa Palis.
Thus, Palis, a Cebuana, decided to open a franchising company called Felissa Fleur Franchising Philippines Corp.
She said the company has already gained the interest of about five potential local franchisees, including some from Manila.
“All they have to do is submit their letter of intent and pre-qualifications so we can give them our details of investment,” Palis said.
In an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, she said the space requirement is between 60 to 250 square meters and the franchise fee is pegged at P400,000. The total estimated investment cost is around P1.8 million to P6.5 million.
Expansion
The Felissa brand, dubbed Royal Traditional Malaysian Spa, was introduced in Malaysia by Palis in 1997 as a cosmetics company that manufactures beauty products.
Malaysia alone has 13 company-owned branches, and over 180 distributors.
In the last 10 years, Palis has expanded the company’s operations in Asian countries like Singapore and Brunei.
The combined volume of skin care products manufactured in Malaysia alone is at around 800,000 to 900,000 monthly, Palis said.
Volume
She hopes to more than double the volume in the Philippines especially since the market for beauty products here is showing an upward trend.
Palis said growing the brand in the Philippines is a “big personal achievement” in her hopes to provide Filipinos with a “truly Asian” beauty enhancement through relaxing and detoxifying treatments made from all-natural organic extracts.
“I understand the demands of the market here. Before I recommend the product, I try it out myself,” Palis said.
Manufacturing and selling her own skin care and cosmetic product line is what she considers her niche because “if you know the ingredients to your products, you know what to recommend your clients.”
Restaurant
Meanwhile, Palis revealed that the company will also be franchising Cebu-grown Vensh to Malaysia.
Vensh is a Malaysian restaurant located right beside Felissa Spa along Gorordo Ave., Cebu City.
“If I grow it here in the Philippines and bring it back to Malaysia, it will be known there as an international restaurant. Then, I can cater to the high-end market,” Palis said.
In order to attract the high-end market here, she used the same approach for Felissa—growing the brand in Malaysia and bringing it back to the Philippines. (MMM)
