Cebu eyed as gateway for Vismin expansion

CEBU, Philippines — A Manila-based wellness and salon conglomerate, R2 Group of Companies, sees Cebu as its gateway to expand in Visayas and Mindanao markets.

The company entered Cebu in 2013 with the opening of its specialty brand Nailaholics, a salon that specializes in nail pampering.

Today, the Group maintains specialty salon brands in Cebu, which include, the Happy Brows, Hey Sugar and Nailaholics.

According to the company’s marketing head Arvin A. Amaro, the wellness business, including the self-pampering and beauty care is a huge market in the Philippines, the Vismin area for instance offers high potential.

Aside from women, the Group also noted a fast growing interest from men, who are now as conscious as women in terms of grooming.

R2 Group of Companies is at the helm of the country’s leading pampering and grooming destinations. It’s a multi-brand conglomerate operating more than 100 branches nationwide.

As the Philippine market becomes more sophisticated, specialty salons make good business potentials, he said.

Instead of opening an all-in-one wellness brand, R2 Group pioneers the offering of several lifestyle brands, each focuses on its specialty expertise from nails, body waxing, brow fixing, to hair care for men, among others.

In 2017, beauty and personal care in the Philippines continued to record healthy growth, benefiting from favorable economic conditions, a rising standard of living, prominent global trends, the further development of the country’s retailing industry and the growing influence of social media, reported the Euromonitor International.

According to the report, the improving standards of living and rising purchasing power have supported consumers’ increasing sophistication, which in turn has paved the way for numerous categories and new launches to prosper.