Nivea maker wants to see continued sales hike in Phl

MANILA, Philippines - Beiersdorf AG, the firm behind the Nivea brand, sees continued increase in its sales in the Philippines next year as it takes advantage of the Filipino’s strong demand for skin care products.

Nivea Philippines country manager Alexander Schwieger said that as of October this year, the firm’s sales have already surpassed its performance in 2012.

“Although we have been around for a long time, the Philippines is still an emerging market and there is still lots of potential to grow. We aim to strongly grow next year as well,” he said in an interview.

Schwieger noted that there is potential for growth here as the firm sees strong demand for skin care products.

“The Filipinos have high developed skin care that is why we are confident with what we offer in the market,” he said.

Nivea products sold in the country cover baby care, bath care, body care, deodorants, face care, lip care, men’s care, as well as sun care.

Nivea Philippines group product manager Raisa Mislang said whitening products have the biggest share in the firm’s sales in the Philippines.

“The extra whitening line accounts for the bulk of sales within the category,” she said.

Schwieger said that even in the men’s care product range, the whitening products are doing very well.

“We noticed that Filipino consumers want to have fair skin or don’t want the sun to make them darker,” he said.

The same was observed in consumers in other countries in Southeast Asia.

He noted though that having fair skin is not enough for consumers so the firm offers products that moisturize as well as protect the skin from damage.

While the company sees potential for its Philippine business to grow, it has no immediate plans of opening a production facility here.

“The moment we reach a certain threshold in the Philippines, we will do it,” Schwieger said.

He said that for now, the firm is focused on growing its business here by ensuring that their products meet the needs of the consumers.

Nivea products sold in the Philippines are imported from production facilities in Europe and Thailand.