COMMENTARY | Lipstick, logistics and leveraging innovation
for Ninja Van
MANILA, Philippines — Lipstick lovers like me have a lot to be happy about in 2024. With so many local beauty product launches and global brands coming into the market, we’re definitely given a lot of choices! They offer different formulations with all kinds of benefits and a wide range of shades to suit every customer’s preferences.
With so many options, it’s never been easier to grab my favorites when I need them. All it takes is a simple trip to a store, or adding them to my online shopping cart.
The challenge of meeting consumer demand
While it’s true that the booming lipstick and beauty market in general is great for consumers, it takes a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes to keep it running efficiently.
There’s a constant tug of war between supply and demand. The beauty market in today’s landscape thrives on trends. In the last 10 years, we’ve seen so many movements come and go. From ultra-matte lip kits to juicy and glossy looks, bold contouring, all the way down to the “clean girl aesthetic” and the “mob wife,” there’s always a new trend that’s just waiting to blow up across a larger audience.
To capitalize on those trends, beauty and skincare companies enlist influencers to promote what’s new. Demand can so easily be induced through effective marketing—and products are only as viable as their availability and accessibility to consumers.
For businesses in the beauty space, it’s not enough to simply stay ahead of any emerging trends. Especially in such a competitive industry, brands must also have the right logistics partners who can help ensure products are in stock across different distribution channels and ready for purchase while the interest is high.
A new look for logistics
With how fast the beauty space moves, handling products to the point of the sale requires punctual and reliable transportation, storage and distribution.
To meet the evolving logistics needs of businesses of various sizes, our latest solution Ninja Restock is a business-to-business (B2B) logistics service we designed to improve the supply chain operations of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The solution has been optimized for businesses that require either full truckload (FTL) or less than truckload (LTL) shipping—making next-day deliveries available within Metro Manila while provincial deliveries can be done within one to two days.
Designed with flexibility in mind, Ninja Restock efficiently moves inventory from warehouses to multiple drop-off points, between stores, and even between warehouses—keeping businesses from understocking inventory or paying extra for overstocking.
We’re already seeing success working with fast-moving consumer goods brands in different markets across the region.
Skechers, an American multinational footwear and apparel company, often experienced delayed deliveries of products to their stores in Malaysia. Ninja Restock helped their stock replenishment issues by providing clear lines with the brand and establishing a schedule that allowed them to move stock three to four times a week, significantly speeding up how stocks arrived in their stores.
Faber-Castell, a giant in the world of stationary, art and office supplies, also encountered restocking issues in Malaysian stores caused by the inflexibility of the previous logistics service provider the brand partnered with. Through Ninja Restock, the brand managed to ship smaller amounts at a quicker pace, freeing up storage space and keeping stores supplied with stock.
With these types of solutions, we aim to change the game for businesses—bridging gaps in business-to-business logistics through innovation.
Growing the local beauty market at large
Globally, the lipstick market was valued at over $9 billion in 2023 and is poised to grow to over $14 billion by 2032. In the Philippines, the beauty and personal care market is expected to reach over $4 billion by 2026.
Filipinos are avid purveyors of beauty—with our obsession for pageants, celebrities, even cute camera filters in our phones. With the booming potential in the local beauty market, logistics has a huge role to play in driving that growth. By working with brands to bring their products to stores and consumers quicker and smoother than ever before with Ninja Restock, lipstick lovers like me will have plenty to smile about.
Find out more about Restock here.
About the Author: Sabina Lopez-Vergara is currently the chief commercial officer for Ninja Van Philippines and the regional head of marketing, overseeing brand and digital marketing across six markets. Prior to Ninja Van Philippines, she has excelled in the startup industry, working in marketing and communications for companies like Zalora and Satoshi Citadel Industries. In 2015, she transitioned to business development as a product head for HOOQ.
Editor's Note: This commentary is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.
