Olivia Beauty, a brand that started out with a single product – a face bleach – in India, today runs its operations across the country and overseas. Standing on four pillars of consumer centricity, efficacy, research, and safety, Olivia boasts of a diverse range of products with potent natural ingredients. As part of our ongoing series highlighting the brands that uphold the spirit of Make in India, Irfan Memon, Director at Olivia Beauty, takes us through the brand’s 37-year-long journey.
The Beginning of Olivia Beauty
“When we started our operations in 1987, we focussed on giving the consumers products tailored to their specific needs. The exotic fruit Olive inspired the brand name, which reflects our deep ties to nature and our unwavering commitment to our beliefs. For over three decades, we have constantly reinvented and continued to redefine the beauty business.
When we started out, at that time India had very limited access to beauty formats and international trends in the salon segment. They didn’t have access to products that gave instant results effectively and lasted long. That’s when we came up with the first Herbal Bleach which worked on sensitive skin and didn’t burn it.”
The Journey
“Ever since its inception, Olivia has been known as a superior brand that offers value-for-money products. Olivia was the first brand that, having its fingers on the pulse of the beauty market and its demands, launched the first-ever HERBAL face bleach in India and gained instant roaring success.
The pandemic has inspired us to push our oeuvre further and start a new chapter in our book with a brand-new range of products in revised packaging that truly represents our 37-year-long journey and expertise in the beauty industry. Delivering quality products backed by extensive research and domain expertise, the brand witnessed tremendous growth and forayed into other product categories such as skincare, hair care, and cosmetics.”
Navigating the Challenges
“The only challenge is to tap the vast potential for beauty products in our country and abroad. Olivia products are available in pan India across all states and a few overseas markets such as UAE, Malaysia, Fiji, Mauritius, Port of Spain, Oman, and more. Our marketing and distribution team comprises 370 professionals. We also have over 1500 distributors all over India, who make certain that the brand is available at cosmetic, medical, and general stores, beauty salons as well as online platforms.
The products at Olivia are value for money. Unlike other brands, we deliver quality products for mass consumption at affordable prices through our strong distribution network.”
Establishing a Strong Market Presence For Olivia Beauty
“There are a lot of brands in the market catering to the same niche that is masstige. Our advantage is our strong presence in the offline market. Our distribution channels accumulated and strengthened over the years and are bringing the range to consumers and salons who need aspirational products at an affordable price.
Further, to increase consumer awareness, we do branding and event promotions, and we also give product education to the salon segment through seminars.”
Matching Upto the Global Standards
“Our USP is our Research and Development, which we consider to be our backbone. This is because the skincare and hair care industry demands stringent quality control measures and up-to-the-mark research processes. Our in-house Analytical and Microbiological Lab is ISO-certified. It is also well-equipped to handle testing and analysis of input as well as output products. All our products are safe for consumers. We adhere to strict BIS standards and all the ingredients are sourced as per the Indian Pharmacopoeia and US Pharmacopoeia.”
The Road Ahead for Olivia Beauty
“We aim to expand our online distribution and leadership position by introducing new products, especially in the professional beauty segment.”
| Rapid fire Your initial budget to start the business: Half a million dollars Who funded your business? : It was funded by promoters – no debt What was your year-on-year growth in 2023-24? : 27.5% Your bestselling product: Herbal bleach An upcoming product/innovation: Various products across all categories are already in the R&D stage Where do you see your brand 5 years from now? : Present in all categories in the retail as well as the professional segment What’s your salon target for 2024? : We are already present in most of the beauty parlour segments. This year we are strongly penetrating the salon and spa segment |