Cebu-based cosmetics firm gains niche in Zamboanga

CEBU, Philippines - With its aggressive expansion and marketing strategies, a Cebu-based cosmetics company continues to penetrate the national market particularly the Mindanao region.

GT Cosmetics Manufacturing first launched itself in Mindanao that started in Cagayan de Oro and Davao last 2005 and now expanded its reach in Zamboanga.

According to GT Cosmetics founder and national sales manager Leonora B. Salvane, the company has foreseen the growth of the company’s market in the region.

“This has been a long time coming. We have been planning to bring GT to Zamboanga even before the demand for our products in the Western Mindanao area was yet under our target level, but more pressing matters had to be prioritized,” she stated in the company’s press statement.

She cited that Zamboanga is an important market for the cosmetics company given its demographics and populace as it is composed of provinces like Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay.

She added that with the new expansion, GT Cosmetics could cater to the demands of the users in the region.

 â€œOur loyal customers from the neighboring towns and cities, like Ipil, Pagadian, Dipolog, Dapitan, and Isabela in Basilan, need not travel far to buy their favorite GT products anymore, since they are now available in nearby Zamboanga,” Salvane continued.

After Zamboanga, she further revealed that they are working on venturing into the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao after GT Cosmetics was recently issued with a Halal certification.

Its products and production methods have been tested and declared permissible to use in accordance with Islamic law by the Halal Development Institute of the Philippines.

Such certification also allows the local company to export its products to Middle East and other Muslim countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia where a ready market has already been established for goods manufactured in Cebu.

Salvane admitted that apart from the company’s overseas venture and sustaining market growth in Southern Philippines, they are eyeing to put up a manufacturing plant in Mindanao by next year in order to complement its production output from the manufacturing facilities in Bulacan and Cebu.

GT Cosmetics is also distributed by Elegantly Pure and products in the United States at New Asia Market and Pearl Marketing in Connecticut and at the Chinese-American Mini Market in Rhode Island.

GT products are now available in Zamboanga City at Mindpro Health and Beauty Center in Mindpro Citimall and at Face and La Secret de Beaute in Yubenco Star Mall. It can also be purchased in about 200 retail outlets and in all leading drugstores nationwide. /JOB (FREEMAN)