Philosophy, science, orientalism are the three buzzwords from which Adonis draws its inspiration. The firm’s commitment to these values has set Adonis apart from the run-of-the-mill spa and beauty salons in Singapore, moulding it into a mature and reputed brand of the beauty industry.

Headed by Ann Lee, veteran beauty consultant with over 26 years of experience, Adonis was founded on a philosophy of holistic skincare that aims to strengthen skin immunity and its rejuvenation process. This philosophy traces its roots to Western sciences and traditional Ayurvedic teachings of the Orient, which focus on customer- specific treatments. To provide the best treatment for its target market, Adonis collaborated with herbalists, pharmacologists and doctors to develop its own product line, “Made for Asia”, to cater to Asian skin.

“I did not have a business direction, it was a passion to have good skin that pushed me to start this,” says Ms Lee. The daughter of a Malaysian fruit exporter, she spent most of her childhood on a farm. “I always had problems with my skin. In those days, my father would pluck some herbs from the bush and apply them on my skin. The next day the infection would heal.”

Fascinated by the healing power of nature, she went on to study aromatherapy in UK and later on set up Adonis to share this knowledge with the rest of the world.

In 1986, limited by an initial financial capital of $20,000, Ms Lee was determined to set up the first Adonis beauty salon in Lucky Plaza, albeit with just two couches and one small table. Yet, customers loved her service so much that within just three months of opening, the salon’s capacity could no longer meet the burgeoning queues. A second branch was soon set up in Katong.

Today, Adonis boasts a total of 23 branches: eight in Singapore and 15 in Malaysia, three Cosmetology Academies and a team of more than 300 beauty consultants. The group’s revenue as at December 2011 is close to the $20 million mark, a result of remarkable growth.

However, business had not always been a bed of roses. To begin with, most customers were unfamiliar with the aromatherapy concept she was trying to promote. “The customers only liked the smells of aromatherapy,” she says. “Therapeutic processes take time to take effect and customers always prefer fast results.”

Moreover, as new players entered the market, competition for market share and human resource became stiffer. This neck-and-neck competition was best illustrated by a telling incident: Ms Lee got nearly all of her beauty consultants poached by a competitor at one time.

Overcoming challenges

Adonis succeeded in overcoming these challenges. To address customer unfamiliarity, Ms Lee and her team started educating potential customers through various types of media broadcasts.

Their efforts paid off as Adonis subsequently broadened its customer base, which now has a better understanding of its products. At the same time, Adonis also gained a deeper understanding of the market and its clients’ needs.

Treatments are specifically tailored to each individual. Moreover, to further improve its services to its customers, Adonis continues to innovate with new products, such as the sea mud mask and oxygen treatments, which comply with international standards and regulations. Adonis’ employees are also well informed and receive regular training on using new products. “We do not want to make our customers scapegoats, so we would like to make sure that our service staff are educated on the new technology and products,” says Ms Lee.

Adonis also takes customer feedback seriously. “Whenever a customer completes a feedback form, it is immediately reviewed and acted on by our customer service department in no more than three working days,” she says.

To address its human resource issues, Adonis established its own training academies to nurture Adonis’ future beauty specialists. Today, about 400 consultants graduate from Adonis’ two Malaysian academies annually.

More recently, Adonis has set up another training academy in Singapore to further cope with the human resource needs in the country.

Its efforts have allowed mutual trust to develop between the company and its clients, evident from how Adonis’ customers have remained loyal to the company through the years.

“Our customers trust that we can provide good service. Since day one, we have given each one of our customers meticulous attention,” says Ms Lee.

Going forward, Ms Lee foresees more challenges as customer expectations increase, competition intensifies, rental cost soars and government policies become stricter. In particular, the latest government policy on increasing foreign workers’ levy is putting a heavy burden on Adonis, which is highly dependent on foreign workers. “It is not that we do not want to hire Singaporeans, it is that a lot of Singaporeans don’t want to work in this line of business,” she says.

As competition in the beauty industry further intensifies, marked with increasingly aggressive marketing campaigns by other companies to promote their brands, Adonis chose not to follow the herd. “At the end of the day, the increased advertising costs will have to be passed down to our customers,” Ms Lee points out. “This is not the way we want going forward.”

Despite all the challenges ahead, Ms Lee and her team remain passionate about the business. “Without passion, I would rather just keep one shop, let it run and forget about the rest,” says the mother of three. But what she feels is that growing the business is actually creating value for her customers and paving good careers for her two girls. This passion will continue to drive the business forward, towards a brighter future.

The writers are students at NUS Business School.

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