Business Link

East London-based Just On Cosmetics is successfully taking on the national chains and expanding into the rest of the country with a range that includes well known international brands and its own range made in the Eastern Cape.

Having opened its first store in King Williamstown in 2001, Just On Cosmetics now has 35 stores in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Free State serving over 15 million customers a year. Just On’s headquarters are now in Wilsonia, East London. It employs nearly 500 people through its stores. Boardman Brothers in Stutterheim manufactures the Just On house brands, and supplies the company with other products.

Ravi Naidoo, Chief Executive Officer for Just On Cosmetics

Started by Mike Naidoo, who “has been in cosmetics since 1974,” the company remains family-owned and run. “Our success lies in the fact that we have remained grounded. We have not forgotten the people who are our customers and our staff. Our team members are part of the bigger family,” says chief executive officer Ravi Naidoo. His founder father remains involved, and is chairman of the company. Mike Naidoo started Just On after the company which had brought the family to the Eastern Cape from KwaZulu-Natal in the late 1980’s closed its doors.

An essential part of the “grounding” of Just On is to remain involved in the community. The company supports a number of community projects, sports initiatives and feeding schemes. Staff are also recruited from the local community wherever possible. Local companies are the first choice for procurement as well.

The business is built on the pillars of its people, stemming from its philosophy to grow its own team from the community, says Naidoo.

That family culture and ethos will be preserved as the company continues to grow. “We want to keep the image of the store around the corner. When you move from Mthatha to Sandton, you must still feel at home in a Just On store,” says Naidoo. Yes, the “City of Gold” is firmly in the sights of Just On, which also has plans to list on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange.

In addition to the company’s product range and the positioning and layout of its stores, growth in the R600-million a year company has been driven by its logistics and distribution systems. It distributes out of an 11 000 square metre warehouse in East London, and has its own fleet of branded trucks, which delivers to the Just On stores twice a week.

While retaining the overall feel and the theme of “Real beauty at unreal prices is
just on for you,” the company is constantly changing the look of its stores to adapt to the different markets and fashions, says Naidoo. “We are working on a new concept as we speak,” he told Business Link. The focus is on the LSM 4 to LSM 7 market, which is budget-conscious but still wants quality cosmetics. Just On caters for specific health needs not catered for by large retailers, according to Naidoo.

It is a big market, estimated nationally at around R11-billion a year – and growing. According to Just On’s research, the average woman in the target market group uses over 20 personal care products each year. The growing South African black middle class means that Just On Cosmetics is well positioned to continue growing to meet the demands of women who “aspire to look and feel good”.

Naidoo believes that the solid customer base the company has in the Eastern Cape, where it enjoys a “dominant position,” together with its distribution systems and experience in operating in other provinces, all provide a strong foundation for expansion in the rest of the country.

ravi@juston.co.za