For Oh So Healthy (OSH) Founder Ms. Almay Gaw, tying up with the “right partners” in the business of disseminating healthy chips abroad is critical.
“It’s quite important that you find partners that buy and they know what to do with the products. It’s ok if it’s just one pallet, we start somewhere small, but you really build continuously,” she stresses.
This is how Ms. Gaw describes her products in Singapore and Japan. In Singapore for instance, she was able to have a great partner.
“We really found a steady, growing, month-on-month trend, in both countries,” she says.
Alhough OSH products landed in these countries strong in 2018, Ms. Gaw tells EmbassyTOPPs the company had to take a step back when Covid-19 struck.
“Most of the retailers did not want to purchase anything that were not basic necessities, including local products. So during that time, we really had a setback, but we used that time to sharpen our tools, in terms of research and development, rather than in pushing sales. It also gave us the opportunity to study what other products we can launch in the market,” the OSH Founder recalls.
It was also the time OSH rebranded to this new name, instead of the former “Oh So Healthy” array of products.
“People don’t know this or maybe they do. The real loyal followers, they knew first when we had a transition, but for others, it’s sort of a new brand, it’s OSH and it’s catering towards the millenials, who, as we know, don’t like long words, they want simplified. OSH, it really works for us. It gives that fun twist vibe of the brand,” Ms. Gaw candidly shares.
Moreover, Ms. Gaw believes, what makes their products a hit in Singapore are their unique tastes and high quality.
“At first it was a surprise that our products would have any appeal because they’re local fruits. People are not very familiar with, there is guava mixed with jackfruit, but these exhibits locally and abroad give OSH the confidence to showcase these unique-tasting healthy products.
For instance, in the IFEX show, people get to taste the products and then they buy, and this gives us a boost of confidence. Plus, the health benefits of these products are featured in groceries, where they are referred to as ‘the better for you’ category, which helps in the overall performance of these products.
Nobody wants to eat junk food anymore, especially during Covid. I think that is one realization that people had. Of course, we want to latch on to that. These are the strong, compelling reasons our products are gaining momentum,” the OSH Founder elaborates.
Ms. Gaw notes there are current strides to expand her product reach in more markets in Singapore.
“Even if it’s small, if it’s the right market, it works. So it’s so important that you reach out. That is one discovery, a learning experience for me, because I always thought it should be so easy selling to 110 population in the Philippines, but it is not. So it’s really better to zero in, understand your customers, including the export community, whether they are health conscious or are into wellness kind of people or if they really want delicious food for their children,” she explains.
Ms. Gaw notes this parent preference is a “bonus” for OSH.
“It’s really the moms purchasing for their children, because as a mom, when your child asks for something healthy they will always give it to them. No bias, when a child eats our products, they say they want more of them and mothers don’t hesitate to buy for their kids,” she says.
But as with other challenges in the business industry, competitors for the same products come into play.
“There will always be competitions but this helps us always to be ahead; to think of innovations with a mindset of a ‘regional market competition.’ With competitors coming from Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam for instance—they are also strong and have an edge and great propositions in the market.
Our edge is that our team loves to play with our products and when there is a fun element to our research and development, you can’t go wrong. There’s always curiosity and the dynamic spin of our team, we love to play with different things and we want to latch on to what other local ingredients we can present, regionally and globally,” Ms. Gaw happily shares.
Another challenge OSH is confronted with are the high cost of raw materials locally. Nonetheless, she notes this is not a big deal in sourcing local ingredients.
“Even if it’s more expensive, we really want to work with the locals. That is our drive and our mission. What we do is get those prices that we know are better and try to work backwards with our partners (suppliers) and see how we can bring down their prices, what can be compromised, and usually we put our heads together so we will both be triumphant,” Ms. Gaw explains.
Bottom line for the long-term, she notes, is that OSH will come out with more offerings and more revolutionary products that stay true to the healthy, natural product lineup the company is known for.
Along with this, the company founder says, is to bring pride to the Filipino sector.
Ms. Gaw also mentions OSH has a small, but constant market in the Middle East and the kimchi crisps are the most sellable in that part of the world.
She notes how she desires to expand her markets in the US, Canada, and Australia, but those are where competition and regulations on similar products are tough.
“Each country has its own sets of rules and regulations; i.e. low calories requirements, the use of specific kinds of salt, etc. Finding gaps and mediums are a challenging task for any exporter,” she explains.
Despite all these challenges, Ms. Gaw banks on her team’s dynamism, which brings her inspiration, and a lot of personal consistency and discipline.
“It’s important that we are very disciplined people. I am very routinary. I wake up at 5:30 in the morning, work out everyday at 6:00. These are the routines that make me agile and strong.
I’ve been working for 24 years and I think this will be our next phase, which will hopefully be another 20 years building OSH as a brand,” she notes.
And this vision may just be easy to see, as locally, OSH products are also being made available by local retailers, including Landers, S&R, 7-Eleven, SM, and Robinsons.
Ms. Gaw dreams of OSH becoming part of the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) industry, longing to see that one day, the products can be carried by sari-sari stores, giving the greater population, especially the masses, more access to these healthy kinds of food, that have more fiber, no fillers and no sugar.
