Beauty brand Liht Organics bets big on tech enabled experiences

A razor-sharp focus on leveraging technology to create immersive experiences and accelerate sustainable practices, while building win-win partnerships are fuelling the growth of beauty brand Liht Organics.

For perspective, Liht Organics is looking to clock a growth of 783% on sales in 2024. The brand, with presence in Singapore, the UAE and China is now exploring expansion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by 2025. Through strategic expansion Liht Organics expects to triple its growth per annum over the next three years.

Before getting into factors driving the brand’s growth, here’s a quick recap of what Liht Organics Founder, Nerissa Low has said during our first interview back in 2020 just before the pandemic hit.

“Beauty is a very competitive landscape and anyone looking to start a make-up line must be ready for the ride. Our best laid plans may not turn out the way we would like them to, sometimes delighting us and other times frustrating us. It’s challenging, but it’s fun too,” she had said.

Sure enough, that year (2020) itself, like many other brands, Liht Organics’ growth plans had to be put on hold temporarily. Low used the time to pivot, strengthen processes and today, here’s what the brand’s growth plans look.

Liht Organics at a glance

• Founding Year: 2019
• Geographic Presence: Singapore, China, the UAE
• Retail Footprint: FACES, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Hills Mall and Yas Mall; Debenhams, Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Mirdif and Galleria Mall, Abu Dhabi
• Growth Goals: 5 new stores in the UAE and in Qatar by next quarter. Expansion into Saudi Arabia with launches in 17 stores. Grow e-commerce presence within the GCC and globally.
• Funding Status: Started as a self-funded business, thereafter, raising angel investment from friends and family followed by securing funding from private investors.

Tech-based transformation is non-negotiable

In 2023, Liht Organics launched its first virtual reality (VR) based beauty experience in Dubai, allowing customers to enter its virtual room to create fantasy makeup on their avatars.

“We did the launch of our latest products in our very own Liht Island in the Metaverse, where we invited influencers and partners to interact with everyone from the team via virtual live video chats, showcasing our products in our virtual showrooms,” Low shared.

Low believes that the use of augmented reality (AR) and VR to create more immersive experiences, enabling consumers to try on makeup in virtual rooms is what beauty of the future will look like.

In addition, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to personalise beauty routines and diagnose skin issues and offer solutions will also become crucial. “With rising competition in a landscape that moves at the speed of light, everything is geared towards creating an outstanding, unparalleled and unforgettable experience for customers. Data and technology are aggressively leveraged to understand consumers on a deeper level to make better decisions and create an emotional connect with customers to gain their loyalty,” Low observed.

While leveraging technology is non-negotiable, asked about barriers to tech adoption that she is facing in her business, here’s what she said, “We’ve been exploring the use of AR on our website to allow customers to try out products virtually for years now. However, we’re yet to find a provider with the right technology to showcase this accurately as there are many factors – such as lighting, natural skin tones and pigments – that will affect how the product appears in real life. We chose not to launch it until we find the right technology to avoid complaints about the product being different from what’s shown online. It’s important to ensure that every shade and tone is accurate for every user.”

Sustainability is a key focus area

This year, Liht Organics has decided to go “back to basics” by investing in sustainable packaging using bio sourced raw materials to take its eco efforts to the next level. Ensuring sustainability using innovative breakthrough technology is a key focus area for the brand.

In fact, Liht Organics is aligning its sustainability goals with tech driven investments planned for 2025. In this context, Low said, “We’re investing to accelerate our sustainability commitments. For instance, we’ve invested in inventory management systems for improved accuracy and efficiency. We will invest in technology to increase operational efficiency and optimise shipping routes. We will start using sustainable materials for our packaging and ramp up our recycling. All these efforts will have a direct impact on the financial sustainability of our company.”