Keeping a nation fit

WALK into the brand new corporate headquarters of fitness equipment retailer AIBI in Yishun, and a visitor can be treated to a tour of the company's showroom, training centre and a large gym containing state-of- the-art machines that employees can use in their free time.

Pauline Kwek, AIBI's marketing director, is eager to show off one of their latest creations - a treadmill combined with a desk which the company dubs the AIBI EZ Tone Desk. It allows people to own a treadmill that doubles up as a bench when folded.

In just three decades, AIBI has grown from a single People's Park Complex shop to a brand with over 120 retail outlets and agents in Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, China, Myanmar and India. It has over 75 per cent of the market share in the consumer fitness industry in Singapore. Sales growth has been in the double-digit annual percentages in the last five years. Selling prices have only gone in one direction: up.

"Branding is very important. It's about trust," Ms Kwek says. "AIBI sources a wide range of health, fitness and beauty products globally, and as a trusted brand, we need to make sure the products we import are safe, genuine and effective. With this commitment to our product line, AIBI has become a recognised market leader in the region." AIBI began when Ms Kwek's mother Alice Teo, who was then in her 50s, wanted to look good and stay fit but could not get the exercise equipment she wanted.

"My dad was in the business of distributing and importing electronics goods, and my mum used to travel a lot with him," Ms Kwek recalls. "Every time my dad went for a meeting overseas, my mum would be looking through the Yellow Pages directory for business opportunities," she says.

One day in 1985, when visiting a tradeshow in Australia, Mdm Teo came across the AIBI Healthtronic slimming device, which uses electrical pulses to stimulate muscles to help burn excess fats and tone muscles with little effort needed by the user. It was a technological breakthrough in the market then, Ms Kwek says.

Mdm Teo brought the product to Singapore that year. AIBI also began selling a 5-in-1 exercise machine, which allowed the user to jog, row, do sit-ups, push-ups and waist twists. This machine was also a breakthrough then. Selling innovative products to help people keep fit and look good is why AIBI is named thus: "Achieving Individual's Beliefs through Innovation".

From its humble beginnings, AIBI's range of products quickly expanded. However, the company stayed true to its successful model of sourcing the best and latest fitness products for clients. For instance, in the 1990s, the company introduced the popular Jane Fonda Fitness Rider, a cycling machine named after the American actress and fitness guru. Later in the 2000s, the company sold treadmills with TVs, dubbed the Teletread.

Today, AIBI continues innovating and bringing in new products. It is aggressively expanding into the commercial gym market, supplying larger customers like gyms, condominiums, hospitals and other institutions with top brands from the US and Australia. "All our equipment is specially designed with the users in mind. They are made to be safe and effective," she says.

Other than the traditional range of gym equipment, AIBI has expanded to sell a range of health and beauty products. AIBI also brings in the latest products from Japan. One of them is the Sixpad body toner which is endorsed by Real Madrid football star Cristiano Ronaldo. Another Japanese product endorsed by the star and carried by AIBI is the PAO gadget that allows its users to exercise their facial muscles to create a youthful smile.

Ms Kwek says AIBI managed to rise above its competitors because it made the heavy investments required to bring products from numerous brands into Singapore. It also ensured it provided reliable after-sales service.

One challenge the company faces is that more consumers are opting to buy online, where many counterfeit products exist for a fraction of the price of the original. To address this, Ms Kwek says her salespeople educate customers on the existence of fakes and what they look like. Meanwhile, the company has set up an online store and is promoting it vigorously. "We find that customers still like to touch and feel products, to make sure what they see is what they get," she says.

AIBI not only sells health and fitness products, but is actively involved in keeping Singaporeans fit and healthy. It was one of the sponsors of the Health Promotion Board's Million Kg challenge to encourage weight loss, where it provided a few thousand pedometers to track workouts. AIBI also sponsors fitness events like the Straits Times Run and the Shape Run.

Recently, AIBI also helped supply equipment for the first outdoor gym for seniors at Jurong Point mall. This was in response to the ageing population in Singapore and was part of its efforts to help keep the entire nation fit, healthy and fitness-conscious.

Ms Kwek emphasises AIBI strongly believes people should be able to look good and feel great. In fact, the company is primed to introduce a new range of products specially catered to the needs of the ageing population, she says.

For the future, AIBI will continue to bring in products it believes will work, she says. The process of finding the best product starts from the ground up, such that AIBI will always expand its brand in line with what customers want and need. "Our frontline salesmen are our eyes and ears. They tell us what our customers are looking for," Ms Kwek says.

Ms Kwek herself is the consummate salesperson and model employee. "I'm always on the ground, I like talking to people, understanding their needs. I believe in working hard and not taking shortcuts," she says.

A customer-centric model and an expansive product-line means AIBI's customers keep coming back, she says. "Twenty years ago, customers bought products for strength training. Now, as they have gotten older, they come to our outlets seeking products for back pain, flexibility training or cardio workouts. We continue to have the right product for their changing needs. Our customers grow with us, and we grow with them too."