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From pushcart beginnings to a multimillion-dollar beauty retailer

Beyond bringing foreign brands here, Henatenn wants to help local brands go global too

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    • The group opened its first physical retail store under the Novela brand in 2014. Today, it has seven Novela stores.
    • The group opened its first physical retail store under the Novela brand in 2014. Today, it has seven Novela stores. PHOTO: HENATENN HOLDINGS

    Joann Stanley, Nguyen Hoa Minh An, Victoria Susan Davis, Tran Lam Vy, Chua Si Xian

    Published Thu, Feb 6, 2025 · 05:00 AM

    AS STUDENTS in Temasek Polytechnic, Ben Lin and Eugene Tay never expected that their side hustle as fragrance promoters would lead to a multimillion-dollar beauty business.

    The duo started selling fragrances from a pushcart in the polytechnic while studying business information technology, after discovering the industry’s potential during an internship in Shanghai.

    The pushcart was an instant success. After graduation, the two decided to venture into beauty distribution.

    Enterprise 50Singapore SMEsBeauty industry

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