Asia's World City can add another title to its name: the continent's slimming capital. For, the myriad bare-torsoed males looking at you from the thousands of magazine ads and posters make it seem slimming is more of a requirement than an option for Hong Kong's men. What lends credence to that view is a recent Asia Pacific survey on attitudes towards appearance and personal grooming in which over two-thirds respondents said they were trying to lose weight, when only half of them thought they were overweight. In Hong Kong, 50 per cent said they were fighting the bulge, though only 44 per cent were overweight. The discrepancy may have left many experts scratching their heads, but one local company isn't complaining.

"We are certainly looking ahead with confidence," says Venice Tsoi, a founding member of Mence Beauty (MB), a chain of men's skincare and body-toning centres. And she has reason to say so, for perhaps most of all those smiling faces in the ads and posters are from the salon chain.

MB's first outlet, opened in 1980, however, was a women's beauty salon. It was not until much later that its owners saw a market niche that had yet to be filled.

"No one at the time was helping men lose weight," says Mence Tsoi, the company's director. "We realized men were becoming more conscious about their health, and thought it was the right time" to tap that market. That was the first of many smart decisions the company has made, and the strategy of moving before anyone else sets it apart from its rivals. The result: MB today is well placed to capitalize on the burgeoning market for men's slimming services with its four men's and two women's outlets at four spots and over 10,000 clients.

MB is run by the Tsoi family, which includes Mence and her 3 siblings. Mence's impeccable grooming is the "face" of the company, while older sister and managing director Venice, works quietly behind the scene.

It's a strategy that has worked. "I know what our customers want and I oversee front desk operations and customer service," Mence says. For financial matters and number crunching, she has Venice to fall back upon. The company's slick ads and its staff's welcoming smile are just the first step of attracting customers. Mence says: "Getting them in is important, but to keep them, you need to have quality service. This is what we try to do."

Knowing what the customer wants is even more important when he could be anything "between 15 and 80". But "most of our customers are in their 40s", Mence says. "Younger men want to improve their looks, while older men want to look slim. Men come because they feel run down or stressed, and women because they want to look better. Men don't have enough sleep, work long hours, undergo a lot stress so they get saggy (lines) in the face and under the eyes... They attend many social gatherings (such as) karaoke, and don't eat healthy food - so it's easy to get fat."

A jog round the track won't solve that problem, which is where MB's emphasis on technology comes into play. It has over HK$3-million worth of hi-tech equipment, some of which use electro-impulses, sound or lightwaves to, among other things, stimulate the breakdown of fats and tone muscles. The machines combine Occidental and Chinese therapies, and in a holistic blend can give a Western-style massage as well as apply acupressure and acupuncture.

Some of MB's more expansive claims revolve round using the equipment as a substitute for regular exercise, which Mence says is not always what it's supposed to be. "Not all exercises are good for the body," she insists. "Some exercises, or overtraining, can actually damage the muscles." In a city averse to regular exercise - about half the survey's respondents exercised just once or twice a week instead of the minimum 30 minutes recommended by fitness experts - a sweat-free way of cutting those abs as well as reducing weight hold great appeal. And this is where MB's strategy is so effective: offering an open schedule allowing customers to come in as often or infrequently as they want.

"We look closely at our men's programmes," says Mence. This is very important because men being "less disciplined, need more flexibility to cancel or change their appointments".

Though only "one in a thousand" men are interested in slimming or body-sculpting programmes of salons such as MB, Venice still thinks the prospects are good. And to capitalize on those projections, MB is once again moving ahead of the pack. "Our company is upgrading," says Venice. "Starting this year, we will be renovating all our centres. We have (enlisted) Alan Chan (a world famous designer) to design our interiors... We want our customers to know we offer high quality service. Part of this is providing a suitably rich atmosphere." The company is also busy preparing to patent new "physical therapies" and introduce flashier equipment to attract more high-end customers.

But doesn't running men's fitness centres have its share of problems? Mence says "the way in which we sell our men's services is different from women... Men like hi-tech gadgets and toys, so technology impresses them. Our new centres will focus on technology. There'll have deep, strong colours and an obvious masculine flavour. In contrast, our women's salons focus more on a soft, comfortable atmosphere, with Thai-style massages and gentler therapies... spas for example."

Visitors to Shenzhen may have seen Mence Beauty ads, but unlike other Hong Kong firms, the company is not rushing into any mainland venture. Rather than investing on the mainland directly, the Tsois say, MB will look for partners ready to take the risk on the back of the company's brand. That's why "Mence Beauty on the mainland is a franchise," says Mence. "In the Philippines too. We are not confident about dealing with red tapism (on the mainland). There are many government departments and letters (of authority) that you have to go through to start a business."

But will MB make a foray into the mainland in the near future? Mence shrugs and says: "We have no plans at the moment". So what about the future? She says that over the past 25 years, MB has introduced numerous therapies and programmes, treating such ailments as diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnoea, and helping people reduce weight. But there's no letting up. Future products are likely to take a more holistic approach - including services to improve mental well-being. And high on her wish list are lifestyle coaching and psychotherapies.

With corporate warriors looking to extend their working life in an era where superannuation may be just a state of the mind and appearance playing a vital role for men to sell their company's image, the growing demand for modern day Hermeses can only mean more success for a company like Mence Beauty.

(HK Edition 03/23/2005 page4)