Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Aficionado was planning on marking the milestone with a big bang. But with the pandemic taking place, it had to recalibrate not just its anniversary plans, but its way of doing business.

Fortunately for the company, even before the onset of COVID-19, it was already making a pivot to offering not just perfumes, but also personal care products such as shower gels, linen sprays, room air fresheners, lotions and hand sanitizers.

“The COVID-19 crisis happened and saw the need for alcohol products. It was a silver lining to turn the crisis into a continuing opportunity for business and survival,” Joel Cruz, President and CEO of Aficionado, says.

“SM was also kind enough to provide concessions on rental as the lockdown resulted in the temporary closure of the malls and stores” Joel says.

He says that his employees and resellers also get to work productively at home and are able to receive continue earning while selling Aficionado products.

“I have been an Aficionado Dealer for 7 years.  Aficionado has given us additional income on a daily basis and I am very thankful than they came up with anti-COVID essentials,” says Hermogena Felipe-Caňares, an Aficionado dealer from Masbate.

Aside from taking care of his employees during the pandemic, Joel says Aficionado has also opted for a more meaningful celebration of their 20th anniversary—by giving back to communities. They donated alcohol and hygiene kits to frontliners: healthcare workers, police and personnel from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

“The COVID-19 crisis has affected our company, but it has also reinforced to me that no man is an island. I give credit to my people because I could not have done this on my own,” Joel says.