Filipino couple's Gandang Kabayan grows from online side hustle into a Dubai beauty shop

Gandang Kabayan Onlineshopee, which Filipino couple Alvin and Clarissa Tolosa started online in 2018, now stocks thousands of beauty products and perfumes at a shop in Dubai's Al Rigga Business Centre, Expat Media reported.

Gandang Kabayan Onlineshopee, a beauty shop in Dubai’s Al Rigga Business Centre, has grown far beyond the online side hustle that Filipino couple Alvin and Clarissa Tolosa started in 2018, Expat Media reported on 4 November.

According to Expat Media, the shop carries thousands of beauty products and supplements, along with trending perfumes and imported items from the Philippines, Thailand and Japan. Its customers are mostly based in the UAE, and the couple also operates Scarlet Beauty Trends.

From 10 products to thousands

Clarissa started with just 10 beauty products, selling online while still working at a beauty salon. Her first sale was a serum and facial wash worth Dh70. The business has since expanded into trending perfumes, including Lattafa and Amerat.

The couple arrived in the UAE in 2013 and met during a visa run to Kish Island, Expat Media reported. In 2018, after returning from a trip to Bataan, Clarissa brought a trending beauty product from the Philippines and sold it in the UAE as a side hustle. She later chose not to renew her job contract and focused on online selling full time.

A pandemic pivot

When the pandemic stopped international shipments, the couple began selling disinfectants, gloves and facemasks to keep the business going. After five years as a barista, Alvin lost his job and joined Clarissa in the business.

Every item goes through quality control to ensure it is properly shipped, genuine and not expired, according to Expat Media. “We want them to be happy while also maintaining our integrity as a business,” Clarissa says.

Plans for more branches

The Tolosas want to open more Gandang Kabayan branches across the UAE, and Alvin is also considering other ventures, including a restaurant and possibly a car repair shop, Expat Media reported.

In an August 2026 feature on viral Dubai perfumes, Expat Media named Gandang Kabayan Onlineshopee among the Filipino-owned businesses bringing an understanding of Dubai’s fragrance culture into the Philippine market.

The shop is on the third floor of Al Rigga Business Center in Dubai.

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