São Paulo – Brazilian company Agilise Cosméticos has broken into Jordan, despite the pandemic. The brand has already sent two shipments to the Arab country and is preparing its third. Agilise has been in business for 14 years, dealing with professional hair products. Five years ago, the brand went international, and now it exports to countries such as Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Libya, and now Jordan.
The company has sent three tonnes per shipment to Jordan. “We signed with the distributor during the pandemic. Jordan is a very structured country – I went there in 2008 and made lots of connections. We participated in the Beauty World Middle East four years ago, and the region has always provided good results,” said Caio Lopes, who is responsible for the company’s export department.
Due to the pandemic, the company has seen a significant drop in exports, but the scenario has already shown new possibilities. “Shipping was very expensive. We saw a noticeable decline, but it has returned with full force in the last two months,” Lopes explained.
In Iraq, the first country the company exported to, there is a renewal. A distributor that had worked with the Brazilian company years ago has signed a new contract to serve the whole country. Iraq is now the company’s main market, averaging 5 tonnes of products acquired a month. In the pandemic, the company managed to maintain the volume shipped each month, but it expects to double shipments next year.
In the Levant region, where the brand is strong, Agilise’s flagship is the smoothing line. “Demand is high. Brazilian cosmetics were already famous in the region. In the Levant and Iraq, it’s a very popular product,” he says. But the company’s challenge is introducing new lines. “We’re working with the distributor [in Iraq] to introduce new products with the new face of the company,” he explains.
As for Jordan, Agilise bets on the home care line, which has been introduced to be sold in the beauty salons. “We have the Unika line and the home care line, which is Unika’s after-treatment line. In Jordan, it has been well received, so it’s in the UAE,” Lopes said. The company now seeks out potential Moroccan distributors. “It’s a large, rich market where we still haven’t been successful. Breaking into Morocco is our goal for the next months. We went to two trade shows in Casablanca. With Morocco, we end up aiming at the entire North Africa,” Lopes considered.
Face-to-face connections and trips to the Middle East played an important role for the expansion of the company, which signed partnerships and deals in shows. In the current scenario, Agilise has planned new ways to maintain these connections. The brand did a virtual launching during the online Cosmoprof, a show in Italy, and prepares to promote its products in a customized format. “We plan on going to Dubai and launching a campaign with them, but it will be something simpler, with our partners. And, of course, do the digital part, with social media, WhatsApp, email,” the exporter explained.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
