São Paulo – An e-shop carrying Lebanon-related items opened earlier this month. “Eu amo o Líbano” (Brazilian Portuguese for I Love Lebanon) sells clothing and accessories, books, sweets, and jewelry that somehow reference the Arab country – whether it be its recipes or brands, national symbols, words or sayings in Arabic. Lebanon-made Château Kefraya wine. The online store is the brainchild of Brazil’s Luciano Aschkar and Gabriel Maluf Jacob.
Aschkar explains that having a Lebanon-related store has been a long-time project, but since the coronavirus pandemic brought the travel industry to a standstill, him and Maluf found the time to put it to work. The two of them run Líbano Tour, a tour operator specializing in taking groups of people from Brazil to Lebanon. A trip slated for this month has been postponed until after the pandemic is over.
The businessman says the idea for the project came from his experience taking Brazilian travelers to Lebanon. “Upon getting there, they would be avid for any product that alluded to Lebanon. This is due to the strong feeling of love that descendants have for Lebanon,” says Aschkar. He regards these Lebanese descendants as potential shoppers, as well as non-descendants who are fond of Lebanon due to its historical and cultural relevance.
Aschkar says demand has exceeded expectations ever since the website went up. “Three days after we opened, we had to augment our staff so we could handle the business effectively,” he says. Some 100,000 followers of online communities “Eu Amo o Líbano” and “Líbano Brasil” – managed by Aschkar and Maluf – are believed to be prospective shoppers.
Most of the items are made in Brazil, like the clothing and accessories and the sweets, which are by Alyah Sweets. The Château Kefraya wine is sourced from a winery back in Lebanon. Jewelry items include silver pendants and rings depicting a cedar tree – the symbol of Lebanon – and gold chains with pendants featuring the owner’s name in Arabic. Clothing items include “I Love Lebanon” sweaters and T-shirts featuring a greeting in Arabic, English and French, just like the ones Lebanese people often wear.
For protection from coronavirus, the website sells cloth coverings featuring a cedar tree and the colors of the Lebanese flag. Luciano Aschkar claims a Middle Eastern décor and perfume product line will be on offer soon. “Not necessarily from Lebanon, but Arab-styled,” he says. Tabs are already available in the website for the sale of typical attire, and courses in Lebanese Arabic and travel packages are already on sale, with prices available upon consultation.
For now, delivery will be available across Brazil only. “But we also feel that there’s a potential market for these types of products in some other Latin American countries, particularly Argentina and Paraguay, which are home to numerous descendants,” says Aschkar. He would like to expand across the border, but since that would require investing big, he’s leaving that for later.
Quick facts
Eu Amo o Líbano – e-shop
WhatsApp: +55 11 93335 1717
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum