São Paulo – Ten years prior to setting up Kans BR, Kátia Nassib Timani, a Brazilian daughter to Lebanese parents, was already carving out a market for herself at Middle Eastern beauty parlours. Travelling with a suitcase full of hair straightening products, she met and sold items to the leading hairdressers in the region. She made a name for herself and gained credibility. In 2011 she set up her own business, and in 2013 she went all in to export her hair restoration product line, selling 100% of her output to Arab countries, which amounted to 30 tonnes worth of product in the first half alone.
“I was a street peddler. I gained access to major salons there,” says the businesswoman regarding her entry into the Arab countries. The salons she sells to include names she says are renowned in the region, like Manuella, in the United Arab Emirates, Hia, Pace and Luce, Fahed and Tony Mendelek, in Lebanon. Apart from the Emirates and Lebanon, Kans BR exports to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the latter of which alone buys half the company’s cosmetics output.
Based in São Paulo, Kans BR offers two hair restoration lines comprising shampoos, conditioners, lotions and mascara. “These are products designed to rebalance hair with issues excess oiliness, dandruff and hair loss through chemical processes,” she explains. According to Timani, the main feature that sets her products apart is the fact that they are applied directly onto the scalp, while most hair cosmetics are applied onto the actual hair.
According to the businesswoman, all of the cosmetics are made using ingredients which are not aggressive to the human body. “They may be used on pregnant women, children and people with skin conditions,” she says. Timani says the company also works with products designed specifically for each client, known as “private label” or “proprietary brand” products.
Apart from the markets mentioned above, Timani is negotiating to break into China, the United States, Italy and Nigeria. Regarding the Arab countries, she has yet another target. “Qatar is next. I am currently in talks, let’s see if it goes through,” she says. A fluent Arab speaker, Timani says she spent eight years travelling the Middle East and selling product, during which she learned to negotiate with local businessmen. In the second half of 2013, she is hoping to export another 30 tonnes of cosmetics.
Domestically, Kans BR is preparing to have its launch late this month. The company will hold an event for industry professionals and the press. The Arab countries, however, will not be left out. “The launch event will be themed after Dubai,” she says.
Contact
Kans BR
Tel.: +55 11 2506-8530
Website: www.kansbr.com.br
Email: sac@kansbr.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
