Hey BBN Networkers, I hope your week started off on a great note and you’re making great financial decisions? Last week was 50 shades of ups and downs with one of the major highlights of our week being the date change for our upcoming Black Investor 360 financial expo, but we also came across an interview featuring one of PAKs Cosmetics representatives, Peter Mudahy. The interview started with Mr. Mudahy saying "there’s no such thing as the value in buying Black-owned businesses" then he went on to say "he says that as a Black man."
After research we carried out, we found out that PAKs cosmetics has actually been a Pakistani family-owned business since the 1960’s and it was registered on the 1st of May, 2002 with Tanvir and Saghir Hussain being it’s CEO’s. Beauty Logistics Limited lists Peter Mudahy as Company Secretary since 2018, with the former both listed as Directors.
For a long time we’ve noticed that some of these Non-Black producers of Black hair and skin care products, maintain majority ownership of these businesses, but put a token Black person in place so that African & Caribbean buyers are more comfortable shopping from them. Misleading customers into feeling that these establishments are Black-owned - essentially its blackface in Business.
And it doesn’t stop there, they then get their representatives to make these random statements that demoralize the Black pound and the importance of empowering Black owned businesses.
It’s interesting that almost 70% of the products they sell cater to the Afro-Caribbean community yet don’t see value in supporting black businesses. This is the reason we need to gate-keep and be mindful of some supposed allies.
The UK market for haircare products designed specifically for Black women was worth £36.5 million in 2002 and that accounted for 50% of the overall beauty spending by Black women. The Treasure Tress 2020 Trend Report said that Black British women have a total annual spend of £168,059,711 on hair care products, proving the astronomical impact of the Black Pound in this industry. It should be a necessity that people who look like us and are passionate about our hair and beauty reap the benefits of this spend; and if a business doesn't support and empower our community in this way, should they really receive our money?
We're not just a walking pound sign to be mislead, we are creative and passionate community that cares about the support of other Black owned businesses - giving back to our communities through recruitment, visibility, money and respect is and should be just the tip of the iceberg.
We have taken out time to put together four Black British beauty marketplaces you can buy from and support today. #BuyBlack
A one stop destination for all things Black Hair, Beauty and otherwise. Curating some of your favourite brands and giving you an alternative experience from what we have perceived as normal. Join the community where you can learn, develop and explore. We are all about community and try to incorporate that into everything we do. 2. Black Hair Care Discover the best products for your hair at Black Hair Care UK: from conditioners to hair & scalp treatments, they've got it all! 3. Beauty Phixx Beauty Phixx is a community whereby the underrepresented are represented and held in the highest regard. Inclusion is not an afterthought but the leading thought when sourcing our products and choosing to engage in brand partnerships. Each product we choose to stock is chosen with our community in mind; we consider ingredients, branding, and ownership to ensure that regardless of what you purchase, it will be to your benefit. This is why we say ‘What's the Phixxation?’, ultimately this is the reason behind why this product has been specially curated for you by our Beauty Phixx experts.
4. Hairitage
HAIRITAGE’s founders, Jo Ferrage and Catia J Pinto, were no longer willing to compromise on their hair care shopping experiences and so the company was create – To give its clients the power, knowledge and journey they deserve and to take pride in how versatile our coils, curls and waves are!
Until Next time, Bye.