Inside a bustling Doha neighbourhood is a well-liked magnificence and style retailer, which was began by a former taxi driver.
Doha, Qatar – Within the coronary heart of the vigorous Doha neighbourhood of Al Mansoura is a magnificence and style store which has gained a powerful following amongst Africans residing within the Qatari capital ever because the retailer opened about two years in the past.
Butterfly Magnificence Store is situated alongside Al Mansoura’s crowded principal avenue and is nestled amongst grocery shops – recognized domestically by the Arabic phrase baqaala, eating places, tea and snack spots and a smattering of hardware provide retailers.
The cabinets and aisles of Butterfly Magnificence Store are filled with magnificence merchandise, hair extensions, style equipment, garments, sneakers, and seemingly each attainable style merchandise from Africa.
“That is the one store catering to the style wants of Africans in Qatar,” boasts the Kenyan store proprietor Bernard Wanjiku, 32.
Qatar is house to a various international neighborhood that makes up 90 p.c of the nation’s inhabitants.
The sub-Saharan African neighborhood accounts for roughly 6 p.c of the full inhabitants in Qatar, with international nationals coming from international locations comparable to Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa, Somalia and Ghana.
Wanjiku arrived in Doha from Kenya in 2013 to work as a driver for an area organisation, however switched jobs to develop into a taxi driver 5 years later. It was by way of conversations together with his shoppers that he acquired the concept to begin his personal enterprise.
“Each time somebody from Africa sat in my cab, they'd ask me if I knew of somebody coming from house who may convey some magnificence merchandise,” he tells Al Jazeera.
“It might occur so steadily that I realised this was a enterprise alternative ready to be grabbed.”
Testing the waters
Wanjiku’s operations began small. To start with, he would prepare for pals travelling from Kenya to convey skincare and hair merchandise in small batches, after which he would promote them to Africans who he met on taxi rides. These clients would hold coming again for his merchandise.
“I needed to check the waters earlier than investing all my financial savings in a single place. For 4 years, I ran this enterprise as a facet hustle on [a] demand-and-supply foundation whereas having a cab as my principal supply of earnings,” explains Wanjiku, whose magnificence enterprise unfold by phrase of mouth.
Since opening the store in February 2021, Wanjiku has already established a big clientele, most of whom have adopted his journey from the taxi to his brick-and-mortar retailer in a bustling neighbourhood.
However Wanjiku admits he has social media to thank for the speedy development of his enterprise.
“Quickly after the opening, African individuals residing in Mansoura posted images and movies from contained in the store,” he explains. “They'd strive on some wigs, hair extensions or rave about lastly getting access to pores and skin merchandise from again house.”
A few of these posts led to social media buzz amongst Qatar’s African neighborhood.
“A bunch of Sudanese buyers as soon as posted one thing from right here, and it went viral inside their neighborhood, resulting in queues and visitors jams outdoors my store within the following days,” he remembers, laughing.
On the time, the store had lately opened and the Sudanese buyers had posted photos of themselves on social media making an attempt on hair extensions and garments. Wanjiku himself makes use of WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram to advertise his enterprise.
Jessie, one of many store assistants, reveals some face lotions and hair merchandise to a few from Kenya. He tells them which product would work higher for them, and assures them of its authenticity.
“Jessie is from Kenya as effectively,” Wanjiku says. “It is very important have individuals who perceive the merchandise and join with the consumers to make them really feel like they're again house.”
Mehrab, who's from Uganda, is searching within the store. He says he first visited the shop a number of months in the past after a few of his Kenyan pals shared a YouTube video about it.
He says he typically stops by to speak about information from “again house” and to see if there are any new merchandise to strive.
“Not all hair merchandise work on African hair,” he says, operating his hand over his head. “I've misplaced a lot hair since shifting to Qatar however now that I find out about this place, I come right here to get hair merchandise from house.”
Satin attire, World Cup flags
Vibrant printed shirts known as dashikis cling from a rail excessive above the cabinets. Jessie says they're among the many best-selling objects as Filipinos and Arabs like to purchase them as effectively.
He factors at a rack of sparkly satin attire and says Kenyan girls love them as a result of they're on development.
“Kenyan girls love following style from the wealthy and influential individuals again house, so we attempt to cater to their calls for and convey them [fashion trends] right here,” Jessie says.
“Typically, they only maintain up their telephones to indicate us precisely which fashionable outfit they need and if now we have it, they are going to put it on and submit about it on their social media accounts straight away.”
Some Nigerian women and men, visiting Qatar for the World Cup, enter the store and browse the garments on show. They need to see if the nation has any African fan paraphernalia to supply.
“We're right here to assist the African groups,” says Steve, one of many vacationers.
Wanjiku pulls out a number of African flags from a field and unfurls them for the consumers.
He says he modified the look of his store entrance within the weeks main as much as the World Cup to match the event. The show is now adorned with giant flags and the soccer shirts of Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Ghana and different collaborating groups.
“Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon flags are very talked-about. The truth is, I've needed to restock on Ghanaian flags as they've been promoting out rapidly.”
Searching for the following development
An Indian fan of the Argentinian soccer group beckons Jessie from the door.
“Brother, do you will have a Messi shirt? Quantity 10?” he asks. He walks away upset when Jessie shakes his head.
Wanjiku says the South Asians and Filipinos of Al Mansoura are taken with supporting solely Argentina, Brazil and Qatar.
Wanjiku has already began planning for all times after the World Cup.
“There's a development of Kenyan, African-style placemats that's selecting up again house. I need to convey them right here for the native Africans. I do know they are going to ask for them as quickly as they see it on social media.”
Jessie nods and chimes in, “You see that yellow T-shirt up there?” He factors to a brilliant T-shirt emblazoned with a photograph of George Wajackoyah, a shedding candidate on this 12 months’s common elections in Kenya.
“We acquired it as a result of this man was standard among the many youth again house, and the younger Kenyan individuals right here needed to be part of the development,” he explains. “Something that’s standard in Kenya, we convey it to Qatar.”
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