Comments on: “They took it from us!”

By: MIB

MIB — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:11:16 +0000

My point was the Black beauty industry is significantly larger than the totality of Asian-owned retailers and wholesalers combined. I read BOBSA’s list to find it has inaccuracies (Johnson Products is ‘Black owned’) and omissions (neither Luster nor Fashion Fair are listed). And it’s unclear whether any of those manufacturers are Asian-owned, if there are any at all.

We also need to consider Black-owned barbershops, spas, and hair salons in the mix, too. On this variable, I’d tend to believe there just isn’t a significant challenge to the numbers of Black-owned retailers compared to non-Blacks catering to Blacks.

However, I agree with the basic point that we, generally speaking, don’t participate in commerce to the degree we should.

By: Duane

Duane — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:24:59 +0000

But I have a hard time accepting them as a genuine threat to ‘our’ presence in the industry until they buy a Johnson Products, Fashion Fair Cosmetics, Luster Products, or comparable company, this notion they’re taking over the Black beauty industry is quite ridiculous.

On the BOBSA website, they have two lists: one for Black-owned manufacturers and the other for non-Black owned. The latter is about neck and neck with the former. If Asian manufacturers can same product at a cheaper price, there would be no need to take over a Luster or Fashion Fair. The Chinese are already doing it in the weave industry. Koreans are partnering with them to handle most of the distribution and undercutting Black distributors.

Ed,

I wish I knew where that quote came from. The only thing I can think of is that I might have grabbed it from one of Aron Ranen’s documentaries.

By: MIB

MIB — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:22:05 +0000

I think it’s a gross mistake to try and extrapolate upon the entire ‘Black’ hair care & beauty products industry from the economics of the hood. A few Korean-owned retailers and wholesalers does not represent an entire industry.

I understand Asian-owned beauty supply shops and nail salons are conspicuous in many low-income neighborhoods. But I have a hard time accepting them as a genuine threat to ‘our’ presence in the industry until they buy a Johnson Products, Fashion Fair Cosmetics, Luster Products, or comparable company, this notion they’re taking over the Black beauty industry is quite ridiculous.

Now… Blacks as a class experience difficulty in general breaking into retailing & franchising ownership due to a legacy of poor access to capital & credit. It’s a generalization, but ‘we’ tend to display a very unsophisticated grasp of American-style commerce. I’m sure this phenomenon is changing for the better, but the change is gradual.

By: DarkStar

DarkStar — Wed, 07 May 2008 02:14:52 +0000

In college, Black students tend to study alone vs. study groups, or so it used to be anyway.

In business, money for Black business is from the individual or immediate family from what I’ve read. I’d like to see the link for your comment about it being just from the individual.

Anyway, I still find it interesting that Blacks are criticized for being “of the group” but in business, criticized for being “individualists.” That’s not a snark, just a long standing observation.