Vitalfarco and the Morooj group have cooperated for many years and are determined to continue their close relationship to increase their role in the global hair & beauty market. Furthermore, with subsidiaries in Detroit, Dubai, and Bagdad, the Mooroj Group is one of the most active distributors in the Middle East and the USA.
Estetica’s Luca Pissimiglia talked to Morooj Group Managing Director, Abdullah Shawwa and Jassim Zaini, board member of Morooj Alsultan on a recent trip to Las Vegas.
Luca Pissimiglia – When it comes to international e-commerce and distribution, what lessons can mature markets in Europe and North America learn from emerging markets such as those based in the Middle East and especially in Iraq?
Abdullah Shawwa – “As you know, the Middle East is witnessing extensive growth thanks to heavy investment projects with government support. These projects have increased the purchasing power of workers, which has led to more consumption of beauty products. This has greatly affected both our product popularity and trends in consumer consumption. In the Middle Eastern perfume industry, we have witnessed more than 100 brands which continue to evolve, supporting more SKUs and more items on the market. All of this has tremendously changed the mindset of the Middle East, as well as Europe and USA”.
Luca Pissimiglia – You distribute a whole range of beauty products (skin, eyes, contact lenses, etc.), not just haircare. How important is this type of diversification for you?
Abdullah Shawwa – “I can say that being a key player in beauty product distribution in the Middle East, our group has, since launching in 2006, continuously tried to overcome all the challenges faced by the consumers. We have achieved this by providing a 360-degree customer experience, not only in terms of hair, skin, or nails, but in perfumery as well. With 5,000 customers, we consider ourselves as a market leader in covering all our customers’ needs with the best products which give unprecedented results. At the same time, we are not only limiting ourselves to our existing portfolio, but we are also working on more brands, a strategic one of which is “Masala”. This will be launched very soon and will be one of the top niche perfumes in the Middle East as well as in the USA”.
Luca: Pissimiglia – You are specialized in brand creation. In your opinion, what are the most important first steps in creating a new brand identity in your territory?
Jassim Zaini – “Our company fundamentals in brand creation since the beginning focus on innovation in creation. Covering each and every detail in the brand invention our experienced team focus on each step of brand creation that includes benchmarking the items positioning, mapping the right assortment as well as choosing the suitable packaging in order to deliver the best marketing message to our customers.”
Luca Pissimiglia – Tell us something about your choice of headquarters – Detroit, Dubai, and Baghdad. It’s quite an eclectic mix.
Abdullah Shawwa – “This is a question which I always feel proud while answering. It has been one of the best decisions the group has made, as each territory provides something different and new. Being in Detroit allows us to engage with our end consumers both online and offline. And this is not only linked to Detroit, but we also distribute in several other US states as well. On the other hand, Dubai, where I have spent most of my life, is known as the heart of the Middle East. It provides us with our overriding vision and has given us the means to turn it into reality. We work with manufacturing, distribution, trade and export, so Dubai ticks so many of our boxers, as it’s known as the country of 200 nationalities. As for being in Iraq, I can say that this was one of my most interesting experiences. We have 5,000 customers and we serve all the provinces of Iraq from North to South, East to West. And we don’t only cover one trade channel, we cover salons, supermarkets, online, and offline beauty stores and wholesalers. With Iraq’s huge transformation in both digital and customer experiences, we will take advantage of the opportunities we can in order to make Iraq our best distribution network ever”.
Luca Pissimiglia: What about your cooperation with Vitalfarco? Tell us how that started.
Abdullah Shawwa –“I believe that this relationship started on a foundation of trust and belief. Vitalfarco has been one of the key Italian manufacturers for over 60 years and we consider them as a key partner. We have developed several projects together and I’m sure that with all the passion and innovation we share, we will enjoy very good growth in our relationship. We will soon be working together in even more markets, which will empower our partnership and enable it to really fly. And for us, we are confident that this partnership will allow both parties to reach the ultimate goal”.
