Vegan hair products make natural progression to the United States
Innovation
AN AUSTRALIAN eco-hair product company has broken into the lucrative United States market with its natural range of products.
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Davroe has been manufacturing chemical-free, plant-based hair products in Adelaide, South Australia for nine years after observing a gap in the hair care product market.
The first drop of products through popular American e-commerce site Birchbox began last month.
“We are still in the very early stages, but we are already receiving some fantastic reviews from our American consumers especially about our shampoo and conditioners and curling cream,” owner Mary Centofanti said.
“Davroe is now available on American e-commerce site Birchbox as well as in their bricks and mortar stores in New York and in Washington DC.”
Mary worked for the company as a receptionist when it was known as Dresslier before purchasing and rebranding it in 2007 with her husband John. She said consumers were becoming increasingly concerned about not only what they were eating but what they were putting on their body.
“So we decided that we would go down the wellness pathway and look at how we could appeal to that,” Mary said.
“We were offering 100 per cent vegan products before it was even cool to be vegan.”
In 2016, the global hair care market is estimated to be worth about $US 83.1 billion.
Davroe showcased products at the Cosmoprof North America in Las Vegas last July, which sparked talks with several US suppliers about stocking the natural products.
“We showcased our products at Cosmoprof trade fair in July last year and from that we are still in talks with a few US suppliers regarding stocking the brand for us.”
Mary said Davroe was producing more than a million units a year.
She said the key to Davroe's success was finding the perfect balance between natural Australian made, low-irritant products that still offered great results in the salon or home setting.
“Some salons that stock our products offer it exclusively, and others stock it along with one or two other brands,” she said.
“We have had reports of clients with serious scalp problems find our products to be the only thing that worked on their skin.
“I know hair products are not considered life-changing but for people with serious allergies it can make a big difference.”
After receiving positive feedback from people in Canada, New Zealand and Europe, the Centofantis are confident Davroe can go global.
“We just had to look at ways of getting the product over there,” Mary said.
“We have experienced growth in the past three years and demand is only going to get stronger.
“It's testament that more and more people are conscious of what they are putting on their bodies.”
The Davroe team will be head to New York again this September as the official hair sponsors for Fashion Pallet New York Fashion Week.
Mary said this exposure would create further awareness of the Davroe brand and provide a whole new platform for their hair products in the fashion industry.
She said the goal in the United States was to become established in professional salons and high-end retailers.
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