A monumental development for a city and industry in which marginalized communities are routinely underserved. The Black Beauty Collective centers Black consumers and entrepreneurs to fill a critical gap in the market.
February 7, 2023 – (Chicago, IL) – The Black Beauty Collective (BBC), a first of its kind marketplace and entrepreneurial collective for Black owned beauty brands, is opening its flagship store in Hyde Park, Chicago on April 6, 2023. Attendees can look forward to immersive activations and experiential workshops, as they shop for beauty products exclusively created and owned by Black entrepreneurs.
No matter the socioeconomic standing, Black consumers have long been deprived of the opportunity to shop for their beauty products in retail spaces specifically catering to them. As a result, the few spaces that do have diverse offerings for Black haircare and beauty products, often lack representation of Black sales representatives with adequate knowledge of products and culturally specific beauty needs. BBC sales representatives are trained to advise customers on the diversity of products available within the store and individuals’ specific beauty needs, no matter their texture or tone. The BBC is on a mission to open up locations in every major city, garnishing support and Black owned brands in tow, to offer an alternative for this critically underserved community for brands within the Collective, the BBC is a unique platform in which they receive bespoke sales, marketing and PR support to scale their businesses. Brands that would like to apply to be a part of the collective can do so by visiting the website at www.blkbeautycollective.com. Locations are slated to open first in Chicago, with subsequent locations in Houston, Washington DC, and Atlanta.
“While Blacks outspend on everything from water to cookware, our beauty buying habits continue to top the charts. We spend nearly nine times more than our non-Black counterparts on ethnic hair and beauty products,” cited the McKinsey report. While we spend 9x more than other races, we only represent 2.5% of brand ownership. The lack of growth opportunities for Black owned brands is astonishing. The Black Beauty Collective is leading the charge one city at a time to increase access, education and the opportunity of “shelf space” for Black owned beauty brands. In addition to physical shelf-space, brands are also included in our online marketplace, extending their exposure to our global customers.
Beauty brand ambassador, veteran, and entrepreneur Leslie Roberson created the BBC with the aspiration of giving access and opportunity to those who need it the most. “Expanding our economic power and ownership is the only way for our communities to evolve into a space of sovereignty,” stated Roberson.
About Black Beauty Collective:
The Black Beauty Collective is a hair + beauty retailer featuring exclusively Black owned brands. From the entrepreneur to the customers, the Black Beauty Collective harnesses the power of beauty to bring new opportunities in store and online with over 100 established and emerging black brands across all categories and price points, including the Black Beauty Collective’s own private label.
Located at 5305 S. Hyde Park BLVD, Chicago, IL.
To learn more, please visit www.blkbeautycollective.com.
Follow BBC on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter. Link to approved images.
###
