bludaydreamr
Well-Known Member
In regards to the original topic...what products are Koreans keeping other people from buying? It can't be relaxers, shampoos, conditioners, and items like that. Those things are manufacturers mostly by large companies and can be purchased easily. Even stores like Maly's and Cosmoprof will sell to any BSS.
The main reason they dominate is because of the weave and wig revenue. They have been able to take over the industry by marketing and selling to each other effectively enough that a lot of wholesale black hair product magazines aren't even printed in English anymore they are mostly all in Korean.
Oprah did a special on AA owned BSS a few years ago and it was discussed. One poster mentioned the California company that made irons were shut out because the Koreans replicated and sold cheaper irons and refused to by the irons.
I found it. This is the link to the first part of the documentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p96aaTSdrAE
This is the update done 5 years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT-nX25UrsI
I've even seen evidence/trend of Black women and men going to India to start their own weave businesses and oversee the suppliers. Ultimately, we need to grow our own out...but wigs and weaves can be awesome protective styling and that trend will never die. I want to see Black nail businesses come back. I remember the days when nobody got "they nails did" but black women. Now look...cheap awful jobs, ruined nails, dangerous chemicals even though illegal...they still do it. Koreans wanna play? We're waiting. So many Blacks have been horribly hit in this recession (I'm talking corporate) and they are looking to start up their own businesses...this is the time! Now, to rectify this lending process....maybe we ought to have the African system where you put into a pot and lend and you pay back. Your entire community is riding your butt until you pay it back...but many a good business was started this way...and it used to be the African American experience until a certain time of desegregation!
To the first bolded: My sister bought some Wagman's hair she and a co-worker are trying to start up a weave business because it is just that lucrative. We really need to take this ideas into consideration because there should be no way this much money should ever leave our community.
ITA. I would like to know too.Honesty, I prefer to purchase products from an AA own business rather then a Korean store. Im convince they dont respect us and the service they provides is poor. I work too damn hard to earn a living. Im at the point to my life I've been selective in where I want to share my hard earn dollars with.
So now this is out in the open. Now what? What are the ways to strengthen AA business and community? I want to learn how.
Bobbie