When Fekkai exhibits at next month’ s Virtual Travel Retail Expo, the company will not only be showcasing its renowned haircare products but a notable heritage and a deep-rooted philosophy very much in tune with our times.
“When I bought back the company in 2018, I did it with the mission of giving consumers the most sustainable products with the cleanest formulas,” says Founder Frédéric Fekkai as he looks back on the beginning of his namesake brand’s ambitious sustainability journey. “Sustainability is a moving target and we want all our products to not just have a minimal impact on the planet, but for them to have a positive one.”
Fekkai, in partnership with private investment company Cornell, bought back his company after selling it to Procter & Gamble in 2008. Armed with a renewed vision, Fekkai, a pioneer in the salon haircare space, set out to become ‘the Tesla of sustainable luxury haircare’.
“When I first started this business in the mid-nineties, I set out to produce the first-ever luxury haircare brand. Back then, people thought I was crazy because haircare was always a commodity and not a luxury product. Today, people are challenging our aim to be completely sustainable, but we are proving that we are. We want to be a pioneer in sustainability, we want to make it sexy.”
In this illuminating interview, Frederic Fekkai talks about his overall vision for travel retail, balancing profit and purpose, and the role his eponymous brand will play in expanding the relatively-new haircare category in the channel. He also outlines the tangible ways in which his business is creating a positive impact on the planet and his mission of becoming the cleanest, most sustainable and most effective salon haircare brand in travel retail and beyond.
Let’s start with Fekkai’s presence at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo? How will you be using the event?
We are a heritage salon brand, one of the first in the industry. Today, we have developed a fantastic collection of products forming different franchises from Full Blown Volume, Technician Color, Brilliant Gloss, Super Strength, CBD Scalp Calming, Baby Blonde and Shea Butter.
Most of these lines will be available in mini-formats and travel-friendly sizes for travel retail. We have just launched an amazing line that focuses on Apple Cider Detox, which takes inspiration from a brand I launched many years ago that was centred around apple cider vinegar, and we have more haircare styling products that are coming out too.
Fekkai is renowned for its strong professional hair and salon business. How do you plan to translate that success into travel retail?
The travel retail customer is very sophisticated and are very familiar with brands. This sophisticated customer is always looking for exclusivity and brands that aren’t readily available everywhere. They want to be the first to discover something new. In our case, they will discover a brand that has the global authority in salon performance, with well-respected reputation as stylist to the stars.
Our travel retail offering will comprise a wide array of minis at 8.5 ounces that enables travellers to have a great selection of products that are effective and wonderful for the environment. We believe our range will be great for gifting too, as it allows travellers to give their loved ones a product that isn’t available in their country.
Tell us more about your mission to ‘create the cleanest, most sustainable hair care that delivers salon performance to every customer?’ How has this ethos informed your business approach over the years and how does it colour your travel retail strategy?
When I bought back the company in 2018, I did it with the mission of giving consumers the most sustainable products with the cleanest formulas. Today, there isn’t one sustainable regulation across the industry, but we have very high standards and try to be the best we can be. Sustainability is a moving target and we want all our products to not just have a minimal impact on the planet, but for them to have a positive one.
In terms of packaging, we found an amazing partner in Canada. He is 70 years old and has been producing sustainable packaging since the end of WW2. What I love about him is that he doesn’t just talk the talk but walks the walk. His factory in Niagara Falls even runs on renewable hydro-electric power. We also found a partner who buys food-grade plastic for recycling. Thanks to these partners, all our plastics are made with 95% recycled material.
In terms of formulas, we make sure to use only non-toxic ingredients. We leverage nature and science to develop products that are safe, natural and high-performing. It’s a beautiful journey for us and it’s only getting better. I find that there aren’t a lot of brands that have what we have, they are talking about being sustainable by 2030, and since we are small and agile, we are very close to achieving 100% sustainability.
In terms of your commitment to sustainability, how do you balance profit and purpose?
This challenge is part of the journey. Producing a bottle with 95% recycled plastics is more expensive, sourcing eco-friendly and sustainable ingredients is more expensive, but this is part of me and my businesses’ lifestyle. This is how we live in my own home. I don’t go to a market and buy fruits and vegetables that aren’t organic. Why should we just care about the health of our bodies and not also the health of what we put on our bodies too?
When I first started this business in the mid-90s, I set out to produce the first-ever luxury haircare brand. Back then, people thought I was crazy because haircare was always a commodity and not a luxury product. Today, people are challenging our aim to be completely sustainable, but we are proving that we are. We want to be a pioneer in sustainability, we want to make it sexy. I think sustainability is the new chic.
In your opinion, what makes Fekkai a winner in the travel retail channel and what point of difference does it create for the retailer in a crowded market?
On the shelf, what sets us apart is our products’ striking design and colours. Most brands have one signature colour and stick to it, but it’s like spoon-feeding your brand to the customer.
Beyond that, if customers look further into what goes into a Fekkai product, they will see an incredible list of natural and sustainable ingredients and that’s what we stand for. We are cruelty-free, paraben-fee, gluten-free, sulfate-free. Our total commitment to sustainability resonates with the travel retail consumers of today and that certainly gives us an advantage.
Haircare as a category is still relatively fledgling in the channel. What role can Fekkai play in growing the sector?
Hair caremay be a new category in travel retail, but Fekkai is a pioneer in luxury salon haircare. We are giving customers the opportunity to buy our products in travel retail that were previously only available in salons. We also offer such a wide variety of collections that serve different purposes for the travelling consumer. For example, our anti-frizz range is perfect for tropical destinations while our super-strength line is perfect for weathering colder temperatures.
There are other applications as well. Before COVID-19, I was exploring the idea of launching salon experiences in airport lounges and duty free stores. We wanted to open a few salons here and there and gauge appetite, but obviously the pandemic has put a pause on that. When everything goes back to normal, I think that could be a wonderful growth avenue for us.
What are your major targets by geography, channel or retailer type?
Since we are based in New York, the US market is very important for us. We already have such strong brand awareness in the US, so it would be amazing to expand on that in travel retail too. Fekkai has always been a desirable brand in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, so we are targeting those regions. We have such a wide range of products that can basically cater to different populations in different regions of the world and we want to celebrate that.
The good news is that travel is slowly recovering. Now is the time to introduce the brand, and we are going to do much more to gain exposure in the channel, which includes a global social media campaign. I’m a firm believer that you don’t throw everything at the customer, but release things bit by bit. We will introduce one franchise after another, we will start with a few and highlight how we are constantly innovating like a revolving window of products.
What message do you have for Expo attendees discovering Fekkai for the first time?
I want to invite them to discover who we are. We are the first luxury haircare brand to defy the gravity of performance by being sustainable, clean and highly effective. When the first electric cars were launched, they had very few clients. Today, Tesla, Audi and Porsche all have electric cars. In my view, we are the Tesla of sustainable luxury haircare.
