Kankan, founded in 2020 by friends Mary and Eliza, emerged from a shared vision to create a plastic-free personal care brand that combines sustainability with joy. Their D2C website gained early traction, but like many start-ups, they faced challenges in fully capitalising on business opportunities.
In July 2023, Kankan connected with the Global London team through a mutual contact in the beauty industry. This introduction marked the beginning of their involvement in the Global London programme.
Before joining the programme, Mary and Eliza grappled with time constraints. As founders, they juggled multiple responsibilities, hindering their ability to focus on all aspects of the business.
Kankan received personalised guidance on International Business Development with the focus on identifying potential wholesale stockists to elevate the brand’s profile and expand globally.
Mary and Eliza participated in workshops, gaining insights into market dynamics and were part of a delegate cohort attending a trade mission during Paris Fashion Week where they enjoyed a bespoke guided tour, visited over 15 showrooms where they engaged with industry experts and immersed themselves in Paris retail. The mission aimed to explore suitable B2B platforms for Kankan.
Leveraging the 1-2-1 advice, Kankan developed a robust strategy to directly target over 30 potential stockists. This outreach led to partnerships with specialty boutiques and Kankan now has an expected turnover of £50k in the coming year.
Larger retailers in the UK and internationally are in discussions with Kankan with a predicted revenue of £100k+ in the upcoming fiscal year.