Bahamian Entrepreneur Lands Hair Products on Target’s Shelves

A Bahamian entrepreneur living in Florida is celebrating success after her hair products were launched in over 200 Target retail stores.

Sherrel Sampson, the founder of a scalp care brand Canviiy, said it was not easy.

“Getting in Target was no easy feat by any means. It took multiple years. It’s something that took us to really groom ourselves as a brand, so having those conversations, we knew who our customer was.”

The products promise to calm itchiness. The idea was born when Sampson experienced an unbearable itchy scalp. She said after trying other products, the itch did not go away, so she formulated botanical-based scalp care products, partnering with an organic chemist.

The brand was launched in 2015 after taking 16 to 18 months to develop. The lightweight, non-runny serum is enriched with aloe, lavender, witch hazel, manuka honey, and peppermint oil to calm an irritated scalp.

“It’s been a great journey where we’ve been able to grow our domestic and international customer base, where we have customers in Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, and the UK, just to name a few. We’ve also been able to develop relationships with retailers and with other sectors such as healthcare and travel, so it’s been an interesting ride,” she said.

Her customers are African Americans using the product for protective hairstyles or cancer patients suffering from hair loss. The brand is also on the shelves at Moffitt Cancer Center’s salons.

Sampson hopes to inspire minority-owned businesses and promises to return home to share with the local business community.