A company based in Dubai that distributes boxes of beauty product samples is hoping for a pretty profit as it expands across the Middle East.
GlamBox Middle East, which sends its paying subscribers monthly samples of cosmetic products, says it is looking to raise US$1 million (Dh3.67m), which will partly be used to launch outside the UAE.
"The idea is to expand into all of the other Middle Eastern countries in the near future. We're now ramping up for that," said Shant Oknayan, a co-founder and one of four investors in GlamBox.
Subscribers to GlamBox pay Dh50 a month for a box of up to five samples delivered to their door.
It has featured products from brands such as Lancôme and Elizabeth Arden, as well as vouchers for free spa treatments.
It currently caters to women, but was examining launching a box of products for men. Other categories such as health and baby products were also possibilities, Mr Oknayan said.
GlamBox is similar to other so-called beauty-box services, such as Glossybox - which is active in 15 countries - and Birchbox , based in the United States.
Mr Oknayan said GlamBox, which launched in the UAE at the beginning of this year, planned to launch in Saudi Arabia early next year, followed by the other GCC countries. After that, GlamBox has its sights on Jordan, Lebanon and possibly North Africa.
Mr Oknayan said the company was close to finalising a deal with one venture-capital firm, and was in talks with two more in order to fund its expansion, notably the launch in Saudi Arabia."We're looking to raise close to $1m," he said.
The company derives revenues from subscription fees and commission from sales of full-sized products via its online store.
Mr Oknayan said that GlamBox would, at some point, begin charging brands to include their samples and would then provide them feedback from subscribers.
The company claims a subscriber base in "the high hundreds" in the UAE, a number that Mr Oknayan said was approximately doubling every month.
It was founded by Mr Oknayan and three other investors, and its day-to-day running is managed by Sonia Sultan and Monika Debowski.
GlamBox Middle East is an independent company but is associated with a network of other GlamBox-branded services in Brazil, South Africa and Russia.
Mr Oknayan acknowledged that rival beauty-box services were emerging in the Middle East.
"There are a few companies that are popping up, but they have a different service offering," he said.
