In 2016, Henry Ibeto had an idea that many people around him were not entirely convinced would work.
He wanted to build a premium grooming centre in Onitsha one that would offer customers an experience far beyond the ordinary neighbourhood barbershop.
At the time, the idea seemed ambitious. Would people in Onitsha really pay premium prices for grooming services?
He took a chance and rented a single shop at Onitsha Mall to launch what was then an experiment: a premium luxury unisex salon.
He started with a small team of fewer than 50 workers.
The early days were about testing the market, understanding customers and proving that there was a market for premium grooming in the commercial city.
The response was stronger than expected. Within less than a year, Ibeto had rented three shops in the same mall and merged them into a much bigger space. The new outlet had different sections for various services, including a dedicated VIP section.
The experiment had become a business. And the business had found its market.
From Onitsha, Black & White began expanding beyond Anambra State. Enugu, Asaba, Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Nnewi were among the cities that followed.
What started with one shop in Onitsha has since grown into Nigeria’s fastest-growing brands.
Today, Black & White has more than 40 branches and a workforce running into thousands, with outlets located in major malls and commercial centres across Nigeria.
But its growth is not only about the number of branches.
The brand has built a reputation around serving the elite and upwardly mobile members of the communities where it operates-people who are willing to pay for convenience, quality and a premium grooming experience.
Its services have also evolved beyond barbing. Customers can access facials, manicure and pedicure services and other beauty and grooming treatments under one roof.
According to findings, some of its outlets attract more than 100 customers daily during off-peak periods, with patronage capable of doubling during peak and festive seasons.
Depending on the service, location and treatment, prices reportedly range from about N3,000 to as much as N50,000.
That price range tells part of the story. Black & White is not simply selling haircuts or beauty treatments. It is selling an experience and it has successfully positioned that experience as a premium lifestyle service.
The irony is that the story did not begin in Lagos or Abuja, where premium lifestyle businesses are often expected to emerge.
It began in Onitsha. A trader saw an opportunity, took a risk and created a grooming concept at a time when there were doubts about whether the market was ready for it.
The market answered. Today, the brand has moved far beyond the city where it started, becoming a growing presence in Nigeria’s mall and lifestyle economy.
For Ibeto, what began as an experiment has become a national business story.
And for Black & White, the journey from a single shop in Onitsha to more than 40 locations is a reminder that some of Nigeria’s biggest brands can begin with nothing more than an idea, a willingness to take a risk and the determination to see the vision through.
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