The story of IBP Scandinavia: “Has revolutionised the children's and baby industry”
Emotions ran high when Said Saharkhiz and his wife had just had their first child. One night, as Said fell asleep standing with his forehead leaning against the microwave, he thought in frustration that there must be an easier way to prepare and heat up baby food. That night marked the beginning of a company that today supplies innovative children's and baby products to some of the largest retailers in the Nordic region.
Behzad Rahimi and Said Saharkhiz, founders of IBP Scandinavia.
IBP Scandinavia is run with great ambition by Said Saharkhiz and Behzad Rahimi. They have known each other since they were thirteen years old and describe their relationship as close, complementing each other as people. Therefore, there was no doubt about who would become Said's business partner when, during sleepless nights, he frantically Googled for a product that could prepare formula automatically and make his nights easier. When he finally found the Baby Brezza Formula Pro machine, which could measure, mix and heat formula to 37 degrees completely automatically, he was overjoyed. At that moment, he had no idea that the product he would launch in Sweden in 2016 would become one of the best sellers on Jollyroom, the largest baby product site in the Nordic region, two years later.
“When I found Baby Brezza, which is the first brand in our product portfolio, I immediately thought that it would be a lifesaver for me and all other parents of infants. I knew there would be demand, but I had no idea how successful it would be,” says Said.
Established their first contacts in the industry
Said contacted his childhood friend Behzad, who was quick to jump on board with the idea. Since Behzad had previously worked in the children's and baby industry, he could see a gap in the market that they could fill with the machine. They contacted Baby Brezza and, after a few email exchanges, managed to arrange an initial pitch meeting in Paris. At that point, they didn't have much more to show than their strong determination and a presentation of their business idea, along with a business plan for the Scandinavian market. Even though they didn't have a company on paper, they got such a good response that a few hours later they walked out with a contract in their hands.
“We were nervous and excited. When I think back on the preparations for the meeting, we would probably have made a few small changes to our presentation today. But apart from that, it couldn't have gone better. When we left the office and walked back out onto the streets of Paris, we could hardly believe it,” says Said.
The period after the meeting was hectic. They worked full-time at their respective jobs and late into the evenings and nights, they packed goods that were shipped to the first customers in a borrowed lorry. When the first real order came in, they quickly emptied the European warehouse. Only then did they realise the potential of the company.
“The problem then was that there were no machines left to sell. But instead of waiting for the new delivery, we created a website where people could pre-order the machine. The porridge machine quickly gained a lot of attention on social media, which helped orders to pour in and we quickly got the start-up capital to really start the company,” says Behzad.
Since then, more retailers and new suppliers have contacted IBP Scandinavia because they have discovered the uniqueness of the business idea. IBP purchases products from suppliers, markets them and distributes them to retailers in the right market where demand already exists thanks to the strategy of working hard with social media.
"We call it “distributor 2.0”, a perpetual service where we establish brands in Sweden. Our idea is to simplify the work for everyone involved by handling everything from pre-market, marketing, sales, logistics and after-market. Our social media content attracts interest from an already highly engaged audience, namely parents. Who wouldn't want to streamline their everyday life and spend more time with their child,” says Behzad.
Foundation laid for strong growth
Since its launch, the company has grown and now has a turnover of around SEK 50 million. In addition to Baby Brezza, IBP Scandinavia now also distributes and markets products from Uppababy and Owlet. Behzad and Said have ambitious goals and aim to help brands in all industries break through in the Nordic market.
"Today, IBP Scandinavia is the largest distributor of baby tech products in Scandinavia. We have now passed the start-up phase and are taking the next step in scaling up, and we see good opportunities to reach SEK 100 million within two years," says Said.
In the future, they want to continue to deliver quality to suppliers, retailers and customers by continuing to market themselves and their products, thereby creating demand so that new brands can enter the Nordic market.
“We have found a balance between demand and price, and we have tried to create a win-win situation with a strong focus on quality, and we will continue to do so,” concludes Said Saharkhiz.
For further information, contact:
Said Saharkhiz, CEO and Founder, said@ibpscandinavia.se
IBP Scandinavia markets and distributes innovative products in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The company holds the rights to international brands such as Baby Brezza, Uppababy and Owlet. Its head office is in Gothenburg and the company has a turnover of approximately SEK 50 million. ibpscandinavia.se
Tags:
