Tangle Teezer
Tangle Teezer is a British manufacturer of detangling hairbrushes.[1] Established in 2007, the brushes are now sold in over 70 countries.
Company Foundation & History
Tangle Teezer’s founder, Shaun Pulfrey, started a career as a hair colourist in 1978. Throughout his career, he worked at Pierre Alexandre, Toni&Guy, Nicky Clarke and Richard Ward salons. In 2002, Pulfrey released I Wanna Be Blonde, a book sharing his insider style tips.
In 2003, Pulfrey began to research and develop the idea for Tangle Teezer brushes, with the aim of creating the world’s first professional detangling tool. In 2005, Pulfrey remortgaged his flat to finance the product launch.
Pulfrey appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2007. Pitching to Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, James Caan and Deborah Meaden, Pulfrey offered 15% of the Tangle Teezer brand for £80,000 but was rejected. Jones labelled the brushes ‘hair-brained’, Caan said they were a ‘waste of time’ and Bannatyne said he wanted to ‘pull [his] hair out’. However, when the episode was aired, the Tangle Teezer website crashed as a result of public demand,[2] with 1,500 orders placed. In 2008, Boots began stocking the brushes and by 2009, the brand had turned a profit and started to expand into a global market.
Turnover
In the 12 months leading up to March 2015, Tangle Teezer reported an annual turnover of £23.4 million.[3]
References
- ^ "Tangle Teezer Homepage". www.tangleteezer.com. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
- ^ Dann, Kitty (2014-08-23). "Small business in the spotlight: Tangle Teezer". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
- ^ "Meet the Dragons' Den rejects who went on to earn millions". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-04-13.