FAS washes off Estel
A hair dye production company is awaiting inspection by the antimonopoly department.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service will check the activities of Unikosmetik LLC (the legal entity of the plant where Estel hair dyes and other products for professional and home hair care are produced) for violations of the law on protection of competition. This was stated in a message from the department’s press service on September 14. The reason was a dispute over the name of hair lightening dye and care products for unnatural blondes.
As the FAS explained, earlier the department received an appeal from IFB LLC (manufacturer of hair products under the Kapous brand) about a violation of antimonopoly legislation by Unicosmetics, which was expressed in unfair competition.
Since 2017, both companies have simultaneously promoted product lines called Blond bar on the market. In 2021, Unicosmetics registered the Blond bar couture trademark, after which it submitted a demand to IFB to stop using the controversial designation.
FAS Russia opened a case against the company for violating antimonopoly legislation. To consider it, a commission has been created that will check the activities of Unicosmetics for violations of the Law on Protection of Competition.
The media sent a request to the Unicosmetics company with a request to comment on the competitor’s claims and the prospects for proceedings with the FAS.
The company has two production facilities in St. Petersburg. The company bought the first plant (on Piskarevsky Avenue) in 2003. In 2014, a new production facility was launched in Kolpino. The company’s website says that on an area of 30 thousand square meters. m produces 100 million units of products per year.
According to our data, Unicosmetics’ revenue in 2022 amounted to 11.1 billion rubles, net profit – 2.4 billion rubles. In 2021, the figures were lower: RUB 10.3 billion. and 2 billion rubles. respectively. The main owner of the company is the founder and CEO Lev Okhotin, he owns 45% of the authorized capital of Unicosmetics. Another 17.94% belongs to Elena Mitskevich, 9.02% each to Andrey Mitskevich, Anatoly Dubynin and Valery Panteleimonov, the remaining 10% belongs to Unicosmetic LLC.
IFB LLC is registered in Moscow. The company’s website says that Kapous products are “manufactured in the best factories in Italy, Germany and Spain and other European countries.” The founder and CEO of the company is Maxim Kapusta. Judging by the financial indicators, the volume of IFB’s business is significantly less than that of its St. Petersburg competitor. Revenue for last year amounted to 3.82 billion rubles, net profit – 940.9 million rubles.
