Last year around this time, the Mixed Chicks brand was in the press for sending an insensitive tweet about complexion and giving what many saw as a half-hearted apology. Who can forget the #teamlightskin tweet. But this year, they are making headlines, as the David to Sally Beauty Supply's Goliath. In an article for Inc.com, Wendi and Kim, the owners of Mixed Chicks, share how what started as a possibly wonderful and lucrative business deal—Sally Beauty Supply retailing their product—quickly turned into stiff competition from the mega brand after the two declined a deal with Sally. Some time after the discussions about working together went bust, Kim and Wendi were shocked to find a new brand on Sally's shelves called Mixed Silk. Inc.com reports:
"About an hour after Etheredge learned about Mixed Silk, another retailer called with a similar report. Etheredge and Levy immediately dispatched employees to buy the products. Etheredge tested them that night and was unimpressed. Later, she visited a Sally Beauty store and found Mixed Silk prominently displayed on the checkout counter. When she asked about it, a clerk told her it was "a generic version of Mixed Chicks" and "virtually the same thing." Soon, more retail clients were reporting that customers were balking at buying Mixed Chicks, saying that Mixed Silk cost a lot less."
So after mulling over their options: If they sued and lost, they would have to pay Sally, and if they continued the lawsuit might drag out for years, costing them millions of dollars, but if they won they could recoup those losses. They chose the latter and sued the company last year. They are currently awaiting a court day in May of this year. "They messed with the wrong broads," says Kim.
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