Hanish Shah is a Kenyan national of Indian descent. He is the creator of arguably Kenya’s most beloved skin care product, Arimi’s milking jelly.
In March 2022, an IPSOS and BSD group survey revealed that Arimi’s made the top 5 in the list of brands women love.
It was ranked 5th, closely behind Safaricom, Airtel, Mpesa and Equity Bank.
The brand is a cheap option for the masses that cannot afford lush skin care products. It is also a cheap last resort for families that run out of petroleum jelly.
Even the most sophisticated Kenyans, who are known to appreciate high-end brands, acknowledge the extraordinary qualities of Arimi.
The father of 3 managed a family business boutique after quitting his job at a retail company in 1978.
After interacting with several German enterprises, the idea to launch Arimi’s came to him. Hanish Shah founded Arimi’s milking jelly in 1983 to target the Meru farmers.
Before conceptualizing what Arimis would be, Hanish researched problems faced by small-scale Meru farmers. With his findings, Shah developed a high-quality product that he termed “affordable.”
Have you ever noticed the apostrophe on the brand name? In Bantu, Arimi means farmer. Shah’s business model was to subsume the farmers and give them a sense of ownership; its sole purpose was milking cows.
“It is formulated using the best quality of raw materials which are accepted under US FDA approval standard grade as safe to use on skin care, a slightly different formula in comparison to the normal petroleum jelly but 100% safe for human application,” he said.
Little did Shah know that his brand would outgrow his expectations. Due to the success of the milking jelly operations, he relocated his brand to Nairobi so that he could tap into a wider market. This was in 1985.
Presently, Tri-Clover Industries produces Arimi’s milking jelly, with Hanish Shah serving as its Managing Director.
During the 2000s, a surge in milking jelly production claiming to have antiseptic properties that cured and prevented mastitis in cows’ udders was observed.
Despite the competition, Arimi’s, which comprises only two ingredients – petrolatum and colour- stayed afloat due to affordability.
Furthermore, Arimis, unlike other brands, lacked strong scents. This was a big advantage in the market.
Despite the fact that the company produces actual skincare products, Arimi’s has never been marketed as one. Nevertheless, it still remains one of the company’s most successful brands in Kenya.
One Kenyan tweep wrote, “How Arimi’s made it to the personal care section while still having a cow on it for years should be studied in schools.”
Arimi’s is available in various stock-keeping units (SKUs), including 50g, 90g, and 200g. The 50g SKU retails at KSh 34, the 90g SKU at KSh 53, and the 200g SKU at KSh 98.
In June 2021, Arimi’s reassured its customers that they would maintain the prices despite increased petroleum prices.
“As fuel increases, we welcome you to our products. They’re still the same price. We understand your pockets,” the company stated.
In October 2021, Arimi’s company refuted claims that they were rebranding their products with a new design. A tweep took to Twitter to share the newly proposed packaging for the company.
“I decided to rebrand your favourite brand as a slightly premium package. This is a passion project, I hope you like it,” she captioned.Â
This did not sit well with most KoT, who rebuked her suggestion, seeming too attached to the original look with a Fresian cow inscribed.
The matter became a trend on Twitter, forcing Arimi’s company to release an official statement.
“To all our esteemed customers and users of our products, we are not rebranding. The circulating brand is just someone’s suggestion,” Arimi’s clarified on Facebook.
