CASE STUDY: UAE MARKET ENTRY

How Coleen’s Homemade Sauces
secured a UAE retail listing 

ORIGIN

South Africa

EXHIBITION

Free From & Fine Food Dubai

SUPPORT

Bolst Global Export Programme

OUTCOME

10 SKUs Live

A successful exhibition is just the beginning

Exhibiting at an international trade show creates opportunities, but turning those opportunities into commercial success takes preparation, meaningful introductions and continued engagement. Coleen’s journey shows how those elements came together to secure a retail listing with one of the UAE’s leading retailers.

MEET COLEEN’S HOMEMADE SAUCES

A small-kitchen idea, built for real ingredients

Coleen’s Sauces began in Colleen Flowers kitchen in 2017, built on a simple idea: sauces made from honest, local ingredients, with no added sugar, gluten, seed oils or preservatives. What started with a handful of bottles sold from her desk grew into a range of 20 flavours stocked across South Africa. Ready to grow further, Coleen set her sights on the GCC, one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for premium, health-conscious food brands.

Turning introductions into commercial opportunities

The exhibition opens doors, but lasting success comes from what happens next. Bolst Global helps brands maximise every opportunity through buyer meetings, strategic guidance and ongoing support before, during and after the exhibition.

Pre-Show Webinar

  • How GCC buyers think

  • Export readiness fundamentals

  • What to expect in market

Before Coleen arrived in Dubai, she joined Bolst’s pre-show webinar, a briefing on how GCC buyers evaluate new brands.

One-to-One Consultation

  • Personal guidance from Victoria

  • Positioning refined in real time

  • Buyer feedback built in

Direct access to Victoria meant Coleen’s pitch and proposition sharpened as real buyer conversations came in.

UAE Retail Safari

  • Visits to leading UAE retailers and distributors

  • First-hand insight into pricing, merchandising and shopper behaviour

  • Personal introductions to key retail buyers

  • A clearer understanding of routes to market

  • Opportunity to pitch directly to selected retailers and distributors

More than a store tour, the Retail Safari gives brands first-hand insight into how the GCC retail market works, helping them understand buyer expectations, refine their proposition and build valuable relationships before and during the exhibition.

Kibsons Buyer Introduction

  • Exclusive buyer presentation

  • Insight into how Kibsons evaluates new products

  • Opportunity for participating brands to pitch their products

  • Discussions in a commercial environment

As part of the Retail Safari, participating brands were invited to Kibsons’ headquarters for a buyer presentation organised by Victoria. The session gave every brand the opportunity to understand how Kibsons evaluates new products, ask questions directly to the buying team and present their own products in a genuine commercial setting.

On-the-Ground Support

  • Support with buyer meetings and introductions

  • Advice on follow-up strategy and next steps

  • Ongoing commercial guidance beyond the event

  • Helping brands maximise every opportunity

Bolst’s support didn’t end with the Retail Safari. Throughout the exhibition, Victoria worked alongside brands, helping them navigate buyer conversations, refine their approach and identify the most promising opportunities. Support continued after the event too, providing guidance on follow-up, commercial discussions and the next steps needed to turn conversations into lasting business relationships.

Retail Listing

  • Ongoing relationship development

  • Product sampling and commercial discussions

  • Ten SKUs listed with Kibsons UAE

  • Products now available to UAE consumers

Over the following months, the relationship continued to develop through commercial discussions and product sampling. In July 2026, Coleen’s Sauces secured a retail listing with Kibsons, with ten products now available through one of the UAE’s leading online grocery retailers.

From Exhibiting to Retail Listing

Securing a retail listing doesn’t happen overnight. Here’s how Coleen’s journey progressed from preparation and exhibition to a successful commercial outcome.

Preparation

September 2025

Preparation began before travelling to Dubai through Bolst’s support programme, including export readiness webinars and market preparation designed to maximise opportunities at the exhibition.

Exhibition

November 2025
Over three days at Free From & Fine Food Dubai, Coleen showcased her products to buyers, distributors and industry professionals from across the region. Alongside exhibiting, she took part in a one-to-one consultation with Victoria and gained practical guidance to help maximise every opportunity.

Retail Safari

Following the exhibition, Victoria introduced Coleen directly to the Kibsons buying team during the UAE Retail Safari, alongside visits to leading retailers and distributors across Dubai.

The following months

Following the introduction, product samples were shared and commercial discussions continued as the relationship between Coleen’s Sauces and Kibsons developed over time.

Listing Secured

July 2026

Ten Coleen’s Homemade Sauces products were listed with Kibsons UAE, marking the successful outcome of months of relationship building following the initial introduction.

“To get this type of opportunity is once in a lifetime.”

The support we’ve received has been absolutely amazing. Getting the export readiness, the Retail Safari, what can I say? I’m speechless.
I must say we’re really grateful.

Coleen – Founder, Coleen’s Homemade Sauces

Coleen’s journey demonstrates what’s possible when the right preparation, meaningful introductions and sustained engagement come together. Every brand’s journey is different, but the principles behind successful market entry remain the same.

Ready to explore your own GCC journey?