Salon Today 200: RETAIL

Ginger Bay Salon and Spa

St Louis, MO

Gingerbay.com

Laura Ortmann and Jeffrey Evenson

SQUARE FEET: 10,000

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 68

AVERAGE RETAIL $/TICKET: $15.24

RETAIL AS PERCENTAGE OF SALES: 19%

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $50

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINE: Aveda

COLOR LINE: Aveda

SALON SOFTWARE: Harms/ Millennium

ASSOCIATION: PBA

 “Our retail sales have shown double-digit growth for both ’07 and ‘08 and, in ’09, we’re 1 percent over ’08 Our top retailers are often paired with struggling retailers and asked to mentor for a period of time, based on the team leads recommendation. The staffer being mentored is required to take notes, observe, ask questions and then create a list of all the tips.”

The Hair Company

Leonardtown, MD

thehaircompany.biz

Jackie Buckler and Debbie Link

SQUARE FEET: 3,500

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 28

AVERAGE RETAIL $/TICKET: $14.87

RETAIL AS PERCENTAGE OF SALES: 19%

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $43

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINES: Redken, Pureology

COLOR LINE: Redken

SALON SOFTWARE: Envision

“We use ‘tiff’ contests to boost random sales. Each time a particular product is sold, the service provider receives an immediate payout of 20 percent in cash. For example, we may put our basic make-up kit on the ‘tiffs’ promo for the day or week. Each time they sell one of these kits ($60), they are immediately handed $12.”

Jade Aveda Salon

Greensboro, NC

jadelifestyle.com

Mark and Rhonda Pedersen

SQUARE FEET: 1,700/1,800 (two locations)

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 22

AVERAGE RETAIL $/TICKET: $22.24

RETAIL AS PERCENTAGE OF SALES: 44%

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $53

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINE: Aveda

COLOR LINE: Aveda

SALON SOFTWARE: Harms/ Millennium

ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, Aveda Lifestyle Lifeline

“At our daily huddles, a fun component is ‘product of the day’. We have a grab bag and someone from the team picks out a product to discuss each morning. Written on the paper they draw is the name of a product, key ingredients, main purpose and who should and shouldn’t use it. A key component of the discussion is best sales practices of that product.”

Nutur the Salon

Columbus, OH

nurtursalon.com

Patrick Thompson

SQUARE FEET: 4,219

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 31

AVERAGE RETAIL $/TlCKET: $16.91

RETAIL AS PERCENTAGE OF SALES: 37%

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $34

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINE: Aveda

COLOR LINE: Aveda

SALON SOFTWARE: Harms/Millennium

ASSOCIATION: PBA

“We encourage staff to be successful with retail by rewarding them with education dollars that can be earned, collected and redeemed. If there is an education class that interests our team members, they can ‘cash in’ their dollars. We are currently waking on a Partners-in-Profit program, as we see 120-150 retail-only guests per week, we have an opportunity to drive our retail business further.”

Salon Art-Tiff

Ephrata, PA

salonarttiff.com

Sue Burkholder

SQUARE FEET: 4,000

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 20

AVERAGE RETAIL $/TICKET: $30.12

RETAIL AS PERCENTAGE OF SALES: 19%

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE; $34

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINE: L’Oréal, Brocato, private label

COLOR LINE: L’Oréal

SALON SOFTWARE: Harms/Millennium

ASSOCIATIONS: NCA, PBA

“Our needs assessment scripting starts at the beginning of the consultation with five questions. When was the last time you loved your hair? What do you like most about your hair? What challenges are you currently having with your hair? What products are you using? Are you happy with the results?"

The Studio for Hair

Farmington Hills, MI

thestudioforhair.com

Natalie Sikora, Kenneth Sikora and Tasha Schurgin

SQUARE FEET: 1,700

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 16

AVERAGE RETAIL VTICKET: $8.95

RETAIL AS PERCENTAGE OF SALES: 11%

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: 157

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINES: Eufora, Aquage, Joico

COLOR LINE: Farouk

SALON SOFTWARE: Mikal

ASSOCIATION: ABCH

“To keep our staff motivated, we pay retail commissions in a tiered format. Stylists must sell a minimum of $200 in a two-week period to receive this commission. $200-$499= 5%, $500- $700=7%, $800 and above =10%. Stylists must track what their retail per client numbers are. They are required to turn in these sheets to earn their percentage.”

Salon Laurie and Company

Baltimore, MD

salonlaurie.com

Laune Kvech Schroeder

SQUARE FEET: 2,600

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 21

AVERAGE RETAIL $/TICKET: $17

RETAIL AS PERCENTAGE OF SALES: 16%

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $63

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINE: Aquage. Alterna, private label

COLOR LINE: Caldwell

SALON SOFTWARE: Harms/Millennium

ASSOCIATION: PBA

“One or our incentive programs involves the opportunity to earn ‘company bucks’ that reward retail performance. Each quarter, I hold an auction, where the team members bid against one another for various prizes, such as product of their choice, a prime parking space, gift cards to restaurants, or tools. The most sought after prize is a paid day off.”

Salon Visio

Hood River, OR

salonvisio.com

James Entwisle and Stan Aaberg

SQUARE FEET: 1,252

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 3

AVERAGE RETAIL $/TICKET: $17

RETAIL AS PERCENTAGE OF SALES: 32%

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $45

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINES: Aveda, Bumble and bumble. Oribe

COLOR LINES: Aveda, Goldwell

SALON SOFTWARE: Salon Advantage

“Recently, Oribe had an event consisting of a styling session with Oribe and a professionally photographed styling session with individual models. The stylist from our team who sold the most Oribe retail received airfare to New York and the hotel stay. Sales lasted six weeks and generated way more than enough profit to pay for the trip, in addition to excitement in the salon from our guests, as well as our team members.”

Wisteria Salon Spa

Greenville, SC

wisteriasalonspa.com

Jodie Reece

SQUARE FEET: 3.500/3,100 (two locations)

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 52

AVERAGE RETAIL $/TICKET: $24.31

RETAIL AS PERCENTAGE OF SALES: 17%

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $45

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINE: Aveda

COLOR LINE: Aveda

SALON SOFTWARE: Harms/ Millennium

ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, INYU

“Our Be Curly Aveda product competition was fun and successful. Management made a poster of a girl with long straight hair made out of construction paper. Each time a team member sold a Be Curly product, a straight hair was replaced with a curly hair with the staff member’s name on it. Our Be Curly line sales definitely increased.”

Zanya Spa Salon Corp.

Lambertville, NJ

zanyaspasalon.com

Zanya Gissler

SQUARE FEET: 6,700

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 45

AVERAGE RETAIL $/TICKET: $15

RETAIL AS PERCENTAGE OF SALES: 15%

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $68

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINES: Aveda, L’Oréal. Moroccanoil

COLOR LINE: L’Oréal

SALON SOFTWARE: Harms/Millennium

ASSOCIATION: PBA

“One of the most successful retail competitions we’ve had was called ‘The Apprentice’. We had two teams and the winning team got a four-day stay in Scottsdale, AZ. The competition lasted six weeks, and we sold more than $10,000 in retail sales—a 9-percent increase.”

Additional Honorees

Beau Monde Spalon, St. Johns, FL

Bell Tower Salon, MediSpa and Store, Wyomissing, PA

Changes Hair Studio and Spa, Kamloops, British Columbia

Hair on the Avenue, Sinking Spring, PA

Haircolorxperts-Parktowne, Charlotte, NC

Karen Allen Salon and Spa, Riverside, CA

Landis Lifestyle Salon, Salt Lake City, UT

Mane Attraction Salon, Phoenix, AZ

Maximum FX Salons Spas, Austin, TX

Payton Place Salon, North Little Rock, AR

Pure Aveda Salonspa. Mount Dora, FL

Samuel Cole Salon, Raleigh, NC

Savvy Salon and Day Spa, Cornelius, NC

Valentino’s Grande Salon, Whitby, Ontario