You Don't Own a Salon. You Own A Business.
In his latest blog, Leon Alexander Ph.D., challenges industry conventional thinking to help owners add more to their bottom lines.
How to Spin A Retail Story
The better a salon is able to communicate its retail stories, the higher retail sales it'll enjoy. Carmen DePasquale, founder and CEO of Ecru New York shows salons how it's done.
February 6, 2020
"Attractive displays that send a strong message are inviting and enticing for your clients,"--Carmen DePasquale
3 min to read
When it comes to designing merchandising materials for his upscale hair care line Ecru New York or directing product displays for his 27,000-square-foot salon and spa team in Morris Plains, New Jersey, Carmen DePasquale has his eye on retail trends, both inside and out of the industry.
“We’ve always had a philosophy of bringing the retail industry’s secrets into the salon space,” he says. “We follow retail trends very closely and in our own salon, we execute how the trends will translate in the professional space.”
The retail industry has taken some dramatic turns lately, and the rise in e-commerce has traditional brick–and-mortar stores scrambling to get more traffic into their stores, and getting those shoppers to pay attention to what they are selling. In today’s world, salons have a big advantage over those retailers as traffic already is flowing through their doors in the form of clients who are a captive audience while they are getting their services done.
“Clients come in to look and feel better, and it’s the job of salons and spas to deliver an ultimate experience,” DePasquale says. “When a client feels great about herself—whether it’s her gorgeous waves, her bright new highlights or her renewed skin—she’s in the mood to go shopping. Too often we let that client walk right out the door and use all that feel-good energy to shop elsewhere.”
Ecru New York teaches its salon customers to continually face those clients with small product messages. The most successful way of doing that is suggesting a beauty problem, and showing how the salon has the solution.
Carmen DePasquale, founder and CEO of Ecru New York
“The focus tables and retail shelves should always tell a story—whether it’s about how to prevent damage in the summer to how to control those unruly locks. You need to give them a reason to pick up a product—so group three products together and talk about how they work together to defeat frizz,” DePasquale recommends. “A good manufacturer will help you do that, and your product story should be different every time a client comes in.”
Of course the product story should also be told when the client is in the chair. DePasquale says having their stylists detail what they use on the client’s hair and what benefit it offers is part of the ‘“Client’s Right to Know,” and the service provider should be educating guests as opposed to selling to them.
“But you can’t rely on that message coming only from the stylist, your displays need to communicate and, in our salon, so do the TV screens,” DePasquale says. “Instead of putting on The View our TVs are constantly educating the client about the products we carry.”
Owners should seriously consider bringing on a retail coordinator to build the displays that spin those stories.
“You wouldn’t open a salon without having a stylist or a colorist, so you can’t expect to really make money on retail unless you are bringing in someone with expertise who is responsible for it,” he continues. “You don’t have to start with someone full-time, get someone to come in on Saturdays.
Your artists are worried about their clients, they aren’t going to worry if your shelves are dusty or you’ve run out of marketing materials.”
Of course, there will always be clients who choose to go home and mull over the products they saw and heard about in your salon, and having an e-commerce option gives salons a fighting chance to maintain that sale.
“The internet isn’t going away, so salons need to find a way to participate in e-commerce,” he says. “Our people suggest and offer products in the salon, but they also show how clients can buy it from us online,” DePasquale says. “SalonInteractive makes it easy for salons, because they’ve taken the packing and shipping issues away, but salons can still retain those e-commerce sales.”
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Salon Management
Are Your Stylists Doing Free Hair on Your Time? Introducing the 'Win-Win' Staff Services Playbook
In her latest blog, Amy Pal helps you develop your own clear guidelines around complimentary free employee services.
Caring for Your Caregivers at the Front Desk
From managing air traffic on busy days to handling frustrated guests' complaints, your front desk team often serves as the salon's emotional shock absorber. From a customer service lesson from the DMV to a list of strategies for caring for your front line, our experts offer ideas for alleviating stress, celebrating wins, and setting goals.
by Stacey Soble
What's Really Happening with Salon Retail and How to Reclaim Your Revenue
According to the KIM Report, top-line salon revenue appears steady or slightly up, but that growth is driven primarily by service price increases. Beneath the surface, retail performance and client visit frequency (appointment drift) are under real pressure. In his latest blog, Alain Audet offers strategies for keeping your salon's retail sales strong.
Trimming Your Tax Bill by Putting Family on the Payroll
Putting your family to work in the salon offers some real tax benefits, but you have you have to play by the rules of the tax code to claim them. Azarvand Tax Law's Leticia Skrabut, Esq., shows you how.
The Art of the WOW Experience
Discover how to create a true “WOW experience” for every client by first building a culture where your team feels engaged, empowered, and inspired. Drawing on Calvin Stovall’s Iconic Framework, this blog explores how salon, spa, and clinic leaders can strengthen culture, elevate customer experience, and build a business that stands out for the long term.
Sponsored by Phorest Salon Software
Why Wellness Belongs on Your Salon's Growth Plan
The wellness industry is growing fast, and salons and barbershops already are an important part of it. In her first blog, Tracy Rado shares where the wellness dollars are heading, and how salons can grow with this movement.
Why Your Revenue Looks Good But Your Business Feels Stressed and What to Do About It
While salon sales are increasing, owners often feel they're working harder for the same or less profit. Leverage Q2 data from The KIM Report, Alain Audet reveals some of the structural changes that are dampening your growth and why your region and your salon size matters.
Why Your Holiday Season is Won in September
Weaknesses in your business are amplified during the Holiday Season. Spark Pro Global's Lucy Randall shows you five things to do now to have the strongest holiday season yet.
Appearance Standards are the New Dress Code
In Kati Whitledge's latest blog, she shares how salons have moved away from dress codes and embraced appearance standards. But by removing strict dress codes, some businesses may have unintentionally lowered their appearance standards. Whitledge helps you explain to your team why an appearance standard is important and how to smoothly implement a new appearance policy.
Working Through the Gray Areas of the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit
The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit is a non-refundable tax credit for for-profit businesses that provides a financial incentive for eligible employers who offer health insurance coverage to their employees. Leticia Skrabut, Esq., walks you through how to claim that credit.
5 Things Every New Stylist Should Learn Early
Developing strong work habits early in one's career supports long-term success in the salon industry. Jesse Linares offers new stylists his top five tips.
The Four Numbers Every Salon Owner Should Know
Most salon owners have no idea what these numbers are. You can hit record sales and still have a profit problem. The difference comes down to four numbers almost nobody was taught to track.
Sponsored by Strata Salon Systems™
Your Salon Can't Survive Without You. That's the Problem.
A five-area audit every owner-dependent salon needs to run. You built something that looks successful. Now find out if it can survive without you.
Sponsored by Strata Salon Systems™
Waiting for the Right Time Is a Decision. Here's What It's Costing You.
Every month you put off fixing the problem, it gets bigger, more expensive, and harder to solve.
Sponsored by Strata Salon Systems™
A Partner in Business and in Life
At Janet St. Paul Studio for Hair and Beauty, Director of Operations Natasha McMillen helps bring her wife Janet St. Paul's vision to life, elevating every system from education to operations.
by Stacey Soble
Back to Business with the Pinstripe Trend
Expand your color service menu with the Pinstripe technique. Brooks and Brooks' Marlon Hawkins walks you through the technique.
by Stacey Soble