MENU
SEARCHWith a combination of strategies, a Miami salon raises its annual retail revenue by nearly 40 percent.
At Detlev – Aveda Lifestyle Salon in Miami, retail was always on the table.
Owner Detlev Gessner had long considered retail an important player. Still, year after year, Gessner’s fear kept retail in its traditional role as second banana to services.
As at many salons, it took a pandemic for bold risk-taking to finally overshadow fear of change. The temporary shutdown got Gessner to sit down with his team and ask: What can we do better? The answer was retail.
“I’d been afraid to say, ‘Here’s $50,000 for a position that is solely to support everybody, not to make appointments,’” Gessner says. “But I’ve always wanted someone on the team working exclusively to support the clients and the staff and to make sure guests are buying Aveda products.”
So he set the budget, hired a retail advisor, and enrolled her in the salon’s Ambassador Program. Now the retail advisor closes retail sales for the stylists and, as part of closing, pre-books the guest, typically booking three appointments over the ensuing three to six months.
“I really trained the new advisor and got her into the culture,” Gessner says. “She can help in the service area if we need, but truly her whole job is to make sure our retail looks like a store within a salon. She’s literally a retail advisor.”
After observing retailing strategies in Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, Gessner concluded that successful retailing involves both presentation and communication. His retail advisor not only takes advantage of all the merchandising materials Aveda supplies, but also trains stylists, backbar staff, and front desk staff in how to inform guests about products.
“We use the process of open-ended questions and of having the conversation in the chair,” Gessner says. “It doesn’t work if you simply ask the guest what she needs as she’s leaving the chair. I believe you should not sell anyone something they don’t want, but it is our job to educate guests on what they need. If they say they have enough at home, fine! Maybe they’ll need something next time.”
Cross-marketing is key, Gessner notes. One great way to build retail tickets is to inform guests about products they haven’t used before. Why not introduce Aveda’s body care line to clients who regularly purchase hair products? And cross-marketing goes both ways—not only marketing products to service clients, but converting product-purchase walk-ins to become regular service clients, too.
“The hardest part is knowing about all of the products,” Gessner continues. “You don’t have to know every ingredient, but you have to know the benefits of every product and the hair that it’s good for. That’s why I love Aveda—it’s all on AvedaPro. And the front desk staff can look into the guest’s file to see what they’ve purchased in the past.”
With product knowledge so important, every other month Gessner pays educators to fly into Miami and conduct in-salon education. The focus on retail has paid for itself and then some. While service sales have been increasing as well, retail numbers have climbed even more dramatically. Comparing the 2021 against 2018, Gessner calculates that the salon added about $76,000 in retail sales, representing 39.5% growth. The average retail ticket was $47 in 2019, $53 in 2020, and $65 in 2021.
“This is no longer a salon that sells retail,” Gessner says. “We’re a store that sells a specific brand, and we’re a salon that uses a specific brand. They work together but each have their own goal.”
After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
Scott maximized her micro-salon by transitioning from stylist to strategic owner, focusing on recruiting and station-sharing. By prioritizing her ownership role over behind-the-chair work, she grew her team to six stylists within the two-chair, 150-square-foot space before eventually moving to a larger facility.
The former CFO of Perdue Farms and owner of Hardy Seafood, Terry Owens delivers a wealth of wisdom and strategies for entrepreneurs in his new book, "Business is Simple."
After scaling her single-location salon business, SALON TODAY 200 Honoree Amy Pal recently sold her six-location Whip Salon for seven figures. Using the six Ps for maximizing a business's value, she's ready to help her peers do the same.
Buried inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are federal solar tax credit changes that deserve your attention now. Two of the credits that matter most to commercial property owners, the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit, are still available, but only if you move fast. A third, the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Deduction, has a hard termination date that is closer than most people realize.
Up to 40% of hair stylists ghost the salon interview stage, leaving owners trapped playing endless phone tag with uncommitted applicants. This data-driven report breaks down why traditional job boards create recruitment friction and reveals the modern messaging strategies high-growth salons use to get pre-qualified talent to actually show up. Learn how to transition from cold calling to high-conversion conversations that protect your time and fill your chairs.
Sponsored by Beautista
Spit fests, hostile threats, and even an overachieving matchmaker--SALON TODAY readers share their craziest client tales and how their team handled these tough situations with professionalism and grace.
Keeping your appointment book full when clients are in vacation mode takes more than a good Instagram post. It takes a plan. The 2026 Summer Marketing Calendar from Meevo gives salon, spa & med spa owners a month-by-month roadmap with sharp themes, key opportunity dates, and campaign ideas specifically designed for the beauty & wellness industry. Here’s to your summer season working as hard as you do!
Sponsored by Millennium Systems International
AI is transforming the beauty and wellness industry, and the future is about empowering people, not replacing them. Discover how Phorest AI helps salons, spas, and med spas across North America respond faster, personalize every visit, and keep human connection at the heart of the client experience.
Sponsored by Phorest
Owner Michaella Blissett-Williams credits her General Manager Gloria Hortua with [salon] 718's year-over-year, double-digit growth and says she's been able to scale the company to eight locations because she can rely on Hortua to manage daily operations.
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
Elyse Rogers is an uplifting presence at The Headroom who makes the team feel heard even in stressful situations. Owner Danielle Cherewyk sings her praises in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Despite a slight and predictable decline in client traffic for Q1, resilient pricing power is driving year-over-year revenue growth in salons. The KIM Report's Alain Audet reviews the data and what it's telling us about the state of professional beauty.
Same-store revenue grew just 2% for the second straight year—and new guest visits declined across every segment of the industry. The 2026 Benchmark Report reveals where growth is actually happening, which verticals are pulling ahead, and what the data says about where your business stands right now.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Hair restoration is entering a new era driven by regenerative science. This paper explores how Exosome technology is transforming treatment outcomes by targeting hair loss at a cellular level. Discover why EXOGROW is leading this shift.
Sponsored by Dermapenworld
A salon brand is much more than a logo. In this thought-provoking blog, Leon Alexander, Ph.D., walks you through the difference. SALON TODAY suggests sharing this article with your team and leading a discussion at your next huddle, asking the team to define your business's brand.
