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
The Future of Luxury
Daniel Kaner, one of the founders and a co-president of Oribe, recently attended a graduation ceremony for the Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management master’s program at the Fashion Institute of Technology. As part of the ...
February 18, 2016
A luxurious moment from Luxury Brand Partner's Front Row, which united a like-minded family of salon owners and stylists who focus on luxury clients.
3 min to read
Daniel Kaner, one of the founders and a co-president of Oribe, recently attended a graduation ceremony for the Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management master’s program at the Fashion Institute of Technology. As part of the ceremony, the students presented results from a research study, in which they partnered with The Boston Consulting Group, predicting what the luxury market segment will look like in 2030.
“The results of the study define a new mindset for the luxury consumer, and that mindset bodes well for the professional beauty industry,” Kaner says. “While the future luxury consumer will continue to value quality, craftsmanship and heritage, the study also found three universal values that all consumers share regardless of their generation or geography. Those values are family, time and health.”
With these values in mind, the graduate students proposed three new strategies for speaking to the luxury consumers of tomorrow. Let’s take a look at these strategies and how they play out in the salon context:
Appeal to the consumer’s desire for intimacy and build more meaningful one-on-one relationships with your customers. “A one-on-one relationship is inherent between a beauty service provider and a consumer,” says Reuben Carranza, president of R+Co and V76. “There are few consumer experiences more intimate than washing and cutting someone’s hair or giving them a manicure or facial. Consumers spend, on average, four seconds in front of a shelf or a few minutes with a sales clerk at a beauty counter, but they spend a minimum of 30 minutes with their stylists, nail technicians or estheticians, and that interaction is personal and builds meaningful and deeper relationships over time.”
Maximize a consumer’s limited time by providing solutions that bring value and convenience. Ninety-two percent of the study’s respondents valued time to oneself as a high priority. “To the busy executive, parent or any other time-conscious person, an hour at the salon may be the only personal time they experience in a month,” says Tom Seeberger, Luxury Brand Partners’s dean of the school. “Technology is helping to make beauty experiences more valuable and convenient; extremely customer-centric. This allows the bulk of the client’s time to be spent enjoying customized experiences perfectly designed to appeal to unique preferences.”
Shift business priorities to ensure that your brand leaves an impactful legacy for the future. When the study asked participants, what kept them up at night, 97% said their health and well-being were most important. “The escape of a salon experience addresses some of the future consumer’s desires to focus on well-being and health,” says Tev Finger, CEO and president of LBP. “Service providers who continually focus on the wellness benefits derived from beauty services and products will cement long-lasting relationships with loyal clientele.”
"Working with leading salons around the world to deliver on the wants, needs and desires of the beauty-conscious client is a key focus for Luxury Brand Partners, and we are extremely excited to partner with Salon Today on this very special issue that addresses the future of luxury in service and retail,” says Dan Langer, LBP’s chief marketing officer. "The meaning of luxury is so shaped by one’s personal perspective. If you live in a big city, your luxury might be space; if you are extremely busy, it might be time; if you are a new parent, sleep might be a luxury. When you marry a client’s personal needs with the highest levels of service, it can transition the hour (or two) that one spends in the salon from a simple visit to a meaningful and exceptional experience.”
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Salon Management
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
5 Essential Hair & Beauty Industry KPIs And How to Master Them
The strongest salons, spas, and med spas know which numbers tell the real story of their business. In this practical guide, Phorest breaks down the five essential KPIs every business should track to improve retention, boost revenue, and make smarter decisions with confidence.
Sponsored by Phorest
Bella Style Salon's Ride or Die
At Bella Style Salon in Slidell, Louisiana, Director of Operations Angela Meyer tackles inventory, team management, and guest relations. Read all about her in our latest Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
The Constant
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
by Stacey Soble
The Most Wonderful Time in Salons and Spas
Planning is in full swing for the most anticipated events and promotions for the 2026 holidays. As owners share their favorite ways to celebrate, they prove that a carefully planned event can also build culture, increase client loyalty, boost sales, and set a business up for a successful 2027.
by Stacey Soble
Leading with Empathy, Humility and a Mastery of Systems
When things run amok at Mane Attraction Salon, Owners Chris and Jenny Knudsen say General Manager Sami Hernandez is their go-to resource and ultimate sounding board. Meet Sami in this installment of Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
Pagoda Brings AI-Powered Operations to Skinovatio Medical Spa Locations
Pagoda, a new AI-native operating system for scheduling, payments, patient records, marketing, and client communications, launches at Skinovatio Medical Spa in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
by Staff
How Women are Rewriting the Rules of Grey Hair
At a panel discussion hosted by L’Oréal Professionnel in Paris in early July, French Philosopher Sophie Galabru explored the cultural shift where women are increasingly choosing natural, personalized color results over traditional grey coverage. In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Galabru and L’Oréal Professionnel Colorist Pierrick Beringer discuss this shift and how salons and colorists respond.
by Stacey Soble
Warm Leadership and Analytical Precision
At Salon Blonde, Director of Operations treats the staff as the salon's most important guests, while her wonderful 'nerdy' side, loves data, systems, and numbers. Find out how she makes Salon Blonde tick.
by Stacey Soble
Trotting the Globe, Forging Connections, Fostering Artistic Creativity
In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Salon Owner Salvatore Minardi reflects on his past 18 months as Intercoiffure America Canada's World Talent Exchange Ambassador and how his experiences will help encourage cultural and artistic exchange and support greater engagement between ICA and the global organization Intercoiffure Mondial.
by Stacey Soble
Client Retention Guidebook
Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.
Success Grown from Within
Owner Shelby Bills says her general manager, Sydney Osborne, reminds her of the power of leading with heart. Find out how Osborne became a great leader in our lastest installment of Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
How Salon Leaders Can Process the Pain and Lead Forward When a Team Members Leaves Unethically
In her latest blog, Kati Whitledge identifies the five stages salon owners go through when a team member leaves the salon unethically, offering advice for each stage.
How AI Is Closing Revenue Gaps for Salons and Spas
The beauty and wellness businesses pulling ahead aren’t just working harder—they’re using AI to capture demand, personalize pricing, and convert more of every guest interaction into revenue. Here’s what the benchmark data reveals about the growing gap between AI adopters and everyone else.
Sponsored by Zenoti
The Premium Talent Magnet: The Modern Salon Playbook for Attracting Six-Figure Stylists
Stop chasing recruitment ghosts on generic job boards and start curating an elite team. Discover the framework that top-tier salons use to bypass phone tag, automate visual portfolio vetting, and attract high-earning, culture-first beauty professionals directly through real-time messaging. Turn your recruitment process into an exclusive brand invitation that keeps your highest-ticket chairs permanently filled.
Sponsored by Beautista
Five Revenue Leaks Hiding in Your Salon
Your calendar looks full, but is all of that demand actually converting to revenue? From phantom rebookings to underpriced peak hours, the 2026 Benchmark Report exposes five revenue leaks that most beauty and wellness businesses don’t even know they have.
Sponsored by Zenoti