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SEARCHIt’s time to take off the blinders and re-think our roles in the Business of Beauty. Our view should not be limited to cutting hair, nails and spa services. It most certainly should not be focused solely on women.What are we missing? ...
It’s time to take off the blinders and re-think our roles in the Business of Beauty. Our view should not be limited to cutting hair, nails and spa services. It most certainly should not be focused solely on women.
What are we missing? Fashion. And Men.
We gravitate to women because our culture tells us that women are the ones who care most about beauty and being beautiful. Couture clothing, perfectly-styled hair, radiant skin and perfect nails all add up to Beauty. But even though fashion and beauty apply to men too, they have been left out of the discussion. Men fill the empty chairs. They come in because they NEED a haircut and that’s it. Or is it?
New research published by public relations firm Boutique@Ogilvy found that men spend more money than women on clothing. “Menswear sales are expected to grow 8.3% by 2017 to $110.3 billion, according to the study, outpacing the expected 4.2% growth in womenswear.” The survey also found that men on average spend $85 each month on clothes and accessories, $10 a month more than women.
According to Retail Dive, the mobile dashboard for retail industry professionals that curates the industry's most important news, trends, social commentary, and technology, “Evidence of men taking greater care – and spending greater amounts of money – on apparel, shoes and accessories may be the sign of a new phenomenon.” Julie Rath, a men’s style consultant, told the Wall Street Journal that she does find more men who in the past might have been satisfied with basics to be more interested in and willing to try things they may have never considered before.
Let’s translate that into the salon and spa world. If salons and spas continue to treat men like chair fillers, picking up a few quick bucks while keeping the seat warm for the next lady, those businesses are functioning in the Age of Yesterday and are potentially losing money on every male guest who walks in.
Although this men’s trend is happening across multiple cohort generations, our focus should be directed toward Millennials. Our marketing suggestions to take advantage of the men’s grooming trend are:
Begin treating men as valuable guests.
Reserve a special chair or two for men, maybe near the back to offer a little space from the ladies and make them feel more comfortable.
Redo your menu to create a men’s section with more than a haircut listing. Beard trimming and grooming should be added to your services, if it isn’t there already.
Explore the many new men’s grooming products available through your distributor and expand your on-shelf selection.
If you are sending generic emails that are generally female oriented, consider a men’s version targeting their needs and wants.
Our research has shown that men are more loyal than females and come in more often, but they will migrate, looking for salons and spas that are most understanding of their overall grooming needs.
Take advantage of this research and open your door to new opportunities to grow your business.
Group 3 Marketing is a digital marketing agency that offers a dynamic marketing initiative for salons and spas called CONNECTPlus™. Its objective is to help salons and spas stay connected with their guests, delivering the right message to the right guest through the right channel and the right time. There is no better marketing tool than CONNECTPlus™ to build retention and grow sales from your current guests. For more information, call us at 1-888-571-6554 or email them at info@group3marketing.com.
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