Enlightened Experience: An Owner’s Take on Retail
As the owner of Head Games salon in Portland, Maine, Alanna York always believed salons and stylists deserved more from the brands they’ve represented.
by Stacey Soble
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As the owner of Head Games salon in Portland, Maine, Alanna York always believed salons and stylists deserved more from the brands they’ve represented.
Driven by stronger retail sales, customer traffic, labor and capital spending, the Professional Beauty Association’s (PBA) Salon & Spa Performance Index (SSPI) rose to 104 in the first quarter—up 0.4 percent from the fourth quarter 2010 and up 0.8 percent year over year. Read the entire report now.
Crystal Focus specializes in helping salon owners discover their true profit potential by introducing goals and rewards for the front desk team. Areas of focus are pre-booking, retail, additional services, gift cards and referrals.
The September issue of SALON TODAY focused on the new beauty shopper. Two articles stood out – A Window into the Consumer Mind, by Rosanne Ullman, and 1:1 The New Beauty Shopper, a special advertising section sponsored by P&G Professional. Window is a fabulous article about designing retail environments to influence buying behavior. Both articles have nuggets of information for salon owners to carefully consider. Both also missed the mark.
Skincare retail sales can really boost your bottom line, but it’s area where many salons struggle—even those who excel at retail on the salon side. For this Owner’s Forum, I was prompted by a question I received by Don Weisse, who works in national salon development for Aveda. I decided to dig a little deeper into how consumers buy skincare products and exactly what can trigger a purchase. --Karie
This past weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina, I had the opportunity to talk to more than 100 salon owners and distributor sales consultants about common challenges that salons face concerning the front desk. After the presentation, I was approached by a salon owner with this question: "Why won't my front desk staff sell retail?" I thought about it a minute and replied, "Do the service providers tell the front desk which products were recommended during the service?" It was like a lightbulb went off in her head. "Well, not that I know of..."
You know your retail sales really add to your bottom line, but do you really understand how they impact your profitability?
You are doing business in the new economy. What does that mean for salon owners this holiday season? Well, it's not business as usual. If your holiday plans are the same as last year, you might not see the growth you need to survive. Yes, there are positive signs to the end of the recession, but the recovery will not be swift or easy.
Inspired by the federal government's Cash for Clunkers program, Karie Bennett, owner of the Atelier Lifestyle Salon Spa in San Jose, California devised a marketing program that encouraged cosmetic sales by giving clients a bonus for bringing in their used lipstick tubes.
Companies that are surviving, even thriving, in this economy have created a market presence that stands out from the crowd, and salons are no different. The link between strategically branding your salon and drawing a loyal clientele has been well established. Consistency is key: success results when owners drive that brand throughout every facet of decor, staff training, customer service, marketing, signage, service delivery and retailing.