MORE THAN JUST AN UPSELL: WHY RETAIL IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR SALON’S BUSINESS
Whether you’re a seasoned salon owner, freelance stylist or mobile hairdresser, recreating your salon’s unique experience (and expertise) at-home is a win-win for both you and your client. Not only does it help you grow your business outside of your salon services, it also strengthens your stylist/client relationship, brand trust and authority within your peers and community.
To help increase your sales, we’re going to guide you through why adopting a take-home retail strategy in your salon is the perfect way to grow your business and increase your profitability.
CUSTOMISE YOUR APPROACH
Offering your clients the best products for their home haircare routine is more than just a schmoozy upsell. Helping with their hair goals goes beyond throwing a bunch of random products in their face while you're both waiting for their foils to develop — the products you suggest need to be an extension of the hard work and effort that occurs in the salon chair.
By customising your approach for each client and making sure they walk out of your salon with the right products that suit their hair and lifestyle, you’ll be rewarded in-kind with client/stylist loyalty and increased retail sales.
WAYS TO CUSTOMISE YOUR SALES APPROACH FOR EACH CLIENT;
Get to know your client’s at-home hair care routine: This should give you an insight into how much (or how little) effort they’re willing to put into their hair at home, giving you an idea of which shampoo, conditioner, and treatments to suggest.
Ask about long term hair goals: Do they want to grow their hair out, go back to their natural hair colour, or do they need more shine, brightness, hydration? These questions will give you an idea on how to customise the products you use in the chair, and how they can achieve these goals at home.
Create an at-home hair care routine designed just for them: By designing a custom home hair care and colour care routine, you’ll be giving your client the opportunity to visualise how to achieve their hair goals and how to effectively use their new products.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT A RETAIL STRATEGY IN YOUR SALON (WITHOUT OVERWHELMING YOUR CLIENTS OR YOUR TEAM)
The salon chair is a sacred place, it’s where some clients feel the most vulnerable, it’s a place of trust that hairdressers do not take for granted in the slightest. So, when you’re approaching the subject of take-home products to purchase on-top of your services, a calm, and informative approach is needed.
WAYS TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR RETAIL OFFERING;
Lead with knowledge: No matter how much stock you need to move or how much you want to ‘make that sale’, developing a sales technique that leads with informative, relevant insights will trump over pushy or aggressive sales tactics.
Empower your team: Provide your team with the relevant product knowledge, giving them the confidence to talk to the benefits and results of the products they are using. This will hopefully help make the clients feel like product recommendations are to there to assist them with their hair goals, not just push them into buying more products.
Lean into your creativity: Get creative with your merchandising and overall salon aesthetic. You can use strategic lighting or thematic arrangements; these displays not only capture attention but contribute to a memorable brand image.
Incentivise your team, as a team: Motivating your whole salon team with group incentives to help actively promote and sell retail products is a great way to help grow their confidence with selling, and in-turn build your retail offering.
Promote your products: Use your social platforms to demonstrate your new products, how to use them at-home, and any in-salon results.
Invest in gifts with purchase: A great way to sell existing products and introduce new products into your client’s routine.
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE RIGHT RETAIL PRODUCTS FOR YOUR SALON?
Seems like a no-brainer, but one of the trickiest parts of a solid retail strategy for salons is the actual purchasing of the products. To be successful you need a healthy amount of stock that caters to your base without overwhelming your budget or bottom line.
NOT SURE WHAT TO BUY?
Make sure you’re stocking the right products for your clients and your brand by tapping into your years of knowledge, your client’s hair care needs, input from your styling team and most-importantly (and it's free), leverage your Haircare Group customer service sales team or representative to help you navigate the best products to stock.
WAYS TO CHOOSE RETAIL PRODUCTS THAT ALIGN WITH YOUR SALON'S BRAND AND CUSTOMERS NEEDS;
- Understand the most common hair problems your customers have.
- Learn about current and upcoming hair styles, colour trends and trending products on social media.
- Understand which brands align with your values, for e.g. vegan, cruelty free, sustainability.
- Investigate if seasonal hair collections work for your salon i.e. Mother’s Day, Christmas gift packs.
- Inquire with your team if clients have requested specific brands or products in the past.
- Test products in the salon before you invest in purchasing for retail.
- Ask your sales representative for advice on the best products to buy for your salon.
TOP-PERFORMING RETAIL PRODUCTS FOR YOUR SALON, AND HOW TO SELL THEM
When considering retail products, salon owners should carefully select products that align with their brand, target market, and client needs. Here’s a sample of some best-sellers from our collection of take-home retail products.
EVO FABULOSO PLATINUM BLONDE TONING MIST
The best blonding booster for at-home toning, the Evo Fabuloso Platinum Toning Mist primes and protects blonde and light-coloured hair — revealing soft, bright, and more manageable hair.
When using Fabuloso Platinum Blonde Toning Mist on your client, speak to the features and benefits that this product offers to encourage purchase:
- Softly tones and brightens blonde hair.
- Immediately reduces frizz.
- Protects the hair from UV and heat exposure.
- Can be used on wet or dry hair, and at-home at any time.
- Vegan and cruelty free.
Top tip: Use with the rest of the Evo Fabuloso Platinum Blonde Collection for stunning blonde results.
OLAPLEX NO.7 BONDING OIL
OLAPLEX’s No.7 Bonding Oil is an ultra-lightweight, reparative, styling oil that works on all hair types. Now available in a deluxe size for backbar use, this Bonding Oil can be worked seamlessly into your in-salon styling routine which is a prime opportunity to showcase the benefits to clients.
When using No.7 Bonding Oil on your client, speak to the features and benefits that this product offers to encourage purchase:
- Increase shine by 125%
- Up to 72-hour frizz control
- 78% reduction in frizz
- 77% reduction in breakage
- 232°C heat protection
- Colour safe
Top Tip: Recommend mixing No.7 Bonding Oil with No.6 Bond Smoother for a powerhouse combination that leaves hair smooth, silky, and strong!
MOROCCANOIL COLOR CARE SHAMPOO
With a high performing formula powered by the Moroccanoil Environmental Protection Blend + ArganID™ system, Moroccanoil Color Care Shampoo effectively cleanses while locking in colour and leaving hair healthier with every use.
When using the Moroccanoil Color Care Shampoo on your client, speak to the features and benefits that this product offers to encourage purchase:
- ArganID™ infuses argan oil into the hair's cortex, sealing in moisture.
- Sun Protection Quat defends against colour loss and damage caused by UV exposure.
- Pomegranate Extract protects keratin in hair from environmental aggressors.
- Sulfate, phosphate, and paraben-free.
- Bottle made from 50% post-consumer recycled materials.
Top Tip: Follow with Moroccanoil’s Color Care Collection and Moroccanoil Weightless Mask Treatment for a complete at-home salon experience.
Color Wow Money Masque
Celebrity stylist Chris Appleton's one-step-prep treatment for super glossy, expensive-looking hair. Give your client’s hair a dose of deep hydration in the salon, and at-home.
When using the Color Wow Money Masque on your client, speak to the features and benefits that this product offers to encourage purchase:
- A deeply hydrating mask that's suitable for all hair types.
- Has a non-greasy, weightless formula.
- Penetrates the hair cuticle for hydration deep into the cortex.
- Featuring Blue Sea Kale and Mediterranean Algae for silky, supple hair.
- Leaves a glossy, soft finish with effects lasting multiple washes.
- Provides a layer heat protection against hot tool styling.
Kaleo Professional Hair Dryer
Great hair doesn’t end in the chair with Kaleo hot styling tools! Give your clients the opportunity to take home their stunning salon blowouts with the signature Kaleo Professional Hair Dryer.
When using the Kaleo Professional Hair Dryer on your client, speak to the features and benefits that this product offers to encourage purchase:
- 3 temperature settings and 3 fan settings and a cool shot button.
- Digital BLDC motor lasts 5x longer.
- Includes 2 nozzles and a diffuser.
- 1500 - 1800 watts.
- Quiet yet powerful to reduce drying time.
- Built in thermal sensor guards against overheating.
- Longer shaft aids drying and styling.
Growing your business and brand is more than just cutting, colouring & styling and our jobs demand us to wear numerous business hats at all times! We are not just creatives, but we’re also tax accountants, HR specialists, payroll executives, marketing experts, baristas, and hopefully now due to our wise words of wisdom, you can become retail queens and devise a successful retail strategy for your salon business!
Explore our retail offering for a meticulously curated selection that can help you elevate your business, delight your clients, and embark on a journey to ultimate salon-success!
