Part of being a retail superstar means having the right products to back you up. The products you choose to carry depends on your salon, your location, your clients, your size and a host of other variables.
Here, three owners explain how they chose the right line for their salon and why.
Anthony van den Biggelaar
Anthony van den BiggelaarSalon Details
Other decision-makers: His co-owner, wife Iolanda
Salon Size: 1,000-sq.ft.
Staff: 5 stylists
Number of Lines: 3
New Line: Alterna
Picked Up: January 2012
Reason for Carrying a New Line
“We completely switched from one distributor to another, so we picked up three new lines over six months. If you can’t rely on your distributor for education and assistance, you’re at fl oat in a big sea. The amount of education I’ve now received in the last four months is great; I wouldn’t have gotten that much in 10 years before.”
Why Alterna
“Clients expect something new and exciting. Having a line that does a lot of research and development, like Alterna, means there’s always something new and fresh. It’s a high-end line that does what it says it’s going to do.”
On Choosing a New Line
“Price point matters. One of the lines we got rid of was a high-end line. So we watched and found out what our clients were using. I don’t bring anything in unless I can touch it and try it on my clients. I also spent lots of time reading— websites, packaging materials, complete product-knowledge booklets. If you don’t have information, you’ve got nothing.”
Catherine Lattuca
Catherine LattucaSalon Details
Salon Size: 5,000-sq.ft.
Staff: 40 stylists, colourists, nail technicians, estheticians and co-ordinators
Number of Lines: 3
New Line: Shu Uemura
Picked Up: January 2011
Reason for
Carrying a New Line
“We carried a lot of different lines, at least eight, and we decided to narrow it down. We wanted to get away from lines that are well-known everywhere. It’s hard when you’re selling a paste for $18.99 that you paid $9.99 for, and the drugstore is selling it at $10.99. It’s very hard to compete with that. We were looking for something more exclusive and luxurious to offer.”
Why Shu Uemura
“Our mission is to offer the best workmanship and the best service with the best products available. We really try to keep this in mind and that is what guides our choices. I saw Shu Uemura while reading through some magazines and contacted the company and said, ‘I want this line.’ It was in the States, but not available here yet. So I had to wait. The products are fantastic, and once the clients try it, they love it. It’s our highest-end brand, and when they see the difference in the product, they’re usually willing to pay extra. And if they don’t, we have lower price points available, too.”
On Choosing a New Line
“I use a little bit of everything [to find new lines]— online, magazines, clients. One client recently gave me the name of her ‘favourite product of all time.’ I have that written down to try. Clients are great because they’ll tell us what they’ve seen through their travels and what they love.”
Jed Puznak
Jed PuznakSalon Details
Other decision makers: Salon manager Hila Zer-Aviv, and The Alcorn’s co-owner
Salon Size: 5,000-sq.ft.
Staff: 11 stylists, 3 front desk/support
Number of Lines: 3
New Line: Kevin.Murphy
Picked Up: March 2011
Reason for Carrying a New Line
“We were looking for other lines to fill a few missing spots. We were looking for a certain price point; that was the primary motivation. We were also looking for a product that was sulphate-free. We’ve been doing keratin straightening treatments and we needed a line to support that service.”
Why Kevin.Murphy
“The price point fit well with our other two lines and it offered sulphate-free formulas. Clients responded well to the look of the products, as well as the fragrance. The packaging looks modern and fresh. Also, the innovation, like with Colour.Bug, that people respond well to. The biggest decider was staff support. We were excited hearing from clients, but we knew if the staff supported and believed in it, it would sell. It has since become the leading line in our salon.”
On Choosing a New Line
“We looked in magazines like Allure and trade magazines. Kevin.Murphy actually came to us through a cold call by a sales rep.”
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