No Pain - No Gain

2nd September 2024

The gain from change is greater than the pain of change – It’s September, that means it is almost a year since the mass market migration of some professional products began, and what I see is a growing awareness of these brands in the outlets where they are now available for purchase. What I also see is an extraordinary amount of salons that have made the decision, for whatever reason, to keep these products as part of their retail offering.

I get it, to a degree, change can be challenging, it brings with it a host of issues – getting to know new products, swapping clients over to another product when they are used to and like the performance of the range that their salon has carried for years. But change can also be seen as a positive for everyone, salon owners, salon team and clients. All it takes is a belief in the product (absolutely paramount) and a willingness to learn and to share the information.

The pain of change is a mindset, that’s all, the fact is, there are very few products out there in the big world of ‘professional’ haircare that don’t deliver great results. It’s the same for colour, the rules and regulations about ingredients ensures that performance is always good.

So why do salons decide to stick with products that can no longer be deemed ‘professional’? the word suggests that someone with knowledge is going to recommend the shampoo, conditioner etc – it doesn’t suggest that they can be picked up off a shelf without any advice at all.

FACT: The world of salon retail is changing, and as we head toward the time of year when manufacturers are plying their ‘Christmas gift sets’ and hoping for the biggest orders of the year, ?the big boys who have massive (mass market) purchasing power will be getting their orders ready as well, and they will most definitely be looking at the ‘special offers’ they can offer their clients.

Previous post have already mentioned the (what appears to be) constant discounting of the ‘professional’ brands already in these mass market outlets, and that will be even more noticeable as stores start their festive activities.

So, are you a salon thats going to be left with lots of gift sets after Christmas has been and gone, will you be breaking down the boxes and putting the excess product on your shelves to try and sell?

It’s not too late to make the decision to push through that pain barrier and change direction with your brand selection.

As always, I’m happy to discuss brands that are available and exclusive to salons.

The gain from change is greater than the pain of change!