Many of our own were featured in a recent issue of Salon Today, when asked to answer the question: “How can beauty pros continue to drive a stronger relationship between the salon and/or spa and their clients through retail?” The importance of retail today cannot be denied:

• 50% or more clients say they will purchase retail online during their salon appointment.
• 60% of consumers and beauty professionals are members of Amazon Prime.
• When it comes to purchasing products, younger consumers are most influenced by friends, while older consumers rely on their salon professional.

Sydney Berry shared, “Fact: retail builds retention and engagement with our clients. Salon Services has been dedicated to salon professionals for 39 years! SalonInteractive allows us to create another avenue of opportunity via online shopping that was not available previously for our consumers. This channel also offers the availability to market directly to your clients with our vendor digital assets, and allows salons to sell retail 24/7! This platform allows you the opportunity to augment your retail selection for your clients with choices of cosmetics, skin care and appliances that are suitable to extend to your clients even though you don’t carry them in your salon. It is our opportunity to engage your customers with our expertise and not lose retail sales to other entities.”

SalonInteractive is an easy-to-use program that routes products to clients through salons and spas via customized e-commerce websites fulfilled by each salon’s distributors. Patty Schmucker, president of SalonInteractive, adds “a sale made through a salon professional is three times more likely to be a repeat sale.” Additionally, Founder and CEO Jim Bower said, “in the past year and a half, we’ve seen retail sales grow steadily at 20% per month in our salons that use the online platform. It completes the service--you’re doing your client a disservice if you don’t sell them retail.”

Salon Services distributor salon consultant Shannon Haehn said, “We all know that the more products a salon client purchases, the better off the retention is. I preach that to every one of my salons and future stylists at schools all the time. Retail equals client retention. Also, if clients are not buying their products from the salon, they are buying them somewhere else, likely online or at the grocery store. Why not allow them to purchase their products from the salon by offering an online store? Everyone loves the convenience of shopping online, so let’s follow that lead and give them the opportunity.”

Excerpts taken from Salon Today, Winter 2020 Issue.