The Skin(care) Game
What’s driving it: Millennials looking for an experience that fits their lifestyle.
How to cash in: Let your salon vibe work for you.
Recognize that the salon skincare client is not looking for the same experience as the spa client, says Repêchage CEO and founder Lydia Sarfati. The salon atmoshpere—fun, energetic, social—is what your clients expect, so don’t relegate skincare services to some funereal space in the back. Sarfati recommends putting a facial bar at the front of the store, in the retail area. Offer express services that appeal to on-the-go Millennials, who often don’t see the value in slowing down for “pampering.” And for heaven’s sake, don’t insist that they put down the phone.
Safarti also reminds salon owners to be sure your retail area is clean, well-stocked, well-lit and enticing to create a service-retail-service loop that will result in future sales of both. “It’s the emotional appeal of the environment that will entice people and result in sales,” she says.