How 5 Leading Salon Owners Pivoted in 2021 to Find Success

This article originally appeared in the 2022 Trend Report. Click here to download the free full article and more articles like it.

There is no question that the pandemic left its mark on salons, big and small, and how they do business. Here, leaders share how they fared and pivoted in 2021 to find success.

FREQUENCY OF APPOINTMENTS

When it comes to how often clients are visiting the salon, Rodney Cutler, stylist, founder and owner of Cutler salons in New York, says the pandemic broke all traditional rules. “Single-process guests were coming in like clockwork due to staring at themselves on Zoom all day, while custom/creative color applications started shortly after we reopened for people using a change of look to self-soothe,” he says. “However, not going into the office as much, if at all, has meant more clients asking for a cut and color on the same reservation to maximize their commute.” 

“We are seeing a higher percentage of new guests in all of our locations,” adds Derek Reynolds, general manager and partner of Cutler salons, “in part because of our social media push, but also due to people sticking closer to their homes to receive services. Those guests are coming back more often because they have more flexibility in their scheduling.” Furthermore, Cutler overhauled its online booking tools to incorporate AI in its website and through text message. As a result, the salon tripled its online request volume in September 2021 versus September 2020. 

Eric Vaughn, stylist and owner of REV Hair Studio in Houston, says he hasn’t seen much of a change in appointment frequency but notes that some clients aren’t getting their “full service” to be more cost conscious. Meanwhile at Carolynn Judd’s AVE Salon in Ogden, Utah, she’s noticed an attitude shift, with clients being more understanding and flexible if they can’t get the appointment day or time they want. “Everyone was so happy to be back in the salon,” she says. 

In Los Angeles, Nikki Lee and Riawna Capri’s Nine Zero One salon has experienced a shift during the pandemic, with a lot of their clients continuing to be very cautious by avoiding frequent visits to public places.

SHIFTS IN POPULAR SERVICES
The biggest service change for Judd was clients doing away with extensions in fear of another lockdown. During the pandemic guests were forced to go way too long without an extensions appointment, which caused hair damage, she adds. 

At Gregory’s salon, she has seen more low-maintenance haircolor as a result of the unknowns people faced about salon closures. To that effect, Vaughn says some of his clients are opting for a tint retouch more frequently than highlights—similar to Capri and Lee, who have seen a lot of requests for natural color with babylights. But in the cutting department, Capri and Lee’s salon has experienced a spike in major hair transformations, like shags and shorter styles. 

Cutler witnessed many box colors evolve into vibrant and rich color applications in the salon, as well as a return to gray in his cutting clients who are looking to simplify their looks and accentuate the natural tonality of their color. 

Reynolds has noticed a shift in haircare, too, with more clients requesting treatment services that address the overall health, strength and manageability after a chemical service, plus a return to natural texture.

CHANGES IN BOOKING IN PRICING
Most businesses were forced to increase prices due to closures and the rising cost of supplies directly related to the pandemic. “We had a slight price increase this past March/April to accommodate for the rising prices of color, tools and products,” Vaughn says, adding that the salon will most likely have another adjustment around March/April 2022 as the cost of supplies and operating a salon are still rising. 

Gregory had to raise her prices, too—twice in the past year because of the increase in her rent and cost of supplies, like gloves, which she says have gone up almost $5 a box. In all her years in the industry, she has never raised her prices twice in a year, she notes. 

When it comes to appointments, Judd’s salon is no longer double-booking, to help with distancing and proper sanitation between clients. As a result, she was forced to increase her prices, too. The silver lining? “Clients are getting more one-on-one time with the stylist—and it’s with a stylist who has spent the entire pandemic enhancing their skills with online education,” she says. 

Capri and Lee didn’t change how they charge for services, but they did change how they book them—seeing three to four clients a day instead of the eight they used to see pre-pandemic. Cutler decided not to implement an across-the-board price increase as well, with the exception of introducing Green Circle into all New York City locations, which adds a fee to help recycle waste and operate eco-responsibly. As for booking, Reynolds says he was finally able to implement a change he had tried unsuccessfully to introduce in the past: split shifts. His team was more open to this now because New York City capacity restrictions offered few choices to safely open the salon. The team is starting to appreciate the value of working shorter shifts and see a suitable number of guests. “We are now able to offer services with some of our most experienced service providers at very early times of day and in the early evening, and to offer guests more flexibility in booking times and days of the week due to a reordering of our floors in all locations,” he adds.