Today’s salons and spas are competing to acquire both new guests and talented staff. Both are critical elements of business success, but difficult to achieve. To meet those needs, ambitious brands seek new, reliable ways to satisfy guest expectations and give staff greater earning opportunities – all while increasing revenue. Focusing on retail goals is an effective strategy that combines and supports these goals.
Promoting and selling relevant hair and beauty products empowers staff to deliver a comprehensive, personalized service that lasts beyond the visit. This tactic increases invoice size and further ensures follow-up appointments from customers.
Historically, creating an effective retail strategy has been a common pain point in our industry. But with the right approach and tools, a focus on product sales can be a valuable revenue driver that helps your brand stand out from the crowd.
Why you should make retail sales a key focus
Retail sales are an additional revenue stream, of course, but so much more. A focus on retail gives your staff the opportunity to showcase their expertise, improve their connection with guests, and increase their sales commissions. By offering a diverse range of high-quality products, you can satisfy a wide variety of customer needs and increase your chances at a retail sale with each invoice.
How to boost your retail sales: 5 simple tips
We’ve outlined five strategies to help improve retail sales at your business and enjoy the rewards of a refined, renewed focus on your retail offerings. Don’t forget to make a note of your current retail performance – on an individual staff level and across the entire business. Then, you can check back and compare in a few months, celebrate your team’s improvements, and reward high achievers.
1. Train your service providers and staff (all of them)
A successful retail strategy requires well-trained, knowledgeable staff at all levels – that includes your front desk team, service providers, and assistants. Educate your team on the various products in your in-store range, their uses and customer benefits, and how each complements the services you offer. Encourage staff to pay attention to clients’ needs – especially when the client expresses it – and recommend relevant products for a personalized experience that will keep guests coming back.
2. Create a beautiful retail space at your business
As with any shopping experience, a visually appealing retail space at a salon or spa can attract guests and encourage them to explore and purchase products. Ensure that your product display is organized, well-lit, and easy to navigate. Use eye-catching signage and consider seasonal themes to keep the display fresh, entertaining, and engaging.
3. Offer incentives and promotions
Professional products tend to cost more than their drugstore equivalents – but offer much better results. Some guests will need an extra incentive to motivate their first product purchase, but that’s okay; we all know they’ll become repeat customers once they start seeing the benefits. Use discounts, bundle deals, or loyalty programs to encourage guests to purchase new or multiple products. Some product suppliers will also be open to collaborating on exclusive offers, giveaways, or samples for your clients.
4. Utilize social media and digital marketing
Leverage your brand’s social media channels to showcase your products and generate good online buzz. Share images, videos, and testimonials from satisfied customers, as well as tangible tips on how to use the products – especially via video. Additionally, consider using email marketing campaigns to inform clients about new products, promotions, and upcoming events. Keep it relevant to your customer base by segmenting your marketing to ensure each email is delivered only to customers who would benefit; for instance, promote that new smoothing treatment only to your hair color clients.
5. Monitor and analyze retail sales data
By tracking and understanding your retail sales data, you can identify trends, best-selling products, and slow movers. Use this information in two ways:
1. Make informed decisions about your retail strategy. Data may suggest that it’s best to adjust product offerings, pricing, or promotional campaigns.
2. Use your data to track overall business retail sales, and the sales performance of individual staff members. Don’t forget to celebrate top performers and team milestones!
Conclusion
Retail sales can play a vital role in salon and spa success by increasing overall revenue, enhancing customer satisfaction, and driving higher staff commissions. By leveraging intelligent business software like Zenoti, salons and spas can boost their retail sales effortlessly by:
- Displaying personalized product recommendations during online booking and checkout
- Making it easy for providers to add products to customer invoices chair-side or table-side
- Tracking staff and business performance over time and comparing both to benchmark insights
- Creating product bundles and offers for in-store and digital sales
- Enabling simple, effective inventory management to save time across one or several stores.
By combining effective retail strategies with the right software, salon and spa owners can create a thriving retail environment that fosters business growth and lasting client relationships.
