How can salons survive the changing high street?

It doesn't seem like a week goes by without hearing of another high street failure. The high street is changing, there's no doubt about it. But is it all doom and gloom? A recent study by Which magazine showed that whilst certain types of shop have been hit hard by customers moving towards online shopping, hair and beauty services have risen by 31% over the past 5 years.

Contents

1. A move towards services and experiences
2. Shopping with a conscience
3. From clicks to bricks

A move towards services and experiences

One thing has become very clear; customers are no longer heading to the high street just to make a purchase. They are looking for personal services that can't be replicated online, and are looking for experiences that make them feel great rather than a transactional trip. This pivot towards services can be seen in other areas such as phone shops which are increasingly becoming a place to get repairs and advice. In order to succeed hair salons need to offer additional experiences that their customers are looking for, such as:

• Olaplex hair treatments (standalone or part of a colour service)
• Keratin treatments such as a KeraStraight
• Personalised advice based on your clients hair
• The perfect aftercare products
• BONUS:A good cup of tea or coffee (you can't get this online!)

Shopping with a conscience

Another clear trend is the move towards more sustainable, eco-friendly products. More and more salons are benefiting by changing to brands with a conscience. Neal & Wolf have recently launched a sustainability campaign highlighting all of the good work they're doing to become a more sustainable brand including recyclable bottles and cruelty free ingredients. All Olaplex products are cruelty free and vegan friendly. Other changes salons can embrace are:

• Use Eco-Friendly Decor
• Adopt Energy-Saving Practices and switch to a green energy supplier
• Use locally sourced products (and consider how you can work with local businesses to cross-promote each other)
• Replace backwash shower-heads with water saving versions
• Switch from plastic bags to paper bags
• Provide recycling bins; could you offer customers an incentive to recycle used bottles at your salon?

From clicks to bricks

Did you know the over 80% people looking for a service now start online? The growth of searches for "hairdressers near me" on Google have tripled in the last 4 years, mostly driven by mobile devices. Ensuring your target customers can find you online is now a critical part of running a salon. To get started make sure you have:

• Claimed your Google My Business listing
• Set up the main social media pages for your salon (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn
• Add your business listing to local online directories as well as national directories such as Yell, Yelp and Cylex
• Create your own website clearly stating your business name, address and phone number

Remember, consistency is key. It is important to ensure your information is the same across each platform as Google uses this rank your website in its' listings.

In summary, it certainly isn't all doom and gloom for the hair and beauty world. In fact this industry is booming because these services simply cannot be replicated online. By meeting customers eco-expectations, providing a world-class experience and ensuring your salon can found online, you should be in great shape to beat any high street downturn!