Thanks so much! I’m so happy I could help! 🙂

That’s awesome!

Obviously, there’s a demand for product, but there’s also an overabundance of suppliers (most capable of pricing more competitively than we can justify), so it’s important to be really wise about what you’re carrying (hyper-exclusive lines are best), how much you’re carrying (the smaller the quantity, the better), and how flexible you’re willing to be. Should your line go retail, having less quantity allows you to pivot faster because you can sell out the old and introduce the new with little difficulty. You might like this post I wrote about how the fragmentation of the industry caused retail distribution problems that are pretty much destroying our relationships with the brands we use.

It’s one thing to be loyal to a line you love simply because you love it, but these brands tend not to be very loyal to us. I consider these “retail betrayals” totally understandable. Most of our product companies are major corporations with shareholders and expenses to meet–businesses have to do what they have to do and if that means going retail, that’s what it means. However, I’m not going to invest heavily in any brand that isn’t investing in mine. You’re right–it should be 50/50, but if we’re a customer of a company and a distributor of that company’s products with no say in the direction of that company or the decisions they make regarding formulation, marketing, or distribution, it will never be a partnership. That company definitely is not our partner (or anything resembling it) and they do not deserve our unconditional loyalty.

The beauty product industry is a billion dollar business, but where are consumers spending those dollars?

I repeatedly hear so-called business “educators” and “consultants” who market to salons pushing this retail strategy using the same “billion dollar business” line, but in my own experience as an educator, consultant, and salon owner myself, reality doesn’t align with those inflated performance promises. It’s just not a wise investment of an owner’s time or money, and does nothing more than distract from the growth of their own brands and the skill of their professionals. (I do a lot of turnaround work for ex-clients of retail-focused salon consulting firms who learn after-the-fact that their huge product orders and the square footage they dedicated to retail was a big mistake, lol.)

With companies increasingly supplying directly to consumers and the e-commerce market, it’s become downright silly to use the service to push product sales instead of securing client loyalty through service quality and showcasing professional expertise. Heavy traffic salons in retail outlets (Regis, JCP, etc.) turn decent retail, but an average salon owner or independent professional is unlikely to see the same performance.

Lol, you’re kidding, right? I never said retail isn’t important or necessary. I said our approach to retail needs to be less focused on “retailing” and more focused on recommending products that are necessary and beneficial. The nature of “quotas” isn’t in line with that. Arbitrary sales requirements (particularly those that are accompanied by disciplinary action when the employee fails to meet that quota) pressures staff to sell things for the sake of selling them, which is a.) irritating to consumers and b.) undercuts the validity of that professional’s recommendation.

And no, the type of person who is against a quota (at least in my case) isn’t bad at retailing. I prefer a more effective, ethical approach to it that encourages client loyalty and promotes trust between the client and the professional. Period. (The genuine recommendations you’ve mentioned are exactly what I’m talking about. Not selling for the sake of meeting a quota, but recommending because the client will legitimately benefit from the product being suggested.)

I should also mention that you’re using the terms “goals” and “quotas” interchangeably as if they’re the same thing. They aren’t. Goals are goals. Falling short doesn’t come with a penalty. Quotas are requirements–and do.

You’re kidding right? As a small business owner retail is huge. It should be used as an educational tool. You don’t have to be a salesmen when your recommendations are genuine. Clients are going to buy products from someone why shouldn’t it be you? Retail goals are great incentives and keep the salon functioning smoothly financially with great bonuses for stylists. The type of person who would be against “retail quota” is someone who is not effective at it. We as an industry need to get our head out of our asses, realize our job doesn’t end behind the chair and start running it like a business.

Yeah, that’s another thing I addressed recently in the latest issue of Stylist, which hasn’t run yet. Retail quotas are bad practice. The focus needs to be on service first, common-sense product recommendations (only when necessary) second.

Oops! Sorry for the weird typos, I’m on my mobile.