Top tips for seasonal retailing

CND™ and Sweet Squared EA, Elissa Newton-Smalls, reveals her top tips for seasonal retailing…

What should be considered before investing in retail lines?

The very first thing to consider is your target market. Who is your clientele? Look at the average age and which age group tend to spend on retail and not just treatments. Of course, don’t ignore the opportunity to sell to each age group but tailor the products you invest in more to your target audience. Also consider how much you wish to invest into retail. Retail can be a huge cost to begin with, therefore you may wish to begin small and work to stock a larger range over time.

How do you gauge the correct amount to order to ensure you’re not left with excess?

Again, you will need to look at your clientele, or if you already stock retail items, look at what is selling and which products are still sitting weeks or months later (it might be the case that sitting products may just need to be marketed correctly). I like to look at what clients are going to need to maintain their nails. CND™ SolarOil™ is a firm favourite in my salon.

Gauging the correct amount is all about looking at which treatments your clients book the most and what they need at home. Start small and work bigger over time. This will help you figure out what items you should stock most of and which items you could hold back on stocking in your salon.

Do’s and don’ts for a salon retail display:

• Do make your retail stands inviting
• Do have a dedicated retail area
• Do have it in a prime spot
• Do have tester bottles available for fragranced items, such as CND™ Scensations. You may wish to offer your client a trial of the one from your treatment area or a complimentary hand massage to assist the sale
• Do have the retail area clean and dust free
• Don’t have the retail area cluttered
• Don’t have the area out of the client’s view
• Don’t forget to mention your retail items during treatments

Why is it important to add a retail side to your business?

Offering retail options along with treatments is a fabulous bonus. Once your range is established and staff are trained on how to market the retail items correctly, your retail sales can bring another layer of income to the salon without having to pay a salary out. This also shows professional standards as clients feel they can have treatments and know you have the correct products at hand for them to use at home to maintain the service. As a nail pro it’s our responsibility to educate the client during the service of the benefits of homecare products.