The hairdressing industry is a multi-million dollar market globally, with the UK leading the way in innovation, education, talent and creativity. Rebecca Barnes investigates how the hair salon is influencing the way consumers purchase hair products and why the industry can’t do without them
According to a recent survey, British women spend an average £36,903.75 on their hair in a lifetime, or the equivalent of just under two years of their lives cutting, colouring and styling their locks in salons or at home. Meanwhile, according to TNS Salon Data, currently 90% of the female population pay to have services carried out on their hair in salons, versus 72% of the male market, so it’s no real surprise that the hair industry is bigger, better and more glamorous than it has ever been.
Open any British magazine and you’ll invariably see a drove of celebrity stylists, technologically advanced product ranges and swanky salons fighting for column inches, as interest in all things hair sweeps the nation.
The market in the UK is truly thriving, and hairdressing is worth at least £2.6bn to the economy each year. Solid industry bodies, such as the Fellowship for British Hairdressing and the National Hairdressing Federation, keep members motivated and focused on portraying the industry in the best possible light, while prestigious events such as the British Hairdressing Awards and the L'Oréal Colour Trophy inspire ongoing creativity, passion and team spirit.
No longer viewed as a badly paid job with few prospects, hairdressing is the new rock ‘n’ roll, and television programmes such as The Hairdresser and Cutting It, along with the seemingly glamorous lifestyles of celebrity stylists, have inspired many school leavers to consider it as a viable career path.
And, according to a City & Guilds survey, hairdressers are the happiest bunch when it comes to job satisfaction, topping the happiness league with 40% claiming to be extremely content in their career.
Taking its lead from the Brits, the rest of Europe has also embraced this exciting industry, and the cream of the hairdressing crop are now seeing their talent, business acumen and creativity recognised and rewarded at events such as the Global Salon Business Awards, held in Barcelona in the summer. Finalists included Salon Carré d’Art and Toni&Guy (France), Concept Store and Renato Capetti (Italy), Llongueras (Spain) and Udo Luy (Germany).
“The Global Salon Business Awards was developed to honour, reward and recognise the entrepreneurial side of the hairdresser and salon owner,” says Kristin Firrell, executive director, GSBA. “Today, the impact of globalisation, economic instability and growing competition demands that every business has a well thought-out strategy and business plan, that they really know their customer and provide extraordinary client care, along with technically strong services, and also that they attract, train and retain quality employees.”
One of this year’s winners, Milajne Soligo from Canada, believes the event is essential for learning about global business initiatives: “I believe the Awards is the single most important event that our industry has to date,” she says. “The calibre of attendees was fantastic and I would consider this one of the best networking and ideas sharing events that I have ever attended. Because it is global, it really allows you to hear different perspectives of business from around the world. This, in turn, opened our eyes to different possibilities and programmes that work for companies internally worldwide.”
Interestingly, the Turkish hairdressing industry has developed at lightning speed in the last five years, and today Turkey’s 18,000 salons employ almost 100,000 hairdressers and register a turnover of t500m between them.
Working with all the major international hair care brands, including Kérastase, Schwarzkopf, Wella and Tigi, the country has reached a level of artistic skill and technical ability that enables it to compete with other European countries, thanks to the efforts of local and foreign businesses that have encouraged professional development.
Saks is taking its education overseas in a quest to teach its award winning wearable hairdressing techniques to its European counterparts. “In 2005 our art team visited over 20 countries,” says Saks International creative director, Andrew Barton. “In Italy, we run an ongoing educational programme through partnership with one of our distributors, which last year accounted for 150 days of Saks education in Italy alone, a figure that’s predicted to double this year.”
Meanwhile, in the heart of Paris’ 14th arrondissement, the largest international L’Oréal Professionel educational and training academy has just opened. The modern and spacious building is flooded with natural light and includes a large atelier space, auditorium and workrooms, designed to enable easy movement, practicality and comfort while working.
Showing off
Exhibitions, competitions and shows are a vital platform for hairdressers, and this year at Cosmoprof in Bologna more than 50% of the 140,000 visitors came from the world of hairdressing.
Launching in May 2007 is the Hair & Beauty trade fair in Frankfurt, which has ambitions to be the number one hairdressing fair in Europe and the world, and hopes to attract 40,000 visitors.
Salon International, held at the vast ExCel exhibition space in London’s Docklands, is a must visit in the annual hairdressing calendar, and the action packed three-day event welcomes visitors from all over the world who take in shows and seminars from the best in the business, new product launches and innovations and the ever popular students’ day.
And Haringtons, one of the UK’s most revered salon groups, is heading for Barcelona this November as part of L’Oréal Professionel’s Exposure Tour and ID Artists, a programme that trains and educates young talent.
“We are taking part in this event partly because L’Oréal likes to take British hairdressers overseas, but also because the UK leads the world in hair, just like the fashion industry,” says Haringtons founding director, Simon Shaw. “They want us to put on a show that demonstrates the latest trends for the season and there will also be a show from a Spanish team. Generally, the Spanish tend to present more dressed and styled hair, whereas we are more cutting-edge and the models’ hair will be based around haircuts, autumn/winter fashion and catwalk looks.”
Europe (excluding Germany) is Wella’s largest geographical market, accounting for 43.6% of total revenues. For the last three years the company has promoted fresh hairdressing talent with its Trend Vision Award.
The competition offers hairdressers under the age of 30 the chance to show off their talent, and more and more teams are signing up each year to compete for the accolade of The World’s Best Young Hairdresser.
Sheila Jackson, partnership service manager, Wella UK explains: “British hairdressing develops and nurtures some of the best up and coming stylists throughout the world, and Trend Vision provides these rising stars with a global platform on which to showcase their skills and creative vision.”
Talking shop
Of women who buy hair products in salons, 65% say it’s due to hairdresser recommendation. “There is nothing more credible than a professional advising you on which product is best for your skin or hair,” says Alfonso Emanuele, marketing director for Aveda Europe. Secondly, TNS Salon Data suggests that women consider these products to be better for their hair.
A salon’s retail area is a major sales tool, and the cream of the crop are eye catching, user-friendly and portray a lifestyle that clients will want to buy into. Often positioned close to the salon reception area, many retail presentations have an air of exclusive boutique style, effectively setting the mood for a bout of retail therapy.
When Anthony Mascolo took over the role of Tigi International creative director, his first job was to focus on retailing, and particularly the presentation of the products. Inspired by the bright retailing areas that you see in airports that never fail to encourage travellers to purchase products, he wanted to get away from locked cabinets behind salon reception desks and instead entice clients to see, feel and touch what was on offer.
Following talks with designers, he eventually came up with the striking Bed Head Boutique concept, where bright lighting and clear shelving units ensure the products take centre stage. Mascolo then encouraged salons to create an environment or shop area at the front of their salons and by reassessing the salon floor space and creating a retail-focused display, Bed Head Boutiques across the UK have since enjoyed an upswing in retail sales, with some salons reporting increases of 400%.
And it is to the consumer’s benefit too. Compared to mass retail, buying from a professional outlet makes product claims more credible and any questions they may have can be answered there and then by the salon staff. And it also makes sense pricewise; professional formulations are often more concentrated than products bought from the chemist or supermarket so they should last longer.
“Communicating the professional salon difference is crucial if you want to be successful in this industry,” says Antoine Lévy, group product manager for L’Oréal Professionnel. “Professional products are, most of the time, more technologically advanced than their mass market counterparts. They incorporate the latest molecules and formulae which a few years later will be rolled out to mass products, usually at smaller concentrations. Such products cater for the needs of a very discerning clientele - hairdressers, who have very specific desires in terms of the results they want to achieve, and clients, who are used to consulting with and receiving personalised advice from their stylists.”
“Communicating the professional salon difference is crucial if you want to be successful in this industry.” |
Antoine Lévy, group product manager for L’Oréal Professionnel |
There is also high growth potential for male grooming products in Europe. French men spend the most on grooming products, followed by the Germans and Dutch. UK men spend a total of £278m a year on hair care products and this market is forecast to grow to £1.5bn by 2008.
“The men’s market has massive growth potential and just goes to prove that men are taking an increasing interest in their appearance,” agrees worldwide general manager for Label.M and Toni&Guy products, Paul Bulman. “The recently launched Toni&Guy Men Only consumer range sold so well in the first few weeks that Boots stores Europe-wide ran out of stock, with the three top selling products being hair styling paste, facial moisturising lotion and dual action shampoo.”
Backwash to basics
So what do clients book in for at the salons throughout Europe? The Continent, in particular the Spanish hairdressing market, tends to see a vast amount of weekly blow-dry treatments and sets, whereas in the UK it is the six-to-eight weekly cut that fills up hairdresser’s columns and is the mainstay of the business.
“UK cutting skills are developed to fulfil the fact that everyone is extremely busy and women need precision cut styles that they can maintain at home on their own in between appointments,” says Haringtons’ Simon Shaw.
You may as well erase that image of sitting in the stylist’s chair for hours with a well thumbed magazine and an instant coffee, because these days it’s all going on at the backwash. With glossy, well conditioned results and value for money more important to clients than ever before, a quick dab of conditioner is no longer enough and salons are going all out to create an ultra-relaxing hair spa at the backwash, which is why such areas are going increasingly high-tech and being designed especially with client comfort in mind. “Clients are looking for the complete salon experience these days, and therapeutic backwash treatments that are applied at the backwash and are also available to take home are huge. The UK is currently leading the way in this area, although we expect mainland Europe to follow fairly quickly,” says Bulman.
Current trends in salons throughout Europe include custom-made fixtures and fittings, massage chairs, private booths, curtains which partition off the backwash area and chilled-out lighting for that soothing, spa-like ambience. Taylor Taylor’s flagship salon, for example, features a gold mosaic tiled backwash room.
Luxury and pampering are also buzzwords, and clients are being encouraged to lie back and relax while topnotch treatments with mouthwatering ingredients are applied to their locks.
Alterna has the luxury hair care market sewn up, and while many of the products come complete with equally top-end price tags, devotees of the indulgent Caviar and White Truffle ranges, which includes many A-list celebrities, say they are well worth the investment. Slightly more affordable is Alterna’s Hemp Repair, an intensive treatment that is said to keep coloured hair vibrant, shiny and healthy and can be applied at the backwash or used by the client at home.
Ingredients include protein-rich and ultra-hydrating hemp seed oil, nutrient-activating enzymes, white tea and other plant-derived extracts, all of which are said to provide exceptional nourishment to moisture starved hair.
Aveda’s Damage Remedy Hair & Scalp Renewal In-Salon Spa Treatment is a high-tech, high-touch treatment that targets the two main needs of damaged hair: moisture and strength. Described as a ‘facial for the hair’, it combines aromacology with a therapeutic scalp, shoulder and hand massage thought to promote well-being and relieve stress.
“The combination of aroma, breath and touch helps facilitate recovery from stress,” explains Marc Zollicoffer, massage therapist and global educator for Aveda. “Aveda’s Balancing Touch Massage focuses on pressure points to stimulate circulation and bring needed nourishment for a healthy scalp.” The treatment claims to soften and smooth by up to 71%, while improving hair’s resistance to breakage.
Putting a new spin on backwash treatments is the revolutionary Tanagra Permanent Hair Repair Treatment, which uses a specially created machine to ‘lock’ keratin into the hair fibre, claiming to make it stronger, shinier and healthier than before. And promising lasting results, the treatment is said to be ideal for those who battle with unruly or frizzy hair on a daily basis.
Style to finish
As consumers become more knowledgeable, demanding tailor-made products that produce results in line with their individual hair type and texture, their needs are being answered with prescriptive hair care solutions from the major players including Schwarzkopf, Matrix, Kerastase, Clynol and Redken.
And as you might expect, it’s the London salons that are leading the way here. At Charles Worthington, the hair treatment menu is based around the brand’s Mixology concept, with stylists blending the perfect treatment to meet the specific needs of the hair. Clients can choose from the hot towel deep conditioning treatment or the innovative hot iron technique, which claims to leave hair intensively conditioned, shiny and bouncy.
At the Daniel Hersheson salons, Ready to Wear Hair and Prescriptive Gloss Shine products are mixed to suit the client’s individual hair type and are said to keep freshly coloured hair bright, vibrant and extra glossy in between appointments.
Custom blending is also popular at the Gina Conway Aveda Lifestyle Salon, where exclusive backwash treatments feature Aveda treatments to suit individual hair needs and add just ten minutes to a normal shampoo session; clients can select from Replenish, Rejuvenate, Refresh or Restore.
Styling products are also enjoying a resurgence as consumers are demanding high-tech products that will enable them to keep their style going long after they’ve left the salon. “In the mainland European and global markets, where we have 150 salons, we tend to find that the top ten best-selling products are the same as in the UK,” says Bulman. “Styling pastes, such as the Label.M Matt Paste, are currently very popular; this product makes up 23% of sales. Another growth area is for natural and organic products. We’re heading down that route already and expect to launch two products by the end of the year in Europe.”
Colour craze
In mainland Europe, colour is a much more widely used service than in the UK. Different services are popular too. For example, European women tend to colour their hair from a younger age and as their hair is often darker, they colour to disguise grey. “In the UK, a large percentage of the colouring market is fashion or vanity-based, such as highlights or flying colours, as well as a certain amount of regrowth tints,” says Haringtons’ Simon Shaw.
L’Oréal Professionel’s Peek-a-Boo Blondes is a new highlighting technique that’s sure to go down a storm both in the UK and overseas, as clients strive for quick-to-achieve, natural-looking colour that promises to enhance their looks without being too high maintenance.
There are three different techniques to choose from, all of which use carefully positioned colour through the parting area, around the face and underneath to instantly prettify by illuminating the complexion and highlighting eyes. Step one is all about Hidden Lights, step two combines Hidden Lights and Bold Lights, and step three combines Hidden Lights, Bold Lights and Under Lights.
“I think we are definitely moving in a direction where hair colour is becoming more natural and hair is enhanced by colour, but not masked by it,” says Linda Yodice, artistic director for Paul Mitchell’s The Color range, which allows hairdressers to create natural looking shades with minimum fuss. Three new additions to the range are Natural Ash, True Red and the Platinum Series, all of which work with the pared down fashion trends of the autumn/winter season.
More than 100,000 clients visit the Saks salon group in the UK on a monthly basis, and more than 75% have some form of colour which is usually applied in a ‘designer’ way, with semi-permanents ever popular due to their versatility.
Says Saks’ Andrew Barton: “If we break down the data even further, we can safely say that around 30% of all colour applications involve semi-permanents, with the favourite being L’Oréal Professionnel’s Diacolor.”
Finally, an interesting development sees semi-permanent colour services being combined with other popular services. Wella’s Colour Volume by Perform is a new salon-exclusive service that uses the latest innovations to give fabulous results, plus all over volume. The effects last 12 weeks and the service is a real time saver as colour and movement services are performed on the same day. Perfect for today’s wash-and-go generation.