27th May 2026
Perhaps my blood is boiling because we are in the midst of a mini May heatwave. If only that was the reason, alas it’s not. Yesterday I took myself off to Edinburgh for a couple of appointments, and as I had some spare time, it was obvious (to me) that I would go hunting to see what salon products were available you know where. After visiting a relatively small store which had a selection of those brands that, by the way, now sit very comfortably on the mass market shelves, I then made my way to one of the bigger stores, and boy oh boy aren’t they the cat that got the cream. There was no end to the ‘salon professional’ brands on display, looking very tempting and marketed exceptionally well; beautiful stands that showcase everything from shampoo to brushes, from treatments to electrical goods. Consumers are genuinely spoilt for choice, with products that cover all hair and scalp types and …. and possibly more importantly, all price points. They really are capturing all potential sales.
That, as you will know if you read my blogs or see social media posts that are shared frequently doesn’t sit well with me, but it’s the fact that the variety of products and pieces of equipment is growing, that’s what brought my blood to the boil, that and the fact that it was a scorching hot day yesterday didn’t help.
Anyways, on my train journey home I decided it was time to check what was going on from an e-commerce perspective, and yes, as I imagined, almost every single product from the brands and subsidiary brands that made their way into the mass market arena are available either with great discounts or free gifts.
I decided that (for me) it is impossible to do anything about this situation, I can’t change the mindset of a huge corporation that has decided to choose every option to generate sales at the cost of a hairdressers retail proposition, and ultimately it doesn’t matter because THANK GOODNESS there are still company’s that are increasing their salon focus, helping salons create a point of difference for their clients. I’m lucky as I’ve been exposed to product ranges that are absolutely fantastic that look great, perform exceptionally well and are truly SALON PROFESSIONAL.
Normally I end any article with a sentence saying something like “if you would like to discuss brands, I’m happy to help” and there have been quite a few salon owners contact me asking for recommendations which makes my standing on my soapbox so worth it. Having isolated myself from some of the biggest product houses because of my #ProForPro stance, helping salons get back on track with their retail proposition makes everything worthwhile.
My blood is no longer boiling, I have decided to not let the negatives about those SALON PROFESSIONAL brands affect me anymore, instead I’m going to focus much more on brands that I know can help salons. (WATCH THIS SPACE).
My final sentence here is “It’s never too late to change, there is an amazing array of products out there that any salon would benefit from carrying, and that isn’t just retail, there’s also an incredible selection of colour brands available as well”
THIS IS A CALL OUT TO ALL SALON PROFESSIONAL BRANDS, IF YOU WANT MENTIONING HERE AND ACROSS SOCIALS, GET IN TOUCH!
#ProForPro #SalonPro #SalonRetail #MakeTheChange
