Rack It Up, Stack It Up

Rack it up, stack it up; it’s a phrase someone told me many years ago and it relates to how a successful retail organisation should approach their products that are available for clients to purchase. The basic premise is simple, the more products on shelves, the more likely customers are to browse and buy. This is what supermarkets, chemists and other large retailers have always done, and it’s something most salons haven’t. Whilst it is a proven fact, full shelves (with the odd psychological gap) do encourage interest. The psychological gap is there to show potential shoppers that the products are bought by others. But consumers are now wanting more from their shopping experience, and that’s the key word – EXPERIENCE.

Visit stores like Sephora, Anthropologie, Oliver Bonas, big dept stores, Harvey Nichols, John Lewis, Selfridges, even supermarkets and that big chemist, they are all creating experiential moments that elevate the shopping experience to something new and exciting. Shopping in 2025 is becoming more and more about affecting and influencing all the senses, or as many as possible with the given limitations of products, for example, it wouldn’t be advisable to let clients ‘taste’ shampoo.

So how do salons embrace the growing need for experiential moments? Well the good news is, that a huge chunk of the clients time in a salon is experiential already, that means, in essence, a few small changes to the retail offering, nothing that’s going to bust the bank, but changes that can showcase products that are available for clients to take home.

1. Shelving: Make sure that your retail shelves are informative, priced clearly, clean and full (rack it up, stack it up).
2. Make it accessible: it’s no good having shelves that are closely guarded at the reception desk, it makes the client feel intimidated about approaching and browsing.
3. Carry more than one range of products: If this was the way we purchased, just from one single range, supermarkets would be much smaller – think about what you have to offer and does it meet every potential purchasing pattern?
4. Ideally, a salon should have at least 3 different price brackets, entry level for those clients who like affordable products that perform. Mid priced product that delivers salon quality performance, and aspirational, high end brands that appeal to individuals looking to use designer* brands. *There’s a reason Dior, Chanel etc create lipsticks, they are affordable luxury products that consumers can buy into which makes them feel a part of that high end world.
5. Create touch points where clients feel comfortable browsing products (Anthropologie does this exceptionally well).
6. Educate salon teams to become more ‘natural’ in the way they recommend product, encourage them to stop selling and start telling. Consumers love information, be it in hard copy, online or face to face, from that they can make their own minds up about purchasing. (Trust me, this definitely increases retail sales).
7. Talk about products on your website and socials, when a gorgeous head of hair gets shared, make sure the products that helped achieve the look are mentioned and shown as well as the hair itself.
8. Set regular promotions that can be bought into. Mother’s Day and Easter are coming soon, now is the time to think about what you can offer.
9. If you have a loyalty scheme, make sure that retail is rewarded over and above, double points at Easter etc.
10. Don’t give up, changing your retail environment takes time and effort from everyone involved, but get it right and it will reap rewards.

And finally, make sure the brands you carry are not available in mass market outlets (this doesn’t include the inevitable Amazon and online shops) and if they are on the shelves of these stores, make sure you are able to price match their offers,

There are lots of fabulous brands available that remain salon exclusive, if you want to know more, get in touch, I am happy to share my thoughts about products that could elevate your retail offering to an even greater height.

And don’t forget, it’s still important to RACK IT UP, STACK IT UP.

#SalonRetail #ProForPro #SalonExclusive.