25th August 2026
Retailtainment, it’s another one of those silly marketing terms that means nothing and everything in the same sentence.
I’m reminded of ‘Clienteling’ https:click here: BLOG
I’m also reminded of a word a colleague used to use many years ago ….. edutainment, the Cambridge dictionary describes this as ‘the process of entertaining people at the same time as you are teaching them something’.
And now we have Retailtainment, Wikipedia describes it as ‘the mix of shopping and fun. It turns a normal store visit into an exciting event. Brands use this idea to make people want to visit real shops instead of just buying items online’.
Whilst I think the word is most definitely silly, it did make me stop and think about the world of retail and what salons need to do to stay ahead of the game when battling again mass market channels and online shopping.
Here’s the reality of it, hairdressing and barber salons are environments that are the perfect place for Retailtainment as they are already places where fun is a natural part of the experience. The blend of professionalism, creativity, relationships, team work, the conversational sharing of important information, making people (clients) feel fabulous and having fun at the same time is what salons do every single day.
Take that magical mix and use it when talking product and the potential for great retail sales is there for the taking. Clients don’t want serious technical info about things they are going to use on their hair at home, they want to feel positive about the brands they buy into, they want products that make them feel good, and FUN is a KEY FACTOR in the FEEL GOOD STAKES.
If you look around the high street at the changes in brand identities, there is a seismic shift toward brighter packaging, random (fun) names and imagery that suggests FUN. But the [FUN] in salons has to be a part of the serious stuff, why stylists recommend specific products for use at home, and it should be a controlled part off the professional approach to recommendations. And of course, if it’s a premium, designer brand then the conversation and how the information is shared needs to be elevated.
Jo Malone, a brand synonymous with ‘high end’ has recently made the decision to go mass market (wonder why that is, oh I know, it’s owned by some corporation now) …. and part of the strategy was to create an image of a hand holding a bottle of Jo Malone fragrance… and one of the persons nails was chipped. Is this an ironic statement or is it the dumbing down of a high end brand…. you decide.
The point of Retailtainment is, to make retailing fun, but make the fun relevant to the brand that is being spoken about, entry level brands with big bold colourful packaging and names, yes, make the dialogue fun. Mid priced, still fun but with more information about what the products actually do, and then high end product ranges, of course inject some fun, but make the dialogue more focused on the quality of the ingredients and why they deliver exceptional results.
Retailtainment, make it work in the right way for each client and each product.
