How to increase retail sales in your salon or spa

Are you wondering how to combat the ebb and flow of mani/pedi or waxing clients? Boost your retail sales! Clients who use the retail products you sell are more likely to book appointments and to come back for more product when they run low.

How do you go about building your retail sales? Here are a few tips to create a solid marketing strategy that will increase sales, bookings and encourage client loyalty:

Give clients a reason to buy retail products from YOU

Have you ever gone into a large box-store, that has sample stands? Why do the stores do that? Well, let’s face it, if you were buying basil pesto in a 3 gallon, 2 pack, but didn’t know if it tasted good, you would likely pass up the opportunity to purchase. But once you tasted it, and it was as good as the pesto your Italian grandmother made- SOLD!

Does this mean you should hand out samples willy-nilly at your salon? Do sample products really increase sales in salons?

Yes and no. Samples that are unrelated to the service are actually a waste of the samples. So, shampoo samples for the wax treatment client are not likely to produce a retail sale.

Comprehensive services

A better plan is to create value-added packages. Here is what we mean- when your client books a treatment, combine it with a demonstration of a few of your retail products.

During a wax treatment for example, apply Lycon Ingrown X-It Cream. Explain it’s benefits and why you like it, and the success other clients have had with it.

Suggest additional uses for Lycon Ingrown X-It (like for her husband’s problem beard.) Then, send the client home with a generous, salon-made, 3 day sample. A note on samples- Sephora does it right, make samples from a full size product, written off and dedicated to marketing. Create sample-sized send homes in front of the client. This method visually communicates the size, shape and label of the product, and aids the client to remember the product when they come in for the next service.

You can also offer a discount for in-store purchase, such as 15% off, plus a coupon for a return purchase. Resist the urge to try and sell the entire product line. Keep notes, and mention another of the products in the next visit.

This method is a great way to fight the “I can buy something similar/buy it cheaper at Ulta….” comment. You have created a try before you buy environment and the client receives personalized, expert tips they need during the application.

Time is money to most people- the client is much more likely to purchase during a value-added treatment and save the time that additional trip to the department store would cost!

If the client likes the product, they will return for more when they run out. It is also likely that they will purchase again at the next appointment.

Keep track of their purchases and make sure to ask how they like the product. If the client is not seeing results, offer additional suggestions or trade-in for a product they may like better, such as the spray solution.  Reward clients for their purchases by starting a discount or loyalty program.

Keep track of it in-house so that there is no need to carry a rewards punch card.

Build your value in the eyes of your clients

Comprehensive, value-added packages are a great way to build the value of your salon in the eyes of the client. Your comprehensive services will be deemed better than the ‘slap-it-on-strip-it-off’ service down the street or as advertised by a competitor on a coupon site.

The salon does not have to be a posh, upscale, snobbish salon that so many clients shy away from. The salon staff does need to emanate a professional, organized appearance, yet strive for that personal connection with the client. You can add to this by keeping your staff educated on the unique products that you offer. In turn, the staff should have the attitude of educating or imparting information to the client, not selling.

On that note, make sure that staff members have ample opportunity to try the products themselves. Offer a small commission or incentive on retail sales.

Package and promote your retail products

Gift giving occasions happen year around! Create a little something that won’t be found elsewhere- make your own gift packages with your retail products. Keep it simple, tie three products together with a wide ribbon or in a pretty fabric gift bag. Add something different like a candle, spa mitt, a product for their significant other or teen child. Here are some of our ideas for product groupings:

Lycon Ingrown X-It,

Anti-bump foaming gel

and

Tea Tree Soothe lotion

Mancine Shower gel,

in Rose and Vitamin E,

Hot salt body scrub

in Kiwi Aloe, and

Coconut Vanilla Body Butter

 Mancine naturals hand and body lotion

One final thought: Don’t offer too much! Too many choices confuse clients. Stick with two or three brand choices, and group according to specific use, i.e. for dry skin. And if a product isn’t selling, get rid of it.

In review, the key is to get the clients to use your retail products. Because once the product is used during a service, and a sample is sent to use at home, they are more likely to come back to your salon.