We are barely past Halloween, and yet the time has officially come for all spas, salons, wellness centers and medi-spas to stock up on the holiday retail. While retail products should be an integral part of your business plan year round, the holidays provide an additional impetus for your clients to browse, shop and buy.
We always advise our clients to retail, but the question is How? How do you transition from having products on display to constantly needing restock your shelves? Well, here is a handy little guide:
Tips for Retail Success:
- EDUCATION. Become THE source for information for all things retail by educating you staff. Hold multiple training workshops and dispense reading materials so that your employees are able to comfortably and knowledgeably explain the following for all products.
- Purpose
- Ingredients
- Features
- Benefits
- Application Procedure
- Potential Reactions
- Brand History
- TESTERS. One is much more likely to purchase a product when he or she can touch it, smell it, taste it, etc. When you shop at stores such as Sephora or Ulta, there are samples for virtually every single product. By investing in at least 1 tester per retail item, your clients will be significantly more likely to invest themselves into the product.
- INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. As a Salon or Spa owner, your main focus is increasing your business profit. One of the main focuses for your employees, however, is increasing their personal income. Have your goals meet in the middle by providing incentive programs and contests for selling retail products. Just as your clients need a little push to invest in retail, your employees need motivation for selling products and boosting business. By offering bonuses or a rewards program for top sellers, you can boost sales, profits and company morale! In addition, certain manufacturers have their own rewards program in place. By selling their products, you receive samples and complimentary items. These free gifts can then be passed on to your victorious employees, at no expense to you. A total Win-Win-Win!
- INTEL. The easiest way to decide what products to retail is to get the information directly from the source: your clients! Train your employees to be engaging and asking key questions, including the following:
- What hair/facial/nail products are being used at home.
- Opinions about said products.
- Upcoming plans and events, such as vacations, weddings, graduation etc.
- Personal cosmetic and aesthetic concerns.
- AN EXPERIENCE. According to Jill Van Ausdal of The Spa at Stein Eriksen Lodge, you can increase retail sales by providing an all-encompassing experience instead, rather than just providing a single treatment for your client. When the service is taken from a treatment to an experience, retail automatically becomes a part of the equation.
| She was just introduced to her spa's new retail selections. |