Professional Retail Products

Professional retail products are vital in maintaining shine, health and the integrity of your hair. As a colorist I strongly believe in using homecare products when away from the salon. In operating and owning a successful salon it is vital to have professional products available for sale, not only for the importance of hair health but also it’s a huge monetary asset in sustaining a prosperous salon business.  At Salon Ratay we carry three exclusive lines Kerastase, SHU UEMURA & Minardi which each are different price points allowing us to target the consumer in different financial ways, yet assuring each guest quality professional products BACKED BY A GUARANTEE( I won’t even start about on-line buying through third parties) For Salon Ratay, Kerastase makes up about 65% of our retail sales followed by Shu Uemura which is 21% then following with Minardi Luxury Color Care pulling in about the last 11% of our retail sales. We also carry a few miscellaneous products (brushes, customized color conditioners & styling tools) that I feel are important to sell in the salon that make up the other 2%. Since Salon Ratay is a departmentalized salon retail is split with colorists that sell shampoo, conditioners and masques, while designers sell all leave-in’s and styling products.

With each guest, my colorists analyze the condition of their hair, addressing the most important needs and concerns and then will select specifically from Kerastase, SHU UEMURA or Minardi to create the ultimate homecare regimen for each individual guest.  Remember, there are many different types of categories in a product line that address different issues; moisture, shine, color protection, volume, revitalizing…the list goes on. Professional products don’t just help the guests; they also help the colorists by having a balanced canvas in order to create beautiful seasonal haircolor. Designers

also recommend products that help guests replicate the look they receive in the salon; whether it is a mousse for volume, anti-frizz serum for a polished look, or finishing spray for that perfect hold.  It is a large expense for a salon to carry inventory as it is “money sitting on the shelf” until SOLD.

Currently Salon Ratay has about $12,000.00 dollars’ worth of “at cost” products on our shelves at a time. Therefore you can see how important it is from the business side that my service providers are doing their job in educating and selling retail to every guest that enters the salon.

Furthermore, I see both sides to the importance of having and selling profe

ssional salon products, from the colorist point it is my job to inform and keep my guest hair in the most optimal condition, allowing me to have endless creativity. As a salon owner, retail sales pay for operating expenses, maintenance, and additional revenue to each service provider. IT’S A PROFIT WIN WIN!!

In closing, it is always great to give your staff incentives to keep them motivated in selling, as we all can drop the ball at times. At Salon Ratay we have friendly competition between services providers on who can sell the most products, or who can sell the most products in a day… spice it up! Keep it fun for you and your salon. We’ve had prizes such as iPads, gift cards, Starbucks to even a year

incentive in winning a three day cruise.  In conjunction with staff motivation I also do retail offers through email for the guest such as BOGO ½ off, all SHU UEMURA 25% off, and buy two get one complimentary and so on. At the end of the day retail sales equal many successful equations, find a product brand that fits your salon and create a retail program that works for your staff.