Male only salons

[gillian w]

I was discussing with my friend last night who is a lecturer in beauty at college and also a very good therapist,what we would start as a business if we wanted to really go for it and get rich and we decided its got to be go for the men.
Its evidently the biggest growth market now in the cosmetics industry and that crosses over to the beauty industry.
Waxing,tanning,massage,facials its all relatively untapped for men except maybe in London and even then places dont aim for allcomers.If i was an entrepreneur thats where in this industry i'd go.

 

[BABSann]

I was discussing with my friend last night who is a lecturer in beauty at college and also a very good therapist,what we would start as a business if we wanted to really go for it and get rich and we decided its got to be go for the men.
Its evidently the biggest growth market now in the cosmetics industry and that crosses over to the beauty industry.
Waxing,tanning,massage,facials its all relatively untapped for men except maybe in London and even then places dont aim for allcomers.If i was an entrepreneur thats where in this industry i'd go.

I personally wouldn't want to have a male only salon,however I do think salons should try to have a more unisex feel to them.I'm not sure if many salons could make it being a men only salon.Location is obviously a key factor.

Men probably dont use beauty salons as much as they would because of the general flowery feel to these salons,i.e pictures of ladies,female scented products,decoration etc.

If I had my own salon I think that the way to go is have products for him and her,seperate the 2,men have different skin needs than women anyway,why do so many salons only have products that cater for women?Mem dont want to come out of the salon smelling of roses:lol:

It's a tricky one regarding decor,but perhaps neutral is more the way to go or if possible have a hers n his room,totally different but under one roof and able to cater for both sexes.

 

[oey]

Its funny actually because I was having a geeky conversation the other day with Andy (axiom) about what makes male treatments work in a salon that is mainly used by women and the fact that targeting the male population would be a wise move to make.

I am going to advertise some treatments aimed at men and see what interest that generates.

 

[Axiom]

It's certainly a gap in the market, but outside of London and the bigger metropolitan cities it's also still very much an industry in its infancy. We've been open 7 years at my place in one form or another (as a men-only salon), but it's only in the last couple of years that things have noticeably started to take off - and the vast majority of that is down to waxing and massage. Maybe it's the demographic of the town where I'm based, but I don't get huge numbers of chaps coming through the door for face treatments, as fellas are still viewing it as a "luxury" treatment rather than a "necessity" (although those that do try it invariably come back for more).

It's great that more and more people are targeting male clients, and I'm all for it, but sadly I don't think it's the cash cow that the trade press make it out to be (yet!). I'd love to see more men-only places like the Nickel Spa and Masqlin (and me!) that cater for the average chap-on-the-street, but I think it will be another few years before this particular market is large enough to sustain a dedicated men's salon in every town. I can dream though!

 

[BABSann]

Yes I couldn't agree more Andy,I feel the same,I just dont think many businesses could afford to wait several years whilst they built up on their male clients,if a male only salon.

Most of our males come in for massage,some have waxing(not a lot)a couple have had facials,pedi's and mani's nothing like the media would have us believe though,as you say.

 

[Gelly]

Andy,
I was having a conversation the other day with a male who I suggested should extend his training to include waxing - he currently does reiki and massage - and then to open a male focused salon.
He felt that it would only attract a gay male customer base as he is a male therapist - because straight men would prefer a female therapist as they would feel strange being 'touched' by a man.
I feel that this wouldn't be the case.......I think there are plenty of straight men would prefer that a female wasn't seeing the hairy bits of their body that they obviously didn't like about themselves - hence their desire to be waxed. These men are quite possibly avoiding having treatments for this reason - and there's his customer base!

Also, he said 'there is no way I would ever do a BSC!' I said that you don't need to offer it if you don't want to do it! I know beauticians who won't do pedicures because they hate feet!

I think he could do really well. He isn't homophobic, infact he is far from it - although 100% straight. I think his main concern is that instead of it being a male salon, it would become a gay salon....hope I am making sence!

What do you think? In your experience, is he right? Is it mainly or only gay men who go to male therapists for waxing? Would he have to offer BSC? (Obviously, it's the SC that's the issue!)

Hope you don't mind me singling you out! But you are the waxing king and obviously the person best qualified to answer my question

 

[Axiom]

Yes I couldn't agree more Andy,I feel the same,I just dont think many businesses could afford to wait several years whilst they built up on their male clients,if a male only salon.

Absolutely - the salon only survived because it had money coming in from the barbers, and I was lucky enough to build my clients up part-time whilst still maintaining another job to bring the pennies in. I would have gone bankrupt very quickly if I'd relied solely on my beauty treatments back then, lol!

I think there is money to be made from men-only spas and salons in the bigger cities and possibly some of the more cosmopolitan towns, and it's great to target chaps as part of unisex salon (in fact I'd like to see more choice and competition out there!) but going all-male is not something I'd do again in the same town, even in the current climate. If I had to do it all again I'd have opened up elsewhere (and done more homework when it came to market research, lol). Anyone want to fund me opening up in Brighton instead??! :lol:

 

[Loupy]

Its a great idea in thory and im sure would work very well in the right place but for those of us in smaller areas maybe try and de-feminise the salon and how about offering a male menu rather than a general one with a male section?

 

[Axiom]

Andy,
I was having a conversation the other day with a male who I suggested should extend his training to include waxing - and then to open a male focused salon... He felt that it would only attract a gay male customer base as he is a male therapist... Also, he said 'there is no way I would ever do a BSC!' I said that you don't need to offer it if you don't want to do it! I know beauticians who won't do pedicures because they hate feet!

...He isn't homophobic, infact he is far from it - although 100% straight. I think his main concern is that instead of it being a male salon, it would become a gay salon....hope I am making sence!

Hope you don't mind me singling you out! But you are the waxing king and obviously the person best qualified to answer my question

Well I don't know if I'm best qualified, but bless you for the compliment! :o

As far as I'm aware, the majority of my clients are straight men (it's not a question on my consultation form, lol, but chaps will often mention their partners at some point during a treatment). Waxing is by far the most popular treatment I offer, but whether this has anything to do with the fact I'm a fella I couldn't say.

Ultimately, customers will seek out a therapist whom they feel comfortable with - whether male or female, gay or straight - and it's unlikely that any of us will have only one flavour of client!

As for the BSC waxing... None of us are obliged to offer a treatment that we feel uncomfortable with, whether that's a pedicure or a Brazilian wax, but my personal feeling has always been that if my clients want something that I don't offer, they will go elsewhere and take their money with them. I'm 100% comfortable doing Brazilian waxing and it's financially worth my while to continue doing them, but I wouldn't expect every salon on the high street to offer the service simply because they felt they had to (and nor would I want to go to a therapist who didn't want to be doing them, ouch!).

Andy x

 

[Gelly]

Thank you very much Andy for your quick reply - Clear advice as usual!

 

[estherlou]

i think male only salons are a great idea in theory but would take a long time to establish. i do have a male only price list and have had a few male clients since i started, i would of had far more if i offered male brazilians, i've had loads of enquiries asking if i do them and have decided to train asap, wasn't sure to start with and i have to say the thing that put me off the most was the stigma attatched with offering bsc as a treatment, so many people ask out of curiosity and it seems to be a bit of a standing joke, but hey the demand is out there, why not. Also some of the male clients i've had were married or had girlfriends, men are just more self aware these days, bout time too! lots of my clients take male price lists to try and bring their other halfs in. I bill my salon as beauty treatments for all, nice to have a variety of people through the door xxx

 

[bombini]

I think that Male only salons work well in some areas but I would put money on it bombing where I live !

When I worked in Spas I used to do lots of treatments for men but 90% of those were massage & usually guests in the hotel.

I am forever reading that men are big spenders and will walk out the door with any product you reccommend, well where the hell are they ?! I have never sold a mens product to any guy that has had a treatment & I have tried believe me !

My BF loves his salon skincare products which I have bought him & when he runs out he will always ask for more until he is told the price, his response is he will buy a bottle of E45 or Nivea for men !!! I have educated him but he refuses to pay more than £7 for a moisturiser:grr: :grr: :grr:

 

[Chameleon]

I think English women let alone men are only starting to realise the importance of skincare and beauty.

Yes,some of you would not agree with at maybe but thats just how i view it,things are slowly changing though,slow yes but they are changing:!:

As for a men only salon i think Axiom aproached it the right way,but hey it must of been a struggle.

Juliette is right in saying"where ARE the men" as there are a lack of men coming into have treatments in our salon.

When men DO have facials most comments are "yes thats nice but ill stick with OTC products...:irked: :lol:


Soooooo,i just let the women get educated on mens clients,let them feel the textures,the smells(if any),and then THEY walk out with the products in hand for the man in thier life wether it be son,father,nephew etc

Targeting it that way has helped:green: