Professional only product

[PEPSIMAX]

After working in the beauty industry for the past 10 years I am launching a product soon & intend on this being something exclusively for qualified professionals. After the time, effort & money I have put in to my product I want to make sure this product stays totally professional. This is more important to me than any profit. I have personally been let down a number of times when I have invested in a line of skincare & makeup to see it sold in TK Max and Superdrug! I am not going to allow this to happen to anyone I sell to. I want to promise the therapists who stock my product it won't be sold on the internet nor will it be retailed in shops. Any ideas on how I can keep my product totally professional & police this promise? Thanks in advance. x

 

[Noodle]

May I just please point out that as soon as your product is actually launched and live, you will need to amend your Profile to show you are a Supplier to the Industry, meaning a yellow asterisk will be displayed at the bottom of each of your posts.

Thanks.

 

[PEPSIMAX]

Oh thanks good to know it will be a few weeks yet. x

 

[TanBird]

A tiny thought:

- in eBay you can set up a search result to be emailed to you daily or weekly (e.g. I was looking for a particular model of juicer secondhand and every day eBay emailed me links to the new listings).

I have just checked how to do this now - do a search for something, and there's now a green-coloured text link that says "Follow This Link" that will let you set up email alerts to your inbox when someone posts a product.

So if yours shows up on fleabay, you can kick the butt of the person who's trying to sell it!

 

[Solsken]

What about something as simple as a tag line on your products.

"These products are sold only to and by professionals in the beauty industry. If you have purchased this product from anywhere other than an authorized salon or distributor, contact us at (insert phone number here)."

if you are really up for it, offer a reward "If your information leads to us winning legal actions against illegal distribution of these products, you may be offered a reward"

you can cite how much or you can leave that open. I'd have a legal expert tinker with your statement ... but just an idea...

 

[PEPSIMAX]

That's great thanks some really good ideas. I was also thinking of a contact between myself and the customer (salon/therapist) basically an agreement between my company and the therapist selling my product that I wouldn't start to sell online or through retail outlets and would expect them to agree not to sell online or through any other outlet other than professionally as a therapist. I would also want proof that the person was a beauty professional and was in genuine business. I know it sounds mad but it's really important to me, I want to protect my product and also any therapist who wants a totally professional product. We all want this peace of mind. x

 

[Solsken]

You making sure they're licensed is easy. Them sending to you is easy. You can promise or write you won't sell anywhere like ebay or amazon. that's easy. the hard part is when a properly licensed person/salon decides to order a LOT and then resell online.

It is especially hard if it is retail packaging (so the salon is selling it to their customers). because proving it is not the easiest.

You'd have to do a good job to watch volumes but again, how can you be sure they are not just a large salon?

Just saying, it is easy to say, hard to follow up and stop the bad ones out there.

I mean think of how many times you've read on SG of what people bought on amazon or ebay or other places. you see/hear it all the time...

 

[PEPSIMAX]

My product needs a consultation first. I want it to be a premium product for professionals. I want them to be protected. I see this from both points. I am a professional salon owner. I know what I want to invest my hard earned money in. Nothing is worse than when you see the product you invest in on e bay, amazon or in Superdrug.

 

[surf girl]

I'd love to have a look at your product when you launch! tigi are adamant they have a no resale in shops thing on their products but we can all go to b&m and buy a £10 can of hairspray for £1.99 I've even showed them a pic of the range in stock! I hope you can find a way to keep it strictly for professionals only I'd love to stock a range I could guarantee people can't buy cheaper elsewhere, good luck with your launch!

 

[Lynne Baker]

I have it in my Ts and Cs that our products are not to be sold online, on eBay, on Amazon, of anywhere other than an authorised salon.
I have terminated supply to people who have tried to flout that. I have google alerts set up and eBay searches too.
It brings us a lot of business because my priority is to protect my salons' revenues.