Spa Ritual Web Shop for non-trade Customers...

[Eyemunique]

Just wanna know what fellow geeks think to this:

Spa Ritual are launching a web shop for non-trade clients. This means that Joe public can go straight to their webshop and order products directly from them.

I am a little bit dubious about this, I use Spa Ritual and retail it out to my clients. I also buy my stuff directly from NSI. Now, if they are going to be selling the product at the same price we sell it, that's one hell of a mark up for them as they will pay a lower price because they are distributers.

Also, we choose to use products like Spa Ritual because it is a 'salon exclusive' brand will it lose it's salon exclusivity by being retailed on the web directly from NSI?

How much do you think it will affect our sales as salons and nail techs?

xx

 

[Zingara]

This is an issue that i am very torn on. Firstly, I'm not a Spa Ritual user, but the whole issue of professional products being sold directly.

I appreciate that companies need to increase profits where they can at a time like this....with a squeeze on our economy, but conversely, I need suppliers that show some loyalty to me and won't just go and sell direct to cut me out and make more money for themselves.

Ok, so I can usually go onto ebay or AN other web site and buy the stuff, and that is fair competition. This is the justification that a lot of companies use when they decide to sell direct. But it does irk me when I feel I've done the hard work of promoting the products all these months / years and now I'm just going to have a battle on my hands....competing against the very people I want support and loyalty from, because they've had it from me!

I suspect my answer is very much, if it affects my retail sales even just once, then I woud be looking to switch to a supplier that didn't sell direct.

 

[geeg]

As a professional I would not support a distributor who was taking the food out of my mouth.

GREED GREED GREED is all I can say.

Now, if my professionals were not suppporting me as a distributor, then I would rethink this issue.

Some well known nail companies lost a load of professionals when they started selling their products on QVC. Quite right in my opinion. But as long as my professionals support me as a distributor, thehn I WOULD SUPPORT THEM and never go direct to their customers.

 

[Eyemunique]

As a professional I would not support a distributor who was taking the food out of my mouth.

GREED GREED GREED is all I can say.

Now, if my professionals were not suppporting me as a distributor, then I would rethink this issue.

Some well known nail companies lost a load of professionals when they started selling their products on QVC. Quite right in my opinion. But as long as my professionals support me as a distributor, thehn I WOULD SUPPORT THEM and never go direct to their customers.

This was my thought too. I live in the countryside and have a few clients who struggle to get to me who expressed an interest in me having a webshop. Spa Ritual asked me not to, I think I know why now. I'm just so annoyed because I have invested so much money to be set up in my salon with Spa Ritual and now I am worried I won't get it back.

Thankfully, many of my clients see the importance in supporting loical businesses because they are about to build a new super tesco in our village, which would close down a lot of local shops if we don't support them. I can only hope they will support me with this.

xx