tesco trial hair & Beauty salon

[CathyBryant]

Hi

I recently read a piece on Yahoo news that Tesco are trialing offering hair, beauty & nail treatments in their stores. Apparantly 3 stores in London are trialing it and if they are successful it will be rolled out across the country.

Oh this makes my blood boil.

They have recently opened a store in my town and already within 6 months the independant petrol station, butchers, fruit & veg, fish mongers and a couple gift shops have closed. Our town centre is becoming a ghost town. Pretty much all that is left is banks, estate agents and hair and beauty salons. I also heard a whisper they are looking at dentists.

Its going to be a walk in set up, with all sevices being pretty cheap, wcb for £19.

Is there anything we can do about this, i havnt read anything about this in the trade magazines, i wonder if our professional associations are aware and campagning against this?

Is there anything we can do?

Not only do i fear for my own salon, but my 5 employee's and also the other salons in my town. Ok so some of them may beable to get jobs there but for minimum way and not so good conditions. And i dont believe they can offer such a good service to clients.

 

[Susie H]

The hat wrote about this a few days ago.
Sit tight and see what they offer, if it's cheep nails, well they will get the kids, for the rest, I don't think they realise that men and women go for a service that involves a lot of, feel good factor.
A walk in service is not going to offer that.

 

[Simba44]

I think Tesco may have many health and safety issues to worry about like cutting hair within a food store....mmm. The thing is when males have there hair clippered they still have bits of cut hair within the head and for instance some children are fearful of wearing capes therefore no matter how much ppe you carry out cut hair will always remain on the clients clothing only to have this client then do there food shopping within the store transporting hair around the store doesn't sound appetising to me. We have an open salad bar at our local tesco and I have visions of finding hair within my lunch. It really does fly in the face all what us professionals have learnt over the the years eh! Hair and food don't mix.

 

[Charlee-c]

That's interesting...I didn't realise that they were going to do hair. Hair won't work but beauty will because of the convenience! Pros and cons of this...it is convenient for people but do people want to get ther eyebrows waxed n then go round shopping n then after shopping can they be bothered because they would have their trolley?! Younger people who go shopping with their parents are more likely to go because they don't want to go food shopping!
I think something needs doing about this because once one company starts then the rest will and before long tesco will have everything!!!

 

[persianista]

Would you boast to your friends "I got my new haircut at Tesco?"

It will do for the cheapskates who want the cheapest of the cheap, and don't care if people are earning slumdog pay as a result.

My concern is the suppliers. Once Tesco get their hands on pro products, they will be the only suppliers to the public. It is the last bit of exclusivity salons have, and we are poised to lose it.

 

[WaxGirl]

I don't think really there is anything you can do in terms of campaigning or lobbying at the end of day it's just business and progression following set ups in the States.

Perhaps it's not nice that more competition is coming but just use it as an opportunity to up your game?

Low cost & convenience will be a big part of what Tesco offer but ask yourself 'do I offer more than low cost and convenience'?

The answer for most of us is 'Yes we do!', for whatever reason that regulars keep coming back to you they do and its a case of maintaining that and giving them a 1001 reasons why they should continue to keep coming back.

People love to be made feel special and as salon owners I think that passion, enthusiams and belief that we transfer to customers will be challenging for Tesco to replicate.

Don't forget we have advantages to!

 

[Martin Duffy]

I've always firmly believed that very few make a decision based on price alone, many make a decision on value for money. interestingly on p11 of Professional Beauty there was an article on this very subject. A survey of 2,210 consumers showed that fewer than 17% intend making decisions on the lowest possible price, with 83% looking for added value for their money. Tesco's has never been about quality...

 

[indium]

As a customer rather than a geek, I can't wait until tesco roll this out to my local one. it'll be the only place in town doing nails and beauty if they get here.

I'm just not an organised enough person to try and fit appointments in around my work shifts so walk in is so much better for me and as for combining it with food shopping, I don't actually do my food shopping in tesco anyway, i'm a lidl girl, so from their point of view they'd be getting me in the door. Much as i generally detest tesco, this mght actually make me go there

 

[Martin Duffy]

I'm just not an organised enough person to try and fit appointments in around my work shifts so walk in is so much better for me and as for combining it with food shopping.

Which is exactly why I don't think it will affect salons. You are not a natural salon goer, and a salon generally speaking works off regular appointments, so a disorganised person who doesn't currently travel to a salon will have no impact on any existing salon businesses. I foresee Tesco's drawing exactly this type of client.

 

[indium]

yeah, I think there's a gap in the market for people like me who love manicures and facials but hate making appointments.

 

[Martin Duffy]

yeah, I think there's a gap in the market for people like me who love manicures and facials but hate making appointments.

Definitely, I see it as a new market they're targeting, along with the bargain hunters, neither of which should have much impact on a salon who is offering a quality service rather than a cheap service.

 

[silverbird9t9]

I wonder how many people who cannot currently afford salon treatments will use Tesco and then later graduate to the salon experience when their circumstances allow. I personally had my nails done at NSS places for years. My finances would not allow for anything more expensive and at that time I did not appreciate the difference. Could Tesco become a kind of entry level beauty?

 

[Martin Duffy]

It's certainly possible!

 

[Simba44]

Asda opened up salons a few years ago then they had to shut them due to a lack of trade. I hate to say this but us stylist/hairdressers have a certain status about us that we want to be seen as classy professional individuals and this reflects upon the work we do. I got to say I didn't train for all these years to end up doing budget range haircuts. Imagine if somebody asks you "what do you do and where do you work?" your answer being I'm a stylist in tesco!, what comes to mind? Blue and White stripe value range. Not that I knocking the people who work within there stores they do a great job selling FOOD and that's the way they should stay.

 

[Tan&Wax]

Bar Hill tesco is one of the stores that are trialling it and already a few of my friends have been there to have eyebrow threading for a fiver!!

I haven't been in and had a look but my hubby said its just a stall with no privacy. He is going to pick me up some details in the week!

Pretty rubbish idea to be honest, who would want to sit on view and have their eyebrows done while people do their shopping!

I will post some more info on prices if someone hasn't already by the time i get it.

Caroline xx

 

[bombini]

Would you boast to your friends "I got my new haircut at Tesco?"

It will do for the cheapskates who want the cheapest of the cheap, and don't care if people are earning slumdog pay as a result.

My concern is the suppliers. Once Tesco get their hands on pro products, they will be the only suppliers to the public. It is the last bit of exclusivity salons have, and we are poised to lose it.

When I had my hair done last week they were talking about the Tesco salon suppliers. Apparently (and this is just what I overheard the stylist and client next to me talking about) they seem to think Tigi & Redken are going to be supplying the products and as a result the salon will stop using Redken.

I must admit if they started stocking the ranges I use then I would think about changing. Its one thing to have the likes of Selfridges, John Lewis etc stock professional ranges as they are not in every town in the country but Tesco barely have a few miles between stores. No matter how loyal clients are if they need amoisturiser and shampoo they will buy it from Tesco if it saves them a trip into town.

The treatments don't worry me but the retail does.

 

[Simba44]

When I had my hair done last week they were talking about the Tesco salon suppliers. Apparently (and this is just what I overheard the stylist and client next to me talking about) they seem to think Tigi & Redken are going to be supplying the products and as a result the salon will stop using Redken.

I must admit if they started stocking the ranges I use then I would think about changing. Its one thing to have the likes of Selfridges, John Lewis etc stock professional ranges as they are not in every town in the country but Tesco barely have a few miles between stores. No matter how loyal clients are if they need amoisturiser and shampoo they will buy it from Tesco if it saves them a trip into town.

The treatments don't worry me but the retail does.

I like Tigi and Redkin but if these were to be sold within the stores I would change as I like to give clients exclusive names but it maybe be a matter of going over to another brand just to give the client something different from what they can get in the shops. When brands do go on sale in stores I then find there products don't no longer hold that 'Proffesional' label.

 

[sarahpoppy24]

I wonder if any of the top end brands will be refusing to let their products be sold in tescos. I cant see the likes of elemis etc being sold in tescos, it will be a sad day when it does. I can remember when they used to have everything in the asdas about half hour drive from me, including a hairdresser, optitions, pet store etc. They also have hair dressers and piercings in the local undercover market, no one goes there though. There is also a hair salon at the local trago mills, no one goes there ether. However if the treatments were of a good quality, well who knows what would happen? hmmm I think we are all scared of the unknown, I can also remember when they had a coffee shop and cafe in tescos near me, that has now gone. At the end of the day will they be putting enough effort into it to make it a success? Or will it just happen for a bit and disapear. Only time will tell..x

 

[persianista]

My guess would be that all the pro ranges would be in there. Elemis are not gonna turn their noses up at a multi million order. Tesco is a retailer above all else remember.

 

[indium]

I can also remember when they had a coffee shop and cafe in tescos near me, that has now gone.

My local tesco still does have a cafe. For me a salon in tesco would be about convenience. Not having to drive 3 hours to the city for a pedicure for instance. Also conventional salons tend to terrify me. Tesco would be friendly as it's a known quantity.
There is the Primark effect too.