Although it might be a little cliche, the start of the new year is the perfect opportunity to get organised in your salon. This is because January often presents a lull in salons, following the busy party season. However, rather than getting stressed about empty spaces in your column, this time can be put to good use by carrying out a stock take. While it may not sound like the most thrilling way to kick off the new year, a stock take can offer multiple benefits for your business, and is a key aspect of keeping your salon organised.
Dianne Sargent, Salon Supplies' Southampton Cash and Carry Manager, knows a thing or two about stock organisation. She explains: “Stock takes are important because mistakes happen all the time (wrong products ordered, returns, damages, etc) and the only way to rectify those mistakes is to regularly check your stock numbers and make sure everything adds up. If you don’t, you may not order in the correct products and your regular customers may well end up very disappointed.”
Sean Hanna, Managing Director at seanhanna London for L’Oréal Professionnel, adds: “Your stock is your ‘cash’ so ensuring you have the optimum balance of having enough to sell without leaving dead stock taking up shell space is an important part of running your business. A regular stock take gives you a snapshot of how you are doing; it gives you the information you need to plan ahead. “Too little stock means missed sales, which equals less profits. But, overstocking means your cash is lying idle and also increases your likelihood of loss or damage.”
Dianne also notes: “When checking stock, be careful and thorough. Watch out for products that look similar (especially colour tubes!). It’s easy to confuse certain items, but you have to be careful or it can cause problems later down the line. Santiago Figuero, Owner of Santi’s London, notes that regular stock takes can also help you highlight your bestselling products. He also discusses how you can keep track of, and manage, expiry dates, sharing: “It depends on the product; some need to be checked more frequently, like the colour tubes, because when they expire, they will not colour hair anymore. But, some products, like face masks, can still be sold (at a discounted price) after their expiry date, because the packaging keeps them safe.”
Santiago explains: "I like to lead by example - it all starts from the owner. I reiterate to the team every week the importance of keeping the salon organised, how we must appreciate clients coming in and paying to have their hair done. Teach the team that we must show clients our appreciation by providing them with a clean space to come and relax."
Sean offers up his key tip for keeping a salon space organised, saying: “Try and work to a planogram - this could be as simple as having a photo of what your shelves should look like, or it could be a diagram showing product placement and minimum orders.” Meanwhile, Dianne shares: “Our most important tip for organisation is: don’t leave empty spaces on the shelves (retail or storage) and move stock to the front so visibility is the best it can be. It’s not always possible to be as organised as you’d like – the salon can get busy or you lack the manpower – but as long as everything looks nice and is visible you will manage. You can always try utilising a labelled or numbered storage system of some kind, but that is personal preference.”
