Each year, Black Friday, which traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season in the US, seems to be becoming more prevalent in the UK, with many retailers now advertising deals and special offers both in store and online. But should hair salons be following suit and offering their own Black Friday deals? And does one deal suit all salons, or does an individual approach need to be taken? HJ spoke to some figures in the industry to hear their thoughts…
Casey Coleman, freelance stylist and winner of ‘Social Stylist’ at the British Hairdressing Business Awards 2022, said: “I don’t think salons or hairstylists should reduce any of their prices for services on Black Friday. What we do for our clients is so much more than ‘just doing hair’. We change clients’ confidence, we let them blow off steam, and we care for them while they’re with us.
“The last thing I’d want to do is raise a question of ‘Well, if they can discount it this time, why can’t they discount it every time?’ I would much rather treat my client to a small discount if they reach a certain amount of bookings or it’s their birthday, not because it’s a ‘sale period’. However, if I have some retail items that have gathered dust on my shelves, I’ll offer a discount on those to try and get rid of them so I can only keep the products my clients and I enjoy.
“But ultimately, I won’t be offering a discount for Black Friday. Instead, I’ll be handing my clients Christmas cards with a message of gratitude, telling them how thankful I am to have them and how much I appreciate their support.”
However, Kate Woods, an entrepreneur who specialises in digital marketing and marketing training for hair salons, said: “The key to utilising Black Friday successfully is to think about the longer-term impact.
“I worked with a beauty brand who made a ton of money with an offer one Black Friday, but it had a negative impact on their sales for the next few months because their super fans stocked up while it was cheap - so make sure you haves some terms in place.”
So, how can gift cards actually benefit you at this time of year? “I’ve got a client who makes well over £1,000 on gift cards each Black Friday. How do they do it? By adding extra value to the gift cards – because let’s be honest, we all like to get a little more bang for our buck. But to make sure they don’t destroy his Christmas takings, these supercharged gift cards can only be used the following year (and that means during his quiet times).”
Whilst Kate adds that this strategy might not be the best approach for everyone, she believes that not have a gift card strategy at all is a missed opportunity. However, Green Salon Collective have announced that they will not be promoting any Black Friday deals, in a bid to protest mass consumerism. Instead, they will be making a donation to the rewilding organisation Mossy Earth.
