Waxing: strip

SISTER ACT

London-based Strip offers wax-only treatments -- a simplified business strategy that is paying off for sisters Danielle and Maria-Louise Featherstone.  Sasha Lill reports.

The brainchild of sisters, Danielle and Maria-Louise, Strip waxing bars have turned a routine waxing into a trendy fashion statement at their London emporiums in Notting Hill Gate and Chelsea.

"Back in August 2004 I had the idea of opening a waxing-only bar and calling it 'Strip'. After many years in the beauty industry, I realised there was a gap in the market for this type of service," explains Danielle.

"Wax and waxing treatments in the British beauty market were far behind those in Australia, where waxing was administered far better, and, with higher-quality wax being used, it was much less painful. I thought it time the UK caught up. "I also started to hear, through various media, the words 'Brazilian' and 'Hollywood', which were fast becoming buzzwords.

I felt it was a great opportunity to revolutionise the much-dreaded monthly salon waxing visit and make it into a fun, exciting and pain-free experience," she adds.

Danielle planned to open the shop with a friend, who, when she was offered a new role and salary increase, decided to stay, so Danielle decided to continue with her plans and open it with her sister, Maria-Louise.

"The general consensus for salon owners, therapists and clients is that waxing is boring, painful and not enjoyed by the person doing the treatment or receiving it. We wanted to show this was not the case," points out Maria-Louise.

Strip started trading in Notting Hill at the beginning of May 2005, offering clients a comprehensive range of waxing treatments with tailored pre- and post-wax products to suit their skin type.

The sisters also introduced lingerie and skincare products to complement the waxing. It soon became apparent Strip needed to open a second branch since clients were constantly turned away as the business was working to capacity.

"We loved the idea of taking on a big project that enabled us to have more treatment rooms and more retail space, along with head- and franchise offices," says Danielle. "Chelsea is the perfect location for a flagship boutique, and, with growing interest in Strip from the press, industry, clients and potential franchisees, our flagship store could not have happened soon enough. We also needed to find office space for our wax distribution company, so it made sense to put everything under one roof. It took just under a year from finding the site to opening it as we had to undertake a lot of structural work to a very old London townhouse."

The concept was put together by Danielle and Maria-Louise - who had a very clear vision from the word go. "As we have a core focus on waxing and do not attempt to do any other treatment, it makes our concept easier to perfect. As a result, a more simplified business method has allowed for strong growth and proved to be a huge success - not only financially, but also through the media drawing attention it," comments Danielle. T

hey had a PR from the start, who enticed editors from top magazines such as Marie-Claire, Tatler, Harpers Bazaar, Grazia, Elle, and the Sunday Times Style magazine to try their waxing. They also hit it big with some of the worlds most talked-about celebrities, with clients such as Victoria Beckham, Sienna Miller and Minnie Driver popping in to wax and shop. "We become firmly established as a unique concept within the first year of trading as evidenced by our press portfolio," says Danielle.

"Having now perfected the infrastructure within our business, we are working on rolling the brand and concept out. We have two waxing and lingerie boutiques, with another in the pipeline this year, and are in the process of recruiting franchisees." Both Strip salons have the same company policies and practices, and offer the same service.

However, aesthetically, they are slightly different. The four-room Notting Hill salon is suited to the quirkiness of that area, with a shabby-chic style, while the added space of the Chelsea location (set over three floors, it has six treatment rooms, large retail area and offices) meant they could increase their focus on the retail area, and add the same boudoir twist as Notting Hill in the treatment rooms, with ornate mirrors, vintage chandeliers, and flock wallpaper, encapsulating the ultimate luxury lifestyle.

Their love of working with Lycon waxing products, with its array of scents and colours, decided the theme of each treatment room (Chocolate, Berry, Lavender, Champagne and Magnifico -- the mono-chrome men's room) -- using the most sumptuous and luxurious designs.

So what's hot in waxing? According to The Beauty Industry Survey, the demand for services was up 7% overall last year, with some specialist beauty-only services up by as much as 82%. "The most popular specialist beauty services requested by 85% of clients are bikini-line, half- and full-leg, and under-arm waxing," says Danielle. "This shows there is a significant opportunity to capitalise on a trend towards a wax-only service as demand grows nationally, so ensure your salon is offering waxing - and to the highest level. "Our commitment to specialise in wax-only treatments is helping us ride out any retail credit crunch - and we see this trend increasing as people are becoming more educated on waxing. The demographics of the client base are different, but we find our concept allows the treatment experience to do the talking here - to the point a Strip boutique would be ideally suited to many different areas," she adds.

Like most beauty businesses, Strip sees demand for waxing peek mainly during the summer months - however, they never see a real lull. "Generally, most people want to avoid unsightly hair throughout the year, so visit regularly every four to six weeks. "Sixty to 70% of our waxing treatments are considered intimate waxing treatments: 15% of that is men's waxing, and 85% is women's -- but male treatments have increased significantly in the last year." Continues Danielle: "If we consider intimate waxing, the largest percentage of our waxing for women is the 'Brazilian', while men most often opt for the 'Hollywood'.

Although it has been a large portion of our business for the past five years, we have seen a 20% increase yearly since Strip opened, and it has become a necessity, rather than a one-off treatment, with both men and woman now considering these treatments part of a monthly routine. We feel this is now an established trend that salons need to take seriously. "If salons and spas introduce this procedure correctly, using a good-quality wax coupled with well-trained staff, it will ensure a very profitable revenue stream that, in turn, increases other areas of profitability in their business."