OTC Beauty Magazine

AGAINST THE GRAIN
by Dwayne Thompson

2010 Barber Industry Trends

1. The Barber Renaissance has begun! There has been an influx of
student enrollment in barber and beauty schools causing a flood of
new professionals to enter the job market for hair care positions.
2. Creation of the Barber Consultant position: Due to the lack of
retail skills and the failure of the barber to refer products to their
clients, there has been a new position growing in the market called
Barber Consultants or “Shop Lizards.”
3. The High Top Fade is back! Back by popular demand, the high
top fade is making a strong comeback, look for slanted high tops
and dye tip edges.
4. Education is cool again: Many education organizations are
making a greater effort to give access to extended reinforcement
training to licensed barbers and stylist. Sanitation and infection
control in the barbershop will be the focus!
5. Customization and personalization: Barbers and stylist seek
to stand out from the crowd by customizing their tools, capes,
smocks and chairs. Clothing, jewelry and innovative gadgets
designed for the barber and beauty industry will be all the rage.
Visit www.clipperkeeper.net for more information.
6. Hair goes GREEN: New ways to recycle hair will provide
additional revenue at some point in the future. Companies have
found a great way to recycle hair to create mats, clothing and even
furniture fabrics. Barbershops will seek to participate.
7. Half formal: Moving from business casual to half formal fashion
has created the eclectic look of shirt, tie, vest and jeans as the new
norm.
8. Debit is king: More barbershops are moving to debit machines
and alternative forms of payment to make the visit to the shop
more convenient. An influx of gift cards and a new focus on retail
has caused owners to rethink an all cash based business model.
9. The Awakening: Hello, there is an untapped market through
the barbershop. Mainstream product companies have found
success through campaigns like FordUrban.com, Crown Royal,
Xbox, Gillette and Organic Root Stimulator. Watch the growth of
new books, magazines and video to emerge from the barbering
industry. At Against the Grain Magazine, we call it “The Sleeping
Giant.”
10. Move over booth rental: With the upcoming barbershop
owners meeting, there will be a new focus on a commission based
barbershop model to prevent the increased level of attrition in
barbershops. Commission offers options for new growth in profits
and investment opportunities. Make your barber a partner!

CLIPPER TIPS
by Ivan Zoot

Spring Forward
Winter has peaked and spring fever is about to set in. Following are my top three tips for beauty retailers that are looking to spring forth with their best foot forward. 1. Spring cleaning – Dust off the winter doldrums with fresh paint, new carpet and upgraded fixtures where possible. Small investments like a fresh coat of paint can have a big impact on the mood and feel of a retailing environment.

2. Fresh inventory – Many vendors are just now shipping the NEW items shown in recent months. Be sure to build displays and present NEW items with exciting merchandising and positioning in your store. Everyone feels optimistic in the springtime. Make the most of the spring fever in your customers, convert those feelings into sales.

3. Education – Now is the time to invest in the training of your staff. New spring styles are showing up in magazines. Customers will be eager to re-create these looks. Be sure you and your staff are up-to-date on the products, tools and services that will deliver these new looks. Think spring! Good selling!

THERAPY TRENDS
by Elayne McClaine

The Route to Natural Texture

Your OTC consumers are seeking to be natural—for style and for healthier hair. Carefree curls, coils and waves can be natural for some consumers. For some consumers, the route to natural texture is paved with chemical and physical processing. Consumers are riding the wave back to natural textures. They don’t want to start fresh with a severe haircut. They dread permanently locking their hair. Resting the hair can result in concurrent relaxed and natural texture. Some biracial and Hispanic consumers may have multiple wave patterns. Whatever the starting point, the route to curvy texture requires products from multiple categories. Physically twisting, rodding or setting the hair can start straight hair on the route. For hair with a tight coil, chemical texturizers can loosen the curl pattern for a bolder, trendier ‘fro. A spiraling array of shampoos, conditioners and styling products deliver a balance of moisture and protein. Moisturizing helps to form, firm and memorize the curl pattern. Protein strengthens hair and minimizes frizziness. Most curl-seeking consumers will want to avoid silicone in favor of oils. From big bold waves to pixie spirals, some products can create build-up that defeats curl definition. Consumers want to transition into what is safe, natural and stylish. For OTC owners this means transitioning inventory toward products that cleanse, create, control and moisturize. En route to stocking your shelves, consider general market lines. The path to the texture is paved with twists, turns and waves of product choices.

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