ARE mobile beauty BUSINESSES killing high-street salons?

Convenience has become the most important factor for clients when choosing a product or service, and this is true in all sectors, with supermarkets and online retailers like Amazon now delivering goods on the same day, and sometimes within two hours of ordering.

This fast-paced way of living has changed people’s shopping habits, with high-street stores now struggling to get the footfall they once had. The beauty industry is feeling the strain too, leading me to wonder, will mobile beauty be the end of the high-street salon?

From a client point of view, I understand the appeal of a mobile therapist. Having a treatment at home while your toddler in napping is perfect for the time-poor who want a pamper but lack the hours in the day.

Mobile beauty also beats high-street salons on affordability as they have reduced costs, so can charge less for services. A high-street salon can’t compete with those lprices and, frankly, they shouldn’t try. It’s a losing game.

Different worlds

Plus, because more beauty pros are choosing to work for themselves, many salon owners are also struggling with recruitment. However, these mobile and home-based therapists don’t really have an understanding of the commercial nature and costs involved in running a high-street salon – like rent, business rates and premises insurance.

As a result, if they do interview for a more traditional role at a salon, it can be tricky. They often request overinflated salaries, based on their business’s “earnings”, and often forget the non-productive hours in the salon they will be paid for, as well as holidays, national insurance and other benefits, like a pension.

To compete with mobile therapists, salon owners need to work harder on the client journey and the wow factor

I’m not saying mobile beauty businesses are a bad thing. I strongly believe that there are a lot of passionate, good mobile therapists out there. However, because some of these people have never worked in a salon with more experienced therapists, they can sometimes face the danger of not continually improving.

The salon and spa environment teaches you to think on your feet, work as part of team and adjust to last-minute changes. You pick up tips and tricks of the trade from more senior staff, which means there’s no risk of becoming complacent.

To compete with mobile therapists, salon owners need to work harder on the client journey and the wow factor

The good news is traditional salons and spas will still have the upper hand when it comes to more specialised treatments that require a large investment – these bulky machines tend not to fit well with mobile businesses. I’m already seeing this in my salon, where 70% of bookings are for result-driven facials.

To compete with mobile therapists, salon owners need to work harder on the client journey and the wow factor. It’s important to sell not just a service but an experience. Figure out what your USP is and remember, the devil is in the detail. It’s about being a fine dining experience in a world of takeaways.

Justyna Rostek is director of Guinot salon in Earlsfield. She will be hosting a session on “How to boost retail sales and increase salon profits”at Professional Beauty North on October 14. Book your ticket: professionalbeauty.co.uk/livestages