Talking to… STEPH Stevenson

In the saturated beauty market, it’s rare when someone comes along with a business idea that challenges the status quo. However, entrepreneur Steph Stevenson has set her sights on becoming one of these industry disruptors, with ambitious plans to roll out express beauty and hair salon concept Marie Claire Jet Style across 19 UK train stations and 180 airports internationally over the next five years.

The salons, launched in collaboration with online hair and beauty magazine Marie Claire, will offer travellers either standalone or combined manicure, pedicure and blow-dry treatments in 45-minute slots via a multi-therapist approach, “taking the three hours women would usually spend in salon having these services and working that right down”, says Stevenson.

Although Marie Claire has licensed its name to Stevenson’s company to help the brand attract the title’s readership, Jet Style is a standalone business which is funding the entire project. “Marie Claire is a very experienced hair and beauty brand so I knew I wanted to collaborate with them for increased exposure and they loved the Jet Style concept. However, the company now wants to partner with us which is really exciting. It’s a conversation that will be had this year,” says Stevenson.

The first Marie Claire Jet Style salon will open at London’s King’s Cross St Pancras train station on February 14, 2020, while three more are slated to open at Heathrow Airport in terminals two, three and five in the first quarter of the year too. All coffee on-site will be provided by mega chain Starbucks.

“There are 250 million customers who use the railway network every year, so it’s strange that there isn’t anywhere in these retail hubs for women who are walking past to utilise their time while waiting for the train,” says Stevenson.

“Plus, just under half (49%) of travellers who go through Heathrow Airport are women and they have 178 minutes of nothing to do except browse duty free, which quite frankly, if you travel a lot, you’re over.”

Express delivery

King’s Cross St Pancras was chosen as the launchpad for the first site because of its incredible footfall – 57 million travellers pass through the train station each year. However, even though moving into this type of retail environment has its benefits, such as being able to open earlier and shut later (7:30am–10pm), it hasn’t come without its challenges.

“You’re restricted security-wise on the contractors you can use for the build as you can only work with the railway network’s appointed ones,” explains Stevenson. The original plan was to open in December but because it’s the station’s busiest time of year “no contractors are allowed to work there during that month”, she adds.

Clockwise from top: Steph Stevenson; inside Marie Claire Jet Style at King’s Cross St Pancras; the retail area at Marie Claire Jet Style

The build is scheduled to start on January 6 and strict interior design requirements have to be met also. “St Pancras is a listed building so you’re not allowed to change the floor or touch the brickwork. Any refurbishment must be done with complete care for its heritage, which is lovely, but it does mean you have to tailor your design plans to fit to that environment,” says Stevenson. All the salons will feature white and pale blush pink furniture.

“Just under half oftravellers who gothrough HeathrowAirport are women andthey have 178 minutesof nothing to do”

The business will also have an app so customers can pre-book appointments but the biggest chunk of revenue will come from walk-ins. “At the moment, a woman won’t be thinking about going to an airport or train station to have her nails or hair done, so the biggest challenge for us will be changing people’s mindsets,” explains Stevenson.

“However, the guy at Starbucks told me that once upon a time people didn’t walk down the street drinking coffee either. We’re going to make women aware that we’re in these convenient locations, offering speedy and affordable treatments (prices will start from around £40), to make their lives as easy as possible.”

Commuter focused

A global rollout of Marie Claire Jet Style is currently planned across a contracted 19 UK railway stations and 180 airport hubs over the next three to five years. London Waterloo will be the next train station-based site, opening in 2020, as it has an incredible 113 million footfall, and the company is also in talks to launch at London Bridge, New Street and Victoria stations.

“Our business plan is based on expansion across the next five years but some of these negotiations with the train stations and airports can take up to a year, so it’s an ongoing roll out,” says Stevenson. “We want to make sure that we completely deliver on the brand message and experience, so we don’t want to rush it.”

The company has also had enquiries from big hotel groups about launching the concept in their locations, and some of the business’s current partnerships have even asked about adding more beauty services to the menu.

“I’m looking at more of what I call ‘working’ treatments, such as peels or LED facials that can deliver results in 10 minutes as opposed to an hour,” she says. “I also want clients to have the option to multi-layer services, so lashes, brows and make-up are also a future possibility.”

Beauty talk

Stevenson was also appointed a board member of the National Hair & Beauty Federation in 2019 (NHBF), working to shape the industry against future struggles. “I joined because I wanted to be part of the voice of the industry going to Government to create change for the better,” she says.

“Regulation is a massive issue at the moment because around 35% of beauty businesses are not running to the standards and code of conduct the NHBF would expect to see. There are also no consequences for these businesses for not doing it properly, which is why we’re working to potentially create a specific Government register.”

The entrepreneur also has an award-winning destination salon HNB in Poole, Dorset, which she has owned for 17 years, offering beauty, hair and aesthetic treatments under one roof. In January, the salon will be opening a cosmetic dentistry clinic on-site “as I’m always looking for the next big trend”, says Stevenson.