If you run your own successful hair or beauty business, you probably know all about how to boost your income with retail products in your salon. But, there is another way you can help generate some extra revenue – selling your retail products online.
Having a good salon retail area is great for up-selling to clients after their appointment or maybe even catching the eye of passers by. But, if your salon is going through a quiet period, you might find that your products are simply gathering dust.
So, why not consider adding a new string to your bow with online sales revenue? Buying products online is not only convenient for your clients, but could also open up a whole new world of potential clients and sales.
In this blog, we’ve put together some tips on how to retail your salon products online, plus recommend some of the best retail products to stock up on.
Click here to skip to our guide to selling retail products online
Our Best Online Salon Retail Products
Take a look at some of the best products we recommend for selling online and ideas for how to market them…
Self Care Packages
When it comes to selling your products online, you will be up against big competition from huge retailers. So, set yourself apart, get the attention of your clients and increase your revenue by putting ‘packs’ of products.
One trend that has been growing in the past few years is the need for self care and wellness products. Here, it’s not only about products that get results, but provide an experience, too.
If you want to put together some self care packs to sell to your clients online, VOESH is a great place to start. Their face masks, collagen gloves and iconic ‘Pedi in a Box’ offer an easy at home treat for clients to enjoy – all at low prices to help maintain your profit margin.
Related: Give the Perfect Pedicure With Voesh
Skin Republic and Beauty Pro also offer salon-standard face masks that are perfect for retailing. Create packs for each skin type – dry, oily or mature, for example – to offer clients a pick-me-up when they haven’t got time for a full facial.
Self Tanning Online Retail Ideas
Retailing self-tanning products offers a great online opportunity for spray tan salons. When clients don’t get the chance to top up their spray tan, give them the chance to order at at-home alternatives straight to their door.
Tanya Whitebits has a great selection of retail products that you can package up to sell online, including their barrier cream, tan enhancing moisturiser and velour tanning glove, along with tanning mousse in various shades.
Related: Ask the Expert with Tanya Whitebits
Skinny Tan also has a great retail range to complement their professional products, including their exfoliation mitt, Tan Primer and After Glow Gloss among other treats. Check out the Sienna X tanning range too for some more ideas, including the Sienna X Polishing Body Scrub and Gradual Self Tan Water.
Hair Care Online Retail Ideas
For hair salons, retailing kits that maintain hair health at home are a great idea for online sales. The Revlon UniqOne range includes a great range of versatile and retailable products that are perfect for at-home use, including their Superior Hair Mask and All In One Hair Treatment.
Why not create a hair care package with the iconic L’Oreal Mythic Oil, too? Loved by many for the soft finish it gives hair, L’Oreal Professional also has a number of retail-sized shampoos and conditioners you could make use of.
Our Lotus Eco-Friendly Detangling Brushes are one of our best hair retail opportunities. Available in a retail stand in a pack of 12, you can make sales both online and back at your reception desk.
OLAPLEX Top-Ups
Finally for Olaplex salons, don’t forget you can also retail OLAPLEX No.6 and OLAPLEX No.7 to clients at home, too.
Make sure client’s colour and condition lasts long after they have left the salon. OLAPLEX No.6 is a leave-in cream that is applied to damp hair after shampoo and conditioner, smoothing and eliminating frizz while continuing to help rebuild bonds. OLAPLEX No.7 meanwhile, is a luscious oil which helps add shine and softness to the hair, while protecting against heat styling up to 450-degrees – again, all while continuing to strengthen and repair hair bonds.
Online Retail Ideas for Nails
For nail clients, there’s no need for them to let their manicures suffer if they can’t get to the salon. Peacci Nail Polish offers a great alternative for salons who use The GelBottle for in-salon gel polish manicures. Offering all the same shades as its sister gel polish, Peacci is a vegan and cruelty-free polish that can be used to perk up bare nails.
Related: 5 Minutes with Peacci Nails
Nails Inc offers another great online retail alternative. Their Gel Effect polish is perfect for those who love the look of gel nails, but can’t get into the salon for their next set. Why not group together packs of colours, and create some online tutorials for clients to copy at home?
If you are worried about how clients will go about removing their gel nails at home, we have a great online retail solution for that, too. Our Lotus DIY Gel Removal Kit has everything clients need to remove their nails safely.
How to Retail Salon Products Online
Choosing products to sell online
The first hurdle to successfully selling salon retail products online is choosing the right ones. There are a few things to take into consideration, such as:
- The profit margin you can make on them
- The type of client base you have
- The needs of your clients you want to address
- How you will market your products
The truth is, there is a lot of competition out there, with huge online retailers selling at low prices and high volumes. You will likely be relying on the relationship you have with your clients to make sales. Use the knowledge you have of their needs, problems and what they like to tailor your offering to them.
A great option is to put together ‘packs’ of products that you know clients like to use in the salon. This allows you to generate a little more revenue and set yourself apart from those big retailers.
Be sure you choose products that you know your existing clients would love – for example, if you are a nail salon, stick to products that will help your clients maintain their manicure at home.
Advertising your products online
Again, you aren’t going to have a huge advertising budget like major online retailers.
BUT, what you do have is a database of clients you have a genuine relationship with and are much more likely to be engaged.
Posting about your products on social media is a fantastic start, especially if you already have a strong number of followers. You can use free tools such as canva and picmonkey to easily create graphics for your social media posts, plus you can instantly answer any questions clients might have about the products.
Be sure to post plenty of pictures or even videos of the products to sell them as best you can. Create tutorials, information guides or anything else you can think of to inspire potential customers as much as you can.
If your clients are also on your mailing list and have agreed to receive communication from you, sending an email out with your products is another option. However, be careful to not annoy your loyal clients with too many sales pitches – this could do more harm than good.
List your items on eBay or set up your own store
The practicalities of selling items online can be daunting. You could set up your own website with a service such as Wix, but this will come with a monthly cost and will need some time to set it up.
Alternatively, you could set up an eBay shop, which conveniently lets you list a set amount of products for free per month. However, you will be charged a cut of every sale, plus a PayPal transaction fee.
Setting up a Facebook Shop is another option. This is best if you already have a Facebook business page with a good following, as you can sell your products directly through your page. You can see Facebook’s guide to setting up a shop here. Again, Facebook will charge a transaction fee for every product you sell.
If you don’t feel ready to set up a shop or store, you can try taking orders over DM’s or emails to test the water. To ensure your payments are secure, it is recommended that you use a service like PayPal rather than give any bank details out online.
Keep track of your expenses and revenue
Just like you would with your in-salon retail products, make sure you keep a tight eye on any costs to ensure you are making profit. Online, you will have to factor in your postage and packaging and any fees you have to pay.
Make sure you keep a record of anything that might be subject to government income tax, too.
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