If you’re looking to increase your salon’s profit margins, looking beyond cut and colour is key.

Speaking to Timely, Larissa Macleman, a salon owner of 20 years and founder of Salon Owners Collective, said salons should aim for 15-25% of their revenue to be from product sales. “There is another way to measure sales – and that is units,” she adds. “For every 10 customers who come into your business, you should be aiming to sell half of them one product unit. So, a staff member should sell 5 units for every 10 customers.”

When it comes to retail, there are of course the usual suspects—shampoos, conditioners, treatments, and stylers—but to stand out from the crowd, consider what’s trending, what’s needed, and what’s missing from the market in New Zealand.

Among the list of common client concerns are frizz, scalp sensitivity (particularly for coloured hair), and loss of fullness and volume. As for styles? Always waves. Effortless, beachy waves. Thankfully, the products making waves right now tick all the right boxes.

From bedtime beautifiers and innovative volumisers to upgraded cult favourites, ahead are the latest launches to add to your salon’s radar. 

Silk pillowcases

While nothing can rival that fresh-outta-the-salon blow wave, a silk pillowcase can certainly provide a helping hand on the quest for smoother and glossier locks. Victoria Beckham, Gisele Bündchen, Kim Kardashian are just a few of the A-list fans converted to a silk sleep. While they feel luxurious, silk pillowcases are also designed to target the biggest hair concerns plaguing us at night: frizzy hair and breakage. Consistent pulling and tugging, which of course coincides with tossing and turning, can cause manual damage, which leads to split ends and breakage – particularly for damaged or colour-treated hair. The reduced friction that comes with a silk pillowcase also means less frizz. Another bonus benefit? Goodbye to those face creases upon waking. A silk pillowcase may just be the secret solution to good hair days your clients have overlooked in their haircare regime.

Newly launched New Zealand brand Manuka Dreams is already receiving rave reviews. The premium silk pillowcases, available in ivory and blush pink, are crafted from the highest quality, Grade A, 22-Momme 100 percent pure mulberry silk. “Our pillowcases are the perfect weight and density of silk. They’re breathable, anti-bacterial, and hypoallergenic, so perfect for protecting your hair and skin,” says Rachel McLean, co-founder of Manuka Dreams.

Supplements

For clients struggling with hair loss or thinning hair, the addition of a supplement could help support growth. We know that certain conditions like nutritional or vitamin deficiencies are associated with thinning hair, like a vitamin D deficiency. Good overall health is important for hair growth, but there also a few nutrients that are essential for healthy hair. Experts recommend supplements that contain vitamin B7, vitamin C, and Zinc. Collagen is also a popular supplement for promoting healthy hair growth.

K18 Hair

Another celebrity endorsed favourite, K18 Hair was a viral hit when it launched last year. The hashtag #K18HairFlip has accumulated over 11 billion views – and for good reason, according to its fans. The Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask, which has been compared to Olaplex, is a leave-in treatment for all types that clinically reverses damage in four minutes. The patented peptide technology works to repair damage from bleach, colour, chemical services and heat, revealing stronger, softer, and smoother locks. So, what separates K18 from traditional bond-building products? Unlike traditional hair masks that coat the outside of your hair, K18 targets damage at the innermost layers. It also addresses clients’ most common gripe – treatments tend to be too admin-heavy for busy lives. Very few people have 10 to 20 minutes to spare for a treatment to take effect before rinsing. K18’s hair mask is similar to a leave-in conditioner in that after shampoo you forgo traditional conditioner, then use a pump of K18 on towel-dried hair, prior to styling. Crew Distributors is the local distributor for K18 Hair in New Zealand.

RevitaLash Volume Enhancing Foam

Products touting ‘volume enhancing’ benefits is nothing new. But, this Elle Future of Beauty Winner is a beauty breakthrough that actually delivers on its promise. The unisex hair enhancer addresses fine and thinning hair through a proprietary BioPeptin Complex®, which boosts the vitality of hair with an innovative formula designed to intensify natural volume. The clean and lightweight formula adds shine and body while improving elasticity, to help combat breakage and aid in conditioning of the scalp. Yes it’s significantly more expensive than your average professional hair products – but it’s a price many clients with thinning are willing to pay. RevitaLash Volume Enhancing Foam is distributed by Kiara Cosmetics.

Scalp care

If the slew of new hair launches are anything to go by, this is the summer of the scalp. From exfoliating hair scrubs to scalp-friendly haircare, current NPD is focused squarely on where your follicles are found. Itchy, inflamed, and flaky scalps are up there with the most common issues hairdressers observe in the chair. Yet very few salons retail offering caters to a sensitive scalp.

There’s been a surge in professional haircare targeted at the scalp. The Kevin Murphy SCALP.SPA SERUM offers targeted instant soothing and balancing relief to an itchy, dry or irritated scalp (distributed by Crew Distributors in New Zealand). 

People are increasingly tending to their tresses as they would their skin, adding steps commonly associated with skincare to their haircare regime, like double-cleansing and exfoliation. Briogeo’s Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Scalp Scrub Shampoo and Christophe Robin’s Cleansing Purifying Scrub are both bestsellers in the category – there are limited retailers of the latter in New Zealand presenting a great opportunity for salons.

Frizz taming wands

Almost everyone has experienced the frustration of flyaways or rogue hairs at some stage of their hair journey. While treatments can certainly help smooth them down, it’s an instant fix clients are seeking. Wispy strands are about to dial up a notch further in summer thanks to the humidity, so consider stocking a quick-fix hack to smooth unruly strands on-the-go like the below, Bondi Boost Flyaway Fix Finish Serum or Tidal Hair Slicking Wand.

Dyson Airwrap 2.0

There’s a reason the Dyson Airwrap is one of the most coveted hair tools in history — it’s just that impressive, that versatile, and that innovative. Now, it’s been reengineered to be even better. The highly anticipated Airwrap 2.0 features upgraded attachments, including a two-mode smoothing dryer, firm and soft brush attachments that allow for more airflow and curling barrels that spin both clockwise and counter-clockwise. For clients who already own the original Dyson, the new attachments are also compatible with the older model and will be sold separately so that they too can experience V2.0 in all its glory. 

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