Where do hairdressers buy their supplies? Online, Cash and Carry, or Direct From the Manufacturer?
Posted by John Evans on
For many of us, hairdressing is a passion as well as a means to earn a living. The nature of the industry leads many of us into running our own business - whether that means renting a station, working as a mobile hairdresser, or opening our own salons.
At some point this will lead us to look at what we are spending on our business as well as what we are charging our customers. For years many of us stick to the same supplier that we were shown when we were trained in college or during our apprenticeship - but this isn't necessarily the best choice.
Below are 3 reasons why you should consider buying your hairdressing supplies online, from a shop, or from a rep, so that you can decide which is best for your business:
Buy hairdressing supplies online:
3 reasons why you should:
1 - It's (usually) cheaper for your most popular products
It costs less to run a single warehouse than it does to run a chain of shops or a fleet of sales reps - and this is often reflected in the price to you. If you know what you want and you buy it regularly (such as hair colourants, developers and bleach), the price will often be cheaper online.
2 - You can order at a time convenient for you
Most cash and carry stores or reps will only be available during normal business hours - when it's better for you to focus on earning money rather than spending it! Placing an order online can be done whenever you've got a few minutes spare.
3 - It's usually much quicker
If you're in a hurry you can often get your order placed in just a few minutes online - with Wholesale Hair Colour you can even take a photo of your list and email it over, so it takes just a few seconds!
Buying Direct From the Manufacturer's Rep:
3 reasons why you should:
1 - You or your staff need training
Most manufacturers will include training if you buy a certain amount of products, and you'll struggle to get better training than from the people who made it. It is often possible to pay for training separately - so check you're not overspending on products to get training it would have been cheaper to pay for.
2 - You want to be the first to hear about the latest products
Your rep will most likely want to show off any new products when they visit, and they will probably have notes on products that you haven't been shown before, so you'll always stay up-to-date.
3 - Your salon is one of the best in the country
Hairdressing manufacturers need to show off the best results of their products. If you run a nationally recognised hairdressing business the big manufacturers will often bend over backwards to keep you happy and show off your work!
Buying from your Local Cash & Carry:
3 Reasons why you should:
1 - You need some stock today
If you need something quickly, you can't beat walking in to a shop and picking it up! Online Wholesalers and Reps will usually offer next-day delivery, but sometimes that's just not quick enough.
2 - You want to try before you buy
Sometimes you just need to smell or handle a product before you use it. If you're looking to kit out your salon with new furniture, for example, it can be a good idea to try it out in person first.
3 - You order very little and very often
If you're ordering online you will often have to spend a certain amount (often £50) to get free delivery. If you prefer to buy a small amount of products every day it may be worth nipping into a local cash & carry instead.
Wherever you buy hairdressing supplies, follow these 3 tips to get the best prices:
Shop around - it's not something you're going to want to do every time you need more stock, but it's good advice to compare prices at least once a year if you can. This is easy to do online.
Don't be afraid to negotiate - Many (not all) hairdressing suppliers can offer discounts. It costs nothing to ask! Saving just £1 per tube of colourant can save you hundreds or thousands of Pounds a year.
Know what you want as far in advance as possible - If you do 1 big order every few weeks instead of 1 small order every day you are often in a stronger position to negotiate with the supplier.
If you have any other tips please share them in the comments below, and if you're comparing prices please don't forget to include wholesalehaircolour.com :)