We read an article today outlining Tesco’s plan’s to move into the Hair & Beauty Market – a move that has started already with 8 of it’s stores in the UK opening in-store Regis Salons, the nearest to us being Horwich, Bolton.
Here in Altrincham we’ve already seen Tesco’s monopolize the high street. As we saw earlier this year when Tesco’s closed down for a short period – our high street was vibrant and full of life with people fully experiencing both a mixture of independent stores and national chains which complement them
How can the small independent barber or hairdresser fight back? You wont’t be able to compete with sheer marketing power if a Tesco’s Hairdressers launched in Altrincham or Sale
Customer Service
As we know from the food or non food sections of Tesco’s currently – they simply can’t compete with SME’s on customer service and giving individual attention to customers
Have a look at our previous blog – 5 Simple Things That Local Businesses Do Wrong – for some of those bugbears that maybe you could be changing
Remember though your local barber knows you, knows what you do and what you like and don’t like. This is the one big advantage you have over the big chains. A big friendly smile when you go to get a haircut
Will Tesco’s really be anything more than a quick 5 minute impersonal touch while they try to upsell you other products
Imagine trying to hide that you’re going away on holiday in case they try and sell travel insurance, tanning lotion and clothes!!!
Social Media
We haven’t seen many Hairdressers or Beauty Salons use Social Media effectively yet – why not?
It’s the perfect medium to stay in touch with existing clients as well as to reach out to new clients
Imagine being able to continue that conversation with a client after they’ve left the premises so they feel wanted
Social Media is what most local businesses do very well – only it’s translated online to multiple people rather than just one
If you own a beauty salon to get in touch as alongside restaurants in one of the perfect businesses to utilise social media
Don’t Compete On Price
Groupon and Living Social Culture has seen a glut of companies giving 50% discounts as standard.
Somebody can always undercut you and if that’s your sole selling point then you’re unlikely to be able to undercut a national supermarket chain
If you’re delivering a premium product sell it as such as people are prepared to pay and at the same time feel its good value for money
Let us know your thoughts…
What do you feel about Tesco’s move into a new market?
Do you prefer to shop local or do everything in one roof?
Is your local hairdresser or beauty salon on twitter or facebook?
“With over 12 years experience of Social Media and 17 years experience of online marketing in other companies, clients come to myself when they want a veteran rather than a rookie” Alex McCann
Tesco has a huge and loyal customer base who stay with them through thick and thin, for their prices and range of goods. Nothing else. Customer service is poor, the environment is clean but uninspiring compared to the architecture of a market town (it’s dry in there and bright I’ll give them that), and we’ve seen how they destroy local shops one by one. I don’t promise that I never enter Tesco but but recently my son needed glasses and I decided to go to an independent opticians, we still got free glasses with our voucher (for a 6 year old you get a voucher to spend) but received a fabulous personal service for a very nervous new young customer who didn’t really want to wear specs at all. Very pleased we didn’t go to Tesco. The barbers is a sociable occasion too and will never be the same in a supermarket. Good luck to those who are enticed to spend their whole day in one large shop, for a haircut, glasses, medical services, a mobile phone and food, I’d rather shop around and enjoy my town for years to come thanks.
I just CANNOT ever imagine telling anyone that I have my hair cut at Tesco…
Have you actually read the article? They are having a subsidiary of Regis Salons in their stores. This is NOT a Tesco haircut, it is simply a very respected chain of hair dressers who will be renting out space within the store.
It is clearly Regis who has chosen to place their salon within a Tesco store rather than on the high street. has anyone had a go at them?
Tesco is only fulfilling customer demand. If the majority didn’t want this, it wouldn’t happen. And if the High street offered the same price and quality, people would still go there.
Thanks for the feedback Alexandra of Galaxy Optical (one of tesco’s optical suppliers)
Altrincham HQ are strong supporters of small businesses in the Altrincham area and businesses that add to the highstreet – Wilkinsons for example will bring people into the town centre and to a certain extend so has Iceland on the other end of George Street
Whether it is Regis within the store or Tesco itself -it doesn’t make a difference – it’s drawing people off the high street to live the Tesco’s lifestyle
As an Altrincham resident (and not part of the Tesco’s Empire) do you not agree that for the short period that the local tesco’s was closed down – Altrincham was a more vibrant and busy town centre