HBA Expo In Brief
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Alchimie Forever on spa and salon market: Selling skin-care products through salons and spas has the potential to reach more consumers than through specialty retail channels, according to Ada Polla, president and CEO of skin-care line Alchimie Forever. The approximately 18,000 day spas and 1,500 medical spas in North America also feature less competition than specialty retailers, each carrying five to seven lines, rather than hundreds. "When you sell your skin-care line through spa or salon, the estheticians and the therapists become your brand ambassadors. They're selling and recommending the products" used during treatments, Polla said at the HBA Global Expo in New York in a session entitled "Marketing Through Salons, Day Spas and Medical Spas." At retail, public relations and "the fact that Beyonce loves the product" are essential to generating sales, the exec said. She noted one of the downsides to selling products through the salon and spa channel - the fragmented nature of the industry. "It takes a lot of time and a lot of patience" to sell to each location, whereas in specialty retail, "I could have a meeting with one person and have products in 157 stores." Alchimie Forever's 18-SKU line is sold at salons, spas and specialty retailers in North America and Europe and at Alchimie-Forever.com