What Every Salon Owner Needs to Bulk Buy
As a salon owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your salon is well stocked and prepared to provide the very best options for your clients. The change of season is a great time to think about restocking your colours and other products to align with your new treatment menus, and we can help you to prepare for this. Of course, ensuring that you have all of the consumables you need will prevent you from having to panic buy and will help you to make the biggest savings.
Buying in bulk enables you to stock up in advance so that you never run out of the essentials, and it means you can make significant savings, too. Let’s take a look at the reasons why bulk buying is worth your while, and find out which products you should be ordering in bulk.
Why Bulk Buy?
Bulk buying is the best way to make the most of your salon budget, and is much more efficient than ordering precise quantities for specific client groups. Can you imagine telling a client that you can’t provide the service they want because you do not have the right shade in stock? This simple exercise demonstrates the importance of having a reliable and comprehensive supply system.
Bulk buying offers the biggest return on investment (ROI), and this is because the price per item is lowered without compromising on quality. Using items such as ProCare dispensers and refill bottles in your salon can increase your efficiency, and when you find a range you love, you’ll find that these product types can help to streamline your practice and ensure that you never run out of the essentials. For instance, colour is the highest frequency reorder for hair salons, and many of these products, including peroxide and tint, can be bought by the litre to save money and time.
Bulk Buy Essentials
So what are the essentials for bulk buying? Our recommendations include:
• Consumables. Items such as foils, cotton wool, disposable gloves and towels can be bought in bulk and are easy and convenient to store, just like other items your salon should never run out of. Mixing bowls and brushes should always be in good supply, and even tint bottles belong in this category. It can help to consider each service your salon offers and ensure you are getting the best prices for consumables for all of these. For instance, disposable briefs are a must if you offer tanning and waxing, and disposable capes are the preferred choice of many stylists offering colour treatments. Most salons will get through large quantities of consumable items like this, and perfecting your ordering system means you can always rely on having a good stock available when you need it.
• In-salon hair products. When you and your team are caring for clients, you want to provide the best service without wasting your precious budget. Making the most of the products you use in your salon can make all the difference, providing a luxury experience cost-effectively. Bulk ordering shampoos, conditioners and treatments in salon-size bottles, usually at least one litre, rather than smaller retail bottles, can save you a significant amount of money, and you can compare the cost per wash to confirm this. Tahe PH Neutral Shampoo is a good salon basic, for example, and you can buy five litre containers so that you can more efficiently refill your product bottles.
• Colour products. Colour products used in the salon are also more cost effective bought in bulk, and you’ll find top brand ranges are more accessible this way. For instance, L’Oréal Professionnel Blond Studio 9 Oil Developer is a good example of a regularly used product that can be bought in larger quantities. The Wella Colour Fresh range offers a variety of deep, stunning colours that are popular with stylists and clients alike, and bulk buying these enables you to save money while continuing to offer the salon experience and results your clients expect from you.
• Nail products. Nail technicians will be aware that the nails category is particularly important when you are considering buying in bulk. You’ll need to consider your OPI and Gelish base coats, top coats and polish removers, as well as the sundries such as wipes, files and buffers, and you’ll find trade packs available to maximise your investment here. Generally, nail bars and salons tend to use more top coat and remover than any other products, and just buying these in bulk will represent savings. Strictly Professional Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover is just one of many products that can be bought in 4-litre quantities, giving you the peace of mind you and your clients need.
• Waxing consumables. Waxing includes several consumable products, and ordering these in bulk can lead to significant cost savings in your budget. For instance, wax itself can be bought in bulk, along with wax strips, spatulas and the products you use before and after waxing. We often recommend Rica Wax, which contains pure coconut oil and titanium dioxide that nourish the skin while giving a smooth, soft finish, and is available in many different formats and scents. It’s well worth doing your research before you place an order, as ending up with large quantities of a product you don’t like using will not be cost-effective, but buying a reliable, popular product in bulk will usually prove to be the most efficient way to work.
• PPE and hygiene products. Protecting yourself and your clothing is a vital consideration in a salon, and the PPE you use at work can all be bought in bulk to save you money. Items such as gloves, disposable capes/gowns and couch roll are essentials in every salon, and sanitiser can also be bought in bulk.
Of course, when you are carrying out a re-stock or setting up for the new season in your salon, it’s worth taking the time to check your salon tools and other essentials, including brushes and equipment. Getting your ordering right can give you a head start when you are welcoming clients into your salon, enabling you to provide reliable, top-quality services every time.
When to Buy in Bulk
It’s important to make sure that you make wise decisions with your budget when you’re running a business, and buying in bulk should always be approached strategically to ensure you don’t get left with piles of supplies you do not need. Working out the frequency of use of items such as colours and sundries will help you to invest wisely, and you should know the cost per use of each item so that you can be specific about the savings you are making.
It can help to approach bulk ordering on a seasonal basis, and consider the changing demands of your clients throughout the year. For instance, the seasonal trends in hair colours will influence your bulk ordering a great deal, and you’ll notice that the cooler months see you ordering warmer colours and perhaps less of the icy tones and peroxide that have featured heavily in the spring and summer.
Waxing tends to be another treatment with seasonal implications, and it is not surprising that we see an increase in bulk orders in the spring and summer. Taking special occasions and seasonal trends into account can help you to prepare for every client preference. When you also order your PPE and consumables in bulk, you’ll be able to provide a flexible service for everyone who walks through your salon door.
Hennessy Hair & Beauty in Ireland
At Hennessy Hair & Beauty, we know that quality matters, and we are committed to providing the best quality products at the best prices. Buying in bulk is the key to significant savings in your salon, and your stylists and clients will experience the difference straight away. Whether you are looking for solutions for hair colouring and styling, beauty treatments, tanning, waxing or nails, we have an excellent selection to choose from, and our experienced team will be happy to help.
With more than 40 years of supplying top-quality hair and beauty products, we know what works and what doesn’t, and we have received several industry awards in recognition of our work. We are a second-generation, family-run business based in Ireland, and every client matters to us. Contact us to find out more.