Salon and professional beauty appliances and shears grew 7.1% as a category in 2012, according to the new 2012 Professional Salon & Pro Beauty Industry Appliances & Shears Study from Professional Consultants & Resources, which provides market intelligence and data research for the U.S. salon and professional-beauty industry. Note that the 7.1% growth is 18% greater than the overall salon industry’s growth rate of 6% for the same time frame.
“Salon appliances continued to be a leading growth category for the professional beauty industry for the sixth straight year,” says Cyrus Bulsara, president of Professional Consultants & Resources (pictured). “As a result, many professional salon companies have entered the hard-goods category, which they have identified as a highly lucrative market segment. A major struggle for industry domination and leadership continued. Erosion occurred with major brands, as new entrants increased their market shares, and captive store brands gained in importance. Conair led the market for the second straight year.”
The firm’s 80-plus page study, which reports on the sales of hair dryers, curling/flat/styling irons, trimmers, clippers, shavers and includes a full section on shears, was generated with expertise from veteran salon-industry executives, including those in the salon-appliances marketplace. The study covers major trends and influences on the market, as well as a five-year history and growth projections with upcoming market needs of stylists/consumers. It audits leading salon-industry store stocking by brand, manufacturer and price.
The study identifies key findings and growth drivers influencing all appliance sales in 2012:
- Premium and private-label brands were affected by major concentration, realignments and direct sales.
- Sales of salon-only appliances grew 7.2%. Appliances in the professional-beauty gray market posted similar growth of 6.8%.
- Important growth factors affecting the appliance market were the continuing strength of at-home hair maintenance, the popularity of straightening and conditioning, new technology, plus the new trend to curly looks.
- New product features resulting in higher prices and trendy new appliance decoration offset lower base model pricing.
- Traditional channel curling and flat iron sales grew at 9.5%; blow-dryers grew 4.7% and clippers/trimmers at 6.9%.
- High growth in booth-rental salons/salon suites propelled sales at Sally Beauty, Beauty Systems Group, SalonCentric and other distributor stores.
- Continuing gray-market diversion accounted for 26.7% of all appliances sales, with “exclusive” salon lines now available at major drug chains, Sephora, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and other retailers.
- For the second year, Helen of Troy’s appliance business was negatively impacted by a mature product mix, economic conditions and trends to captive store labels. Conair has been the professional-market leader for two years.
- Farouk, which ranks sixth with its CHI brand, has established a “home” in BSG distribution. The study identifies significant changes at Bio Ionic, Paul Mitchell, Cricket, GHD, FHI Heat, HAI Elite and T-3.
- The study reviews Andis, Wahl, Oster and Forfex, the market leaders in the clipper/trimmer category, in depth.
- The 2012 study features an in-depth category report on shears.
The study names the following as the Top 10 professional salon-appliance companies.
1. Conair (all brands, including BaBylissPRO, Volare, ConairPRO, Jilbere, Rusk, One n’ Only, Nano Tools, Forfex)
2. Helen of Troy (all brands, including Belson, Gold 'N Hot, Hot Tools, Revlon, Vidal Sassoon, Brazilian Heat)
3. Andis
4. Wahl (Sterling)
5. Oster (ESS – Jarden)
6. Farouk Systems (CHI)
7. Bio Ionic
8. John Paul Mitchell Systems
9. Sally Beauty brands
10. Cricket
[Image courtesy of Cyrus Bulsara]
