If you ask the team at Salon Rootz in Medina, OH, they'll tell you that they take their digital retail strategy seriously. By elevating their e-commerce game, they’ve boosted retail sales, website traffic, and client loyalty while proving that even a local salon can compete with online giants like Amazon.
About Salon Rootz
Salon Rootz is an unlikely David to Amazon’s Goliath. But with nearly 300 professional products available on their website—including Bio Ionic tools and salon gift certificates—they’re shipping to clients nationwide.
According to Director of Marketing and Operations Manager Jen LeBlanc, the majority of the salon’s e-commerce customers aren't even salon clients. “Buyers find us through Google searches,” she reveals. "Here in the Midwest, many of the products we offer are not readily available, so we discovered we can compete online.”
Salon Rootz' Formula for Success
The result of Salon Rootz’ efforts are impressive—an uptick in retail sales between five and seven percent. And that’s not the only benefit. The e-commerce function has allowed Salon Rootz to reduce the amount of inventory on the shelves. If a client wishes to purchase something that isn’t in stock, they're directed to purchase the item online.
Then, LeBlanc will order the item and ship it overnight for free. Marketing efforts such as a Constant Contact email campaign for “Summer Beach Bag Musts” drives traffic to the Salon Rootz website. And, one more thing: “The weight of the search engine optimization that each product carries would be worth the investment alone,” says LeBlanc, “even if we didn’t sell a single product.”
Partnering With SalonCentric
For the hair products offered on the site, LeBlanc worked out an agreement with the manufacturers to sell their products online. Salon Rootz also offers Bio Ionic tools, which LeBlanc purchases from SalonCentric and ships. “We have three SalonCentric stores within driving distance,” she explains. “I assessed the numbers, and because I do the work myself, it turned out to be worthwhile. We signed an agreement with our SalonCentric rep and with SalonCentric’s corporate team to allow us to do it. Now we sell more tools than anything else.”
Overcoming Shipping and Fulfillment Challenges
LeBlanc handles order fulfillment, and Salon Rootz offers free shipping. “Packaging and shipping sounds intimidating,” she admits, “but it’s not. I went to the post office and got hazardous material stickers, which I put on every package to be safe. I pack everything in bubble wrap and out it goes. I have a little shipping area in my office. Our average shipping cost is $2.80 and the lowest is $1.20. So I’m ok with offering free shipping to keep people buying with us.”
The benefit to clients is what keeps the Salon Rootz e-commerce business going strong. “They can order 24/7, including gift certificates,” LeBlanc explains. “They can send a gift certificate directly to a friend. They can get things that aren’t available in their areas. We have so many customers who have been burned on Amazon—they know ordering from there is a risk. Also, our customers really do want to support us.”
How To Get Started
LeBlanc is something of a whiz with technology, so she built the Salon Rootz website, including the e-commerce feature. But she believes even if the business had to pay someone to set up the e-commerce function, it would be worth the investment. “Any salon can grow into it,” she says. “Maybe you offer a smaller number of products like your top 25 sellers or other easy buys. But absolutely get your feet wet—get in the game as soon as possible.”
Header image credit: Courtesy of Salon Rootz
