Innovating beauty: Creative trendsetting in salons – from the experts

Key trends shaping the salon industry

Changing consumer behaviors and technological advancements are driving some shifts in the salon industry. Rochelle Peetoom, CEO of Rob Peetoom Salons, highlights the growing emphasis on customer experience. “We call this our customer journey,” she says, “which is one of the main topics that we are focusing on in our company.”  

It’s important to maintain connections with clients outside their appointments. “There are so many key moments in that journey for the client that you can focus on – not just when they come into the salon and until they leave, but also that part in between that they’re not at the salon,” Peetoom explains. To fill this need, salons can provide online booking and digitize offerings like loyalty and referral programs.

Jereme Bokitch, founder of Hedkandi Salon, notes the shift in appointment management, where clients are booking appointments further apart and occasionally canceling at the last minute. “We need to make sure that we're nurturing those guests in between every single one of the visits that they have with us,” he says.

Equipping employees to embrace new trends

To respond to industry shifts, salons should invest in staff development. John Carreiro, owner of Carreiro Salon, emphasizes the importance of upskilling: “We do a lot of training with our team … every time we bring in a new technique or a new product. We have a lot of protocols that we call customs, and it goes with a lot of training, whether it’s a haircut, a straightening technique, front desk, or guest services. We also have an incentive program for them to build on their skills so that they can move up in different levels in the styling.”

Rochelle Peetoom adds, “Training is key in everything. If you want things to work the way you want them to work, you have to continuously train and monitor, and I think as leaders also set examples, so be there and really show how it’s done.”  

Through diverse methods, with training materials in written and video formats, salons can cater to different learning styles and ensure their teams are prepared to meet evolving client demands.

“What I've seen in the recent years is that we are doing much more internal branding, not just external branding. So, our marketing team is focusing a lot on an internal Instagram account, and all that branding has become just as important as the customer branding.”
– Rochelle Peetoom, Global CEO, Rob Peetoom Salons

Maintaining brand identity amidst rapid change

Incorporating new trends while staying true to the brand can be a delicate balance. Rochelle Peetoom speaks to this challenge: “I read a book that said the legacy is more intimidating than the competition.” The business her father Rob Peetoom founded has grown from the flagship location in New York to 10 salons in the Netherlands and three hair spas in Bali, but the need to uphold values while innovating remains strong.

Not surprisingly, the brand did some research before adopting the booth rental trend. Says Rochelle Peetoom, “When an employee has been with us for quite a while and they are a master stylist, they can rent a chair with us, but you can’t apply for a job to rent a chair. So that’s holding onto the brand legacy and our business model, but at the same time embracing trends and going with the future.”

Jereme Bokitch shares a similar sentiment, focusing on what Hedkandi does best: “We’re known for training. We’re known for giving back. We’re known for community. Always giving back and staying true to that part of our brand is what's getting us to that next level.”  

For both leaders, aligning new trends with core values is crucial to maintaining brand integrity.

Technology’s role in staying ahead of the curve

Salons can make client experiences sparkle with technology. Jereme Bokitch expresses excitement about streamlining operations with Zenoti: “I'm hoping that we can use technology to take the tasks off our hands to allow us to get back to being with our guests. If technology can make it easy but still enable guests to get to a human easily, then that’s maybe going to be the best of both worlds.”

Rochelle Peetoom highlights the potential for technology to transform a salon business: “Implementing trends that ease up the operation allows us more time to focus on the customer's experience.” By automating routine tasks, salons can dedicate more energy to personalized service, meeting the unique needs of each client.

John Carreiro thinks it’s important to be selective. “For us, it was not just to run with everything, but to make it simple again,” he shares. “We don’t want to lose that touch, that connection with our guests, but we need to cater services to our guests so that they can choose how to interact with us.”

With eight in 10 salon and spa customers interested in mobile appointment booking, it’s clear that providing digital convenience is no longer optional.

“Let’s allow the guests to choose what their luxury is. If they want to check in, they can do it through an Uber app kind of thing … allowing them to be able to experience our spaces the way they want to, meeting them where they are. I think that we're going to have to really pivot to the way that our guests want to experience us.”
– Jereme Bokitch, Founder, Hedkandi Salon

Looking ahead: Trends in the next 2-3 years

What’s next for the salon industry? As part of the beauty and wellness space, salons will continue evolving with an increased focus on personalization and client-centric services. John Carreiro envisions salons as havens of care: “I think there's going to be a lot more of our salons being needed more and more, as not only a place to work in, but a place where people can come and be taken care of.”

Rochelle Peetoom sees technology playing a pivotal role in this evolution. The trend that most excites her is the ease of checking in and out. “Receptionists are now more focused on the customer experience and welcoming them rather than being on the phone or checking someone out or being busy,” she said. “Similar to Uber, you just get in and out and you’ve had the service – that’s the most exciting thing!”

The panelists expressed keen interest in the potential of membership models within the salon industry, recognizing them as a novel concept worth exploring. Peetoom, Bokitch, and Carreiro are flexible, with Bokitch noting, "Memberships may not be traditional for salons, but evolving customer preferences demand an open mind and a willingness to adapt." Peetoom says, “I’m willing to try,” which is a healthy approach for salons new to membership models.

Conclusion

The salon industry is at a crossroads, where innovation and tradition must often coexist to meet the demands of today’s consumers. By embracing new trends, investing in employee training, leveraging technology, and maintaining a strong brand identity, salons can position themselves as leaders in the beauty and wellness space. As we move into the future, the key to success will lie in the ability to adapt while staying true to the core values that define each salon brand.

See how Zenoti improves the salon guest experience.

Photo L-R: Jereme Bokitch (Hedkandi Salon), Rochelle Peetoom (Rob Peetoom Salons), and John Carreiro (Carreiro Salon) at Innergize 2024