marc birenbaum's blog

Booth Renters to Increasingly Drive the Salon Biz

Submitted by marc birenbaum on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 14:40
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Cyrus Bulsara, president of Professional Consultants & Resources

Booth renters are the fastest-growing segment in the salon world. So what are you—salon-industry manufacturers/marketers, distributors, chain salons, beauty store owners and managers, etc.—doing about it?

Those are my two major takeaways from a just-released, first-of-its kind, in-depth study by Professional Consultants & Resources.

Fascinating data from this 2011 Booth Rental Salon Market Study: Booth rentals already make up 35% of all U.S. salons, and in three years nearly 50% of all U.S. salons will offer some form of the booth-rental model.

For Suppliers Only …

Submitted by marc birenbaum on Tue, 04/24/2012 - 16:29
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ICMAD's 2012 CITY Awards Graphic

If you’re a beauty-products supplier—and I know that a lot of you read Beauty Store Business online—I urge your company to participate in the Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors’ 2012 CITY (Cosmetic Innovator of The Year) Awards program.

This year’s program is no doubt bigger and better than the previous six—and in 2012 your business doesn’t even have to be an ICMAD member. Also, as BSB tweeted on April 23, the deadline for submissions has been extended to May 11.

This ISBN Conference Looks Like the Best One Ever

Submitted by marc birenbaum on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 15:44
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Farouk Shami, founder and chairman of Farouk Systems

I’m really looking forward to attending the 2012 International Salon/Spa Business Network Conference with its “Be Inspired” theme on April 15-17 at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

What’s the International Salon/Spa Business Network? It’s comprised of more than 50 top salon and spa companies. Every company owns from two to 12,000 salons and/or spas, and together the member companies generate an astounding annual gross sales of more than $10 billion.

Have You Registered for the PBA’s Distributor Executive Conference Yet?

Submitted by marc birenbaum on Tue, 03/20/2012 - 17:03
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PBA Distributor Executive Conference Graphic

You have to absolutely love what the Professional Beauty Association is doing with its first-ever Distributor Executive Conference in the Seattle area on April 3-4.

If you haven’t heard yet, this is a conference for professional-beauty independent distributors. No loud music, no suppliers, no manufacturers reps, no beauty-service professionals, no selling. It’s designed for indie distributors to talk among themselves in a business environment. What a fabulous idea!

Checking In With the “First Social Beauty Store”

Submitted by marc birenbaum on Tue, 03/06/2012 - 15:17
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Image courtesy of Bloom.com

Remember Bloom.com, which is marketed as the new social-commerce model for beauty? Do any of you print readers out there remember my November 2011 issue Viewpoint (page 4) about it? Think Facebook meets Match.com meets Zappos—a place that marries a women-to-women platform with unbiased recommendations and excellent customer service. Its mission is that you will never buy the wrong beauty products again. Here’s an update:

The website, which launched to the public in August 2011, grew to 100,000 members in its first six months.

Come, Join Me in Newport Beach

Submitted by marc birenbaum on Tue, 02/14/2012 - 16:30
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ICMAD logo

I’ll be at two exciting Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors Association events at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort in Newport Beach, California, later this week.

I’ll have opportunities to network with many top West Coast beauty executives and VIPs across numerous product categories in an atmosphere quite different than the loud hustle and bustle of a major cash-and-carry salon-industry trade show or the constant grind of yet another busy Cosmoprof North America.

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