The amount of brands the salon should carry depends on size and customer bases. We’ll give you a simple calculation to determine how many brands to carry in the salon, and also cover the bases on other ways to determine how many brands the salon should stock.

More brands aren’t always better, and the expense can add up quickly. The perfect number of brands looks different for each salon, depending on size and customer bases. Match brands with the services offered in the salon, and take the guest experience into account.

Clients that don’t like the brand carried in the salon—either because of the price, fragrance, performance, etc.—may go elsewhere to buy their products. Match the price point for retail products with the prices of the services offered in the salon, and offer a few choices to allow clients to mix and match brands to fit their needs.

Offer a color line with the retail line that matches it—most have ingredients that compliment the color line and vice versa. Bringing on brands isn’t always about products, either. Many brands have desirable benefits like education and loyalty programs. To gauge how many brands or retail products to carry, measure the speed of sale percentage.

Sales/Cost x 100 = Speed of Sale Percentage

Sales: The total amount of retail products sold for a specific period (usually a week)

Cost: The total cost of the retail stock you’re carrying (To calculate, use the retail prices and ignore discounts you may have received when ordering.)

The Speed of Sale Percentage will give an overview of which products, brands, and categories sell the fastest. Pick whatever you’d like to measure, and set the target percentage at 10%. If the salon falls consistently below that number, think about focusing on that product, brand, or category to get sales moving. If the salon consistently goes over that percentage, consider ordering more retail.

Keep inventory in check, and log in or register at Salon Only Sales to start shopping or stocking up.