Making More from Your Barbershop Retail Products

We don’t want to put words in your mouth, but we can probably guess what some of you are thinking after reading this blog title. 

You might be thinking, “I run a barbershop–not a retail shop. Why do I need to focus on retail or product sales, anyway?” 

You’re making good points. Yes, you’re running a barbershop. And, yes, the main goal for you is to serve your customers with your next-level barbering skills. But here’s a quick question for you–if you could make more money, reach more customers, and improve brand loyalty without really doing anything, wouldn’t you want to?

Of course you would. Because the game is about working smarter, not necessarily harder–and that’s precisely where retail products come in. 

There are a ton of benefits to adding retail products to your barbershop. But further, there are a ton of tips we can offer to help make this process worth it for you. 

Want the inside scoop? Keep reading this blog; we’ve got the answers you’re looking for. 

Why Focus on Retail Products in Your Barbershop?

We’ll make this short and sweet because, mostly, we want to get to the good stuff you can apply to your biz–tips for making all of these retail products work best for you. 

But if you’re wondering why you should focus on retail products in your shop, this section is going to be important for you. 

What benefits can prioritizing retail products bring you? Offering and pushing retail products in your barbershop can help: 

• Maximize your revenue 

• Develop more points of contact with your guests 

• Generate semi-passive income 

• Drive customer loyalty 

• Encourage customer retention for repeat sales 

• Enhance customer education 

The best part? The effort it takes to do all of these things at once is pretty minimal–you just need to follow along with a few of our tips to help smooth out your retail process! 

Top Tips to Improve Retail Sales in Your Shop ASAP

So, by now, you’re on board with barbershop retail products, right? Good. Here are a few must-know tips to help create a smooth, seamless retail sales shopping process for your barbershop and maximize your revenue. 

Don’t Do a Pushy Product Pitch 

Want a major pro tip to kick this thing off? Never be pushy. Your clients didn’t come to your shop to get a sale pitch; they came for you to provide a service.

Don’t make them uncomfortable by throwing a pitch at them. 

The quickest way to turn off your customers is to try to force them into spending more money than they planned. In other words, stay far away from the pushy pitch strategy. 

Suggest New Products for Every Change 

Is your client going shorter? Are they trying to grow out their hair? What trend or transformation are they attempting this time? 

For every transition and change they want to make for their hair, (gently) suggest something that you know can help them further that goal or keep their hair healthy. 

Understanding your client’s hair goals is going to say a lot about you as a barber. But knowing what to offer them to help further their hair goals is going to say even more. 

Always Have Your Retail Shelves Stocked

Don’t get caught without a product–that’s an enormous waste of your time, effort, and resources. The easier and more seamless you can make the shopping process for your clients, the better. 

Think about it, if they need a refill of a product that they can get at your shop or at a different store, wouldn’t it be far more convenient for them to pick it up while they’re already at your place? 

Sure it does, and it will line your pockets a little bit more (which isn’t a bad or sketchy thing, BTW). 

But if they’re ready and willing to purchase and you happen to be out of the product, that’s a lost sale. Don’t set yourself up for failure this way–always have products stocked.  

Use Products During Their Appointment

The best way to get a client hooked on a product or make a sale is for them to experience the results first-hand. Use products on your client’s hair that you know will benefit them or further their hair goals–then pay attention to their feedback. Does a client love how soft their hair is? Tell them why and how they can duplicate those results. Is a client obsessed with the textured look you created for their style? Show them the product you used to get there. 

Educate, Educate, Educate

Your clients are smart–so treat them that way. Most clients will want to know how to get a certain look. Most of them care about what you’re doing and why. Educate your clients at every turn so they can understand how to get the results you’re giving them. Then, steer them toward the products that align with that education sesh. 

A lot of cosmetologists or barbers view education as a way for their clients to learn on their own and pull away from them–but that’s not true. The more information and value you can offer your customers, the better. And the more you can explain products, formulas, and ingredients, the more likely they are to trust to buy from you.

Have some retail tricks of the trade of your own? We’re not the only ones who want to hear them–share them with the barbering community now!

Drop your reply in the comment section below and see how it benefits your fellow cosmetologists and barbers. No matter what works for you, we want to hear about it!