Tesco has recently launched health and beauty salons in it’s stores. And I would like to get your input about how you feel about this (or if you are in another country how you would feel about a salon opening in Walmart, or a local food shop).
The health and beauty service will offer hairdressing, nail bars and threading bars. Nail and threading bars are currently being trialled at stoes in Wembley, Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Kingston and Walkden in Manchester and more will open in Leicester and Chesterfield on January 31st.
Their selling point is that it is convenience and no appointments will be necessary and they say “we recognise the beauty market is a huge opportunity and we know thre is a lot more we can be offering our customers. We know beauty treatments are very popular with many people these days and we fel the convenience of great value and quality services frm manicures to full waxing and styling could be a success with customers” . They are only testing at this stage and say that their prices will be competitive such as £20 for a cut and blow dry and a full leg wax for £20.
My personal opinion? I hate food shopping in Tesco and the opportunity to spend even more time there is one I wouldn’t ever be taking up. I actively try and avoid going to the supermarket and use Mysupermarket.com as much as possible to buy my shopping online as going there is so hellish with the bright lights and children and then there’s the staff (!).
I am sure this will benefit people on a low income, but then, if they are on a low income they could just do their own hair, and shave rather than wax….and they will still be selling shampoo, conditioner, immac etc. on their shelves and it will still be cheaper to do it youself. And as my mum has said to me in the past “buy cheap, buy twice” and she is invariably right about most things.
My problems with it are 1) have tesco not undercut and forced out of business enough people? Lots of small food shops are now shut as they cannot compete with the bulk buying and low prices of Tescos, would this do the same to local beauty salons or sole traders? Would they use top quality products? I would be looking for names like Clean and Easy or Perron Rigot for the waxing if I was going to be going there myself, Redken or L’oreal Professional for haircare, CND/OPI/Nail Harmony for nail products. Would they employ properly trained staff or would they train them themselves?
I see why it is such a great idea for them, they can bulk buy the products to use and retail and secure a massive margin, thus driving down prices for beauty treatments. But do I want to get my eyebrows threaded near the cat food? Erm…
What do you think about this? Would you go personally?