Grooming grounds

A VISIT TO A salon is no longer a luxury. With spending increasing significantly on self-grooming, especially post-pandemic, salon services have risen phenomenally, with at-home offerings becoming major market players.

- SREYA DEB

Companies like UrbanCompany and YesMadam provide salon services like facials, manicures, pedicures, waxing and even haircuts at home, giving major competition to salons. Urban Company recently filed its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) for a 1,900 crore IPO,andhasa 50,000-strong workforce. Co-founder and CEO Abhiraj Singh Bhal earlier this year said that the brand is even contemplating use of robots for services.

YesMadam, a beauty-tech brand that provides at-home services, recently launched two physical salon spaces in Indirapuram and Noida, in an effort to straddle both spaces. Mayank Arya, CEO of YesMadam, has said Tier 1 and emerging Tier 2 cities are proving to be incredible grounds for salon services. The company’s focus is to enhance its footprint in southern and eastern India where there is a tremendous emerging market for beauty and wellness.

Meanwhile, salon brands are looking at significant expansion plans in terms of franchise and services to retain customer trust and business. Their edge lies in premium services like microcurrent facials, laser procedures, elaborate hair colouring procedures and others that require the customer to visit a salon.

Looks Salon is focusing on eastern India by adding salon studios in places where it has noted a significant rise in customer base.Samir Srivastava, CEO of Looks Salon, says, “In east India, the consumer is really spending. Right from the ‘seven sisters’ to Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha, we’re seeing so much more disposable income coming into all categories, not just beauty.To give you an example, we’ve got four salons in Patna, three in Bhubaneswar, and three in Ranchi.” Speaking of expansion plans, he adds, “We're opening in Cuttack. We've got two salons in Guwahati and adding one more there, then we are coming up with Siliguri and Shillong as well.”