Saks Hair & Beauty in the UK has recently announced the opening of its newest salon, Saks Addlestone. Unlike other Saks salons, however, this as an unusual business model: a former independent salon that has joined the franchisee network.
This transformation is the result of the Saks brand’s targeted salon conversion campaign. Andrew Gunner is the main franchisee; along with Dad John, who originally founded the well-established salon. “As an independent we had a lot to juggle and we’d spotted a Saks Facebook message for salon owners which advised that collaborating with Saks could be a way to take their businesses forward.,” explains Andrew. “The time was right for a change within our ownership structure, so we got in touch, heard what they had to offer, and the rest is history!
“Everyone at Saks HQ has made the transition pretty seamless. When you have a question or an issue, the team is on it. We met Saks salon owners at their conference in London on October 2019. A very welcoming bunch – we felt like part of a big family before we even opened!”
Saks is regularly approached by independent salon owners about converting, saw the potential, and is targeting UK salon owners with their ‘NO HASSLE, NO FEE concept.
WHAT CAN SALON OWNERS EXPECT?
- No upfront fee
- Contribution towards salon makeover
- L’Oréal Professionnel stock starter pack
- Industry-leading training and creative opportunities
- Launch and ongoing support package including business, marketing and finance
- Website and social media set-up and content management
- Marketing campaigns and materials
- Network of like-minded individuals
- A recognised and trusted brand name and values
Saks’ Managing Director, Stephen Kee says: “We’ve removed any barriers from the conversion process and are providing a higher level of support to make life easier for salon owners and help make their businesses more successful. We’ve invested in technology and strengthened our HQ team to enable us to provide this micro-support. We are progressing several other enquiries already and throughout 2020 intend to target independent salon owners across the UK. We’re also asking if they’re looking at an exit strategy and explaining how converting to Saks could work for them. We’re getting out there, talking to others in our industry and it’s proving to be really interesting so far.”
For more information: https://www.saks.co.uk/careers/own-a-salon/
