Hair care products represent opportunity for retailers, whether you're a grocery store owner looking to expand your aisle of hair care products or a beauty shop owner looking for new products to offer your clients. It seems as if the more choice, the better and you can please everyone by offering brands from several different manufacturers.

Making the most of hair care products means thinking beyond the basic shampoo and conditioner, which are for different hair types. Offer a nice selection of high-quality barrettes and ponytail holders, which are great add-ons for customers, as well as stock styling tools to hold it all in place, from gels to hairsprays. Don't forget about stocking different types of brushes and combs, as well as hair dryers and curling irons.

When considering the hair care market:

1. Consider your displays and make them attractive to the customers. Be sure to dust off containers and shelves periodically and keep the shelves full.

2. Offer varying sizes of the same product to appeal to cost-conscious customers.

3. Consider a display of gift-packaged products at a "two-for" price, such as shampoo and conditioner, two for $20. Customers will delight in giving themselves a gift and a deal.

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Ask for natural products from hair care product companies

A growing niche of the hair care market is for natural hair care products, as more consumers want to recognize the names of the ingredients they are consuming. Consumers who prefer natural products want to see a short list of effective ingredients, with the natural ingredients listed near the top.

I recommend: Teens, who as a demographic can see through outrageous marketing claims, have created Ecofabulous, a line of natural products. Burt's Bees offers several styles of natural hair care shampoos, conditioners and treatments.

Attract teens with hair care products geared toward their interests

Teens are an influential group with more pocket money to demonstrate their independence, and hair product companies and hair product distributors must seek to understand this demographic. Hair product manufacturers should consider the importance of smell among teens when formulating their products, and the fact that teens respond well to causes, such as a charitable donation connected to their purchase.

I recommend: Don't rule out the fact that boys like to look good too, and love gels and sprays to hold their style such as L.A. Looks hair care product line. Sunsilk by Helene Curtis, a hair product company, reaches out to teens and young women with their quirky advertising.

Get the scoop on unauthorized professional hair care products

Lately you may have seen salon products such as Paul Mitchell, Redken or Matrix on grocery store or drugstore shelves. But those products should not be there, according to consumer watchdog groups. Some unscrupulous hair care distributors illegally distribute these products to outlets, and they are possibly outdated or contaminated.

I recommend: Look for signs of diverted hair care products such as dusty or sticky cans or bottles, dented containers, missing numbers or labels placed over the original UPC code. Find out more about hair product information and the diversion scheme at Consumer Affairs or Carefair.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Find out if your hair product distributor has product samples you could hand out, as well as a coupon as an incentive to buy.

Although consumers can purchase hair care products at almost any retail store, salon owners have the advantage of offering professional hair care products plus advice. Clients want their hair to look every day the way it looks when you're done styling it. Stocking the appropriate shampoos, conditioners and styling products allows you to make the add-on sale before the client leaves the salon.

Talk to clients about the hair care products you're using and explain the benefits while you're cutting and styling their hair. Recommend the appropriate products for colored, damaged or ethnic hair. Show the client how to use the styling products.

Hair care product wholesalers carry professional hair care products from well-known and budget conscious brands. Look for hair product distributors who can offer a wide range of products:

1. Specially formulated shampoos and conditioners for colored, permed or chemically straightened hair.
2. Products for ethnic hair.
3. Trendy styling products.
4. Organic and natural hair care products.

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Boost your reputation with popular salon hair care products

Many salon owners choose to partner with popular hair product companies. You benefit from the company's name recognition and from being your client's main source for these professional hair care products. The drawback is that your agreement may prohibit you from carrying brands from other hair product distributors.

I recommend: Redken offers hair care and styling products to suit all types of clients. Consider joining forces with Aveda to offer natural hair care products.

Expand your market with an ethnic hair care product line

Salon owners often use products designed for the specific needs of ethnic hair. Once under-represented in the market, ethnic hair care is one of the fastest growing in the country, so you can easily locate hair product distributors carrying lines for ethnic hair.

I recommend: Curls sells certified organic products for multi-ethnic hair. Register your salon with Mizani.

Cater to clients with special hair care needs

Both men and women buy products formulated to combat common hair problems, including thinning, damaged and hard-to-manage hair. As technology advances, new specialty hair product companies emerge.

I recommend: Contact Nioxin by phone or email to become an authorized reseller of their scalp and hair treatments. Join Club CHI to sell Farouk Systems, including Biosilk.

Strike up a good business relationship with hair care distributors

The easiest way to stock your salon with a variety of products is to work with hair product distributors. The Internet makes placing orders easy, just be sure you're working with a wholesale beauty supply distributor and not a 'wholesale to the public' retail outlet; you could end up paying too much.

I recommend: Register with Sally Beauty Supply to purchase a wide range of hair care products for your salon. FolicaPro is a distributor of major brands, including Bed Head, Kerastase and Wella.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Stock products that reflect your clientele. Younger clients buy trendy products; older ones may be more interested in products designed for graying or thinning hair.
• •  Display products and hair product information in the reception area. Clients can easily come in and make a purchase between appointments.
• •  It may seem obvious, but ask the client for the sale. Offer the product when the client is paying for the styling services.

Hair care products are a huge opportunity for retailers, generating 5-40% of revenue for salons. In a hair care products industry overview, you'll find hair care products fall into several categories, such as shampoos, conditioners, hairspray and gels. The ethnic hair care product category includes straighteners, relaxers and hair dressing products. Don't forget about the tools of the trade: hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons, hot rollers, combs and brushes.

There's a big distinction in public perception between high-quality salon hair care products and those on the supermarket shelves. On one end, there's Paul Mitchell and Nexxus, and on the other there's Salon Selectives, Aussie and Suave, differing in price and quality. Marketing and attractive packaging make all the difference in consumer perception.

When looking at the hair care industry, there are a few points to keep in mind:

1. Realize the hair care market is a huge industry mainly geared toward women, with the exception of hair loss products targeted to men.

2. Although there is limited oversight from the government, they do not regulate the hair care industry the same as foods and drugs.

3. Expect hair care products to continue to thrive with developments in technology and changing hairstyles.

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Get hair product information from government as well as business councils

The Food and Drug Administration provides oversight of the cosmetic industry, including hair care products. Note that while personal care manufacturers do not need prior approval of their products from the FDA, special rules apply and they must follow the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (FD & C Act) as well as the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA). Other organizations also represent the industry and help to navigate these rules and laws that apply.

I recommend: The Independent Cosmetics Manufacturers and Distributors offers support for hair product manufacturers and distributing channels. Personal Care Products Council represents hair care manufacturers and distributors. The Food and Drug Administration offers guidance to manufacturers in the area of cosmetics and personal products.

Rely on hair product manufacturers to fulfill a vital role

Hair product manufacturers, who can formulate, package and help market the hair care products are major players in the hair care industry. Hair care manufacturers are often located around the world, and can handle multiple functions for the hair care industry to simplify the development of new products. Many have in-house laboratories to perform necessary testing of products before they enter the consumer market.

I recommend: Mansfield King can make hair care products according to the customer specifications, as well as the bottling. Mariposa Labs formulates, manufacturers and packages products for hair product companies.

Get supplies from wholesale hair care distributors

The hair product distributors are wholesalers that sell to the retail outlets or the salons who use the professional hair care products as well as sell to their customers. Some wholesale companies sell direct to consumers, such as Sally Beauty Supply.

I recommend: Sally Beauty Supply is a leader in hair care products, offering wholesale pricing to salon professionals and discounts to consumers. Choice Beauty Supply is a leading supplier of African-American hair products including Epitomi, Vitali and Intrasilk, among others. Professional hair salons can stock up on necessities at Marlo Beauty Supply.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Small salons sometimes mark down professional-quality hair care products to grocery store prices to make room for redesigned products from their best-selling lines.

A specific niche in the beauty and personal care industry, hair care products are huge. With a wide variety of products on the market, many people strive to make their hair look salon-perfect every day. It's important for you to know the ins and outs of hair care products to help your clients in their beauty routines. For starters, brush up on the basics like hair dye, conditioner and natural; learn more about silicone, serum and ions.

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Hair dye

Hair dye products include ingredients such as color additives and dye intermediates. Hair dyes are mixed shortly before application, and the active ingredients adhere to the hair shaft, dying the hair. The permanent, semi-permanent and temporary categories that hair dyes are divided into describe the ingredients involved and the length of time the treatment will last.

I recommend: The Food and Drug Administration discusses the categories of hair dyes.

Natural

Any hair care product advertising as natural is claiming that the ingredients in the products come directly from plants, the earth or animal products. None of the ingredients used in natural products have been synthetically made.

I recommend: Check out UK Hairdressers for its definition of natural hair care products.

Conditioners

Conditioners work to coat the hair shaft, smooth down damaged hair, add protection to the hair from styling tools and the elements, while providing moisture and manageability. There are many types of conditioners for different types of hair.

I recommend: To learn more about conditioners, visit Best Hair Care Guide.

Silicone

Popular in hair care products, silicone is a non-reactive substance found in sand or silica. Silicone seals the hair's cuticle to produce enhanced shine.

I recommend: Salon Web includes silicone in its hair care glossary.

Serum

A product that works to smooth, straighten and keep hair frizz-free is called a serum. Serums can be used on wet or dry hair and come in a variety of formulas for the many different types of hair.

I recommend: To read a definition of serum, take a look at Lee Stafford.

Ionic

Natural ions are energy sources that help rebuild, repair and retexturize the hair. To do this, hair care products that use ionic systems push negative ions into the hair where they break up large clumps of moisture into smaller parts that are then absorbed into the hair to restore moisture and seal the hair cuticle.

I recommend: Folica offers a description of how the ionic process works.