At Sally Beauty the future of hair color is bright

Bringing in new shades from brands like Wella Colorcharm Paints, Manic Panic, Lime Crime, and One 'n Only, and Good Dye Young as well as from exclusive Sally Beauty brands including Ion, Iroiro, and Color Lux, the pro beauty retailer is upping its already sizeable selection of over 1,200 shades of pro hair color products.

Sally Beauty see big protentional in hair color during COVID

“Throughout the pandemic, we saw many new customers purchase vibrant brights and traditional hair colors at Sally Beauty as DIY hair color became an instant necessity and a form of self-expression,” ​says Pam Kohn, Chief Merchandising Officer, Sally Beauty, in her recent remarks to the press.

And she’s enthusiastic about the products she and her merchandizing team have brought to the mix at Sally Beauty: “We can't wait for customers to check out the 60+ new shades we are now offering,” ​says Kohn. “We are so happy to provide consumers with all the shades they can dream of.”​

DIY and professional hair colorists share knowledge

While Sally Beauty serves the professional market, the company’s online and conventional retail stores also see a fair amount of beauty consumer traffic too. And during the pandemic, that’s meant an uptick in customers looking to color their own hair for the first time.

Because of this shift in demand, Sally Beauty consultant Gregory Patterson​ is leading online education for first-time DIY hair coloring customers this month—in fact the retailer has become a “one-stop-shop for all things DIY,” ​as a spokesperson for Sally Beauty tells Cosmetics Design. According to the company press release, the class will cover hair prep, shade selection, and product choice. (And, store associates are available to help consumers with any follow-up questions or product decisions.)  

“As customers look forward to a sense of normalcy, first time DIYers and DIY enthusiasts can look to Sally Beauty for the largest assortment of professional, vibrant brights, and root touch-up hair color; ColorView virtual try on technology, and DIY University education to unlock their at-home hair color potential,” ​states the release.

Is DIY hair coloring here to stay?

While at-home beauty has seen an impressive lift over the past year, the latest figures from data science company Spate​ show that consumer online search for “hair color services” is up 22% year-over-year, suggesting that people are at least considering returning to the salon for in-person services. Though searches explicitly for “hair salon” are down 50% for the same interval.

And it was just over a year ago when the at-home hair color category really picked up momentum with L’Oréal launching its Haircolor Concierge services, as Cosmetics Design reported in this item​ that also includes news of Henkel’s nearly 100% natural hair color brand as well as the Colorsmith launch and the new Madison Reed Mr. line.