Picture this: Someone runs into your store, grabs an armful of merchandise and exits through the front door into a waiting van. The vehicle speeds off before you have a chance to see the license plate. That scenario can happen any time. It’s just one of the many tricks shoplifters pull to separate retailers from their merchandise.

AT RISK
No one knows the exact loss figures for shoplifting, but retailers participating in the University of Florida’s annual “National Retail Security Survey” estimate the crime accounts for at least one third of the $44 billion dollars in annual reported shrinkage. The 2012 survey—the latest available—estimates that another one third is due to employee theft, with the remainder coming from dishonest vendors and inventory and bookkeeping errors. The same survey reports that average retail shrinkage comes to 1.47% of annual sales.

While retailers of all sizes stand to lose profits from shoplifters, smaller operators are especially at risk. “One or two clerks in a small store can be easily distracted by a shoplifter,” says Dr. Richard C. Hollinger, designer of the University of Florida survey and chair of that institution’s department of sociology and criminology & law. “Often the result is that the retailer gets cleaned out and has to start over—or even close.”

Read the full story in the Beauty Store Business October Digital Edition.

L’Oréal USA is acquiring New York City-based Carol’s Daughter, a multicultural brand that emerged during the 1990s natural-beauty movement. The brand was created by Lisa Price in 1993 and caters to a diverse, rapidly growing market, and has established a loyal consumer following across the country.

Following a multichannel distribution model, Carol’s Daughter offers a comprehensive range of products that are available at specialty beauty stores, mass retailers, on HSN, through ecommerce and at Carol’s Daughter branded stores in New York City. For the 12 months ending Sept. 30, Carol’s Daughter had net sales of $27 million.

“Carol’s Daughter possesses an expertise in the multicultural consumer segment, a rapidly expanding market that represents an important growth opportunity in the beauty industry,” said Frédéric Rozé, president and CEO of L’Oréal USA. “This acquisition will enable L’Oréal USA to build a new dedicated multicultural beauty division as part of our Consumer Products business, and strengthen the company’s position in this dynamic market.”

Carol’s Daughter will continue to operate out of its New York City headquarters under the brand’s current leadership team. The acquisition further enhances L’Oréal USA’s roster of American brands, which includes Maybelline NY, Kiehl’s, Essie, Urban Decay, Clarisonic and NYX.

“I have worked hard for the past 21 years nurturing my brand and am thrilled that we will have a new home with L'Oréal USA," said Lisa Price, founder and president of Carol’s Daughter. “L’Oréal has a proven track record of helping established companies achieve their full potential while staying true to the core of the brand, and they have an understanding of the future of multicultural beauty. I could not be more proud to begin this next chapter of the Carol's Daughter brand with them. I know that my mother (Carol) is smiling as well.”

[Image courtesy of L’Oréal USA]

How big is the overall U.S. haircare appliances business? Sales of flat irons/straighteners, hair dryers, specialty stylers and curling irons/brushes to consumers reached $1.318 billion for the 12-month period that ended in August 2014, Beauty Store Business has learned from The NPD Group.

The figure is for haircare appliances sold in retail stores (beauty stores, department stores, drugstores, national chains, mass merchants, specialty stores, groceries, discount stores, warehouse clubs and hardware/home centers) and direct to consumers, according to The NPD Group and its syndicated Consumer Tracking Service for Small Personal Care Appliances.

And that's a 3% increase over the prior 12-month period that ended in August 2013, reported The NPD Group, which provides global information and advisory services to drive better business decisions.

Other relevant data from The NPD Group released to BSB:

• Specialty stylers totaled $304 million in the most recent 12-month period, up 24% from the prior 12-month period. That's about 23% of the overall market dollar share.
• Curling irons/brushes totaled $261 million in the most recent 12-month period, up 10% from the prior 12-month period. That's about 20% of the overall market dollar share.
• Hair dryers totaled $363 million in the most recent 12-month period, up 4% from the prior 12-month period. That's about 28% of the overall market dollar share.
• Flat irons/straighteners totaled $390 million in the most recent 12-month period, down 12% from the prior 12-month period. That's about 30% of the overall market dollar share.

"Innovation is key to driving sales growth for haircare appliances, stimulating demand at relatively higher price points," Debra J. Mednick, executive director and home industry analyst for The NPD Group, told BSB. "Given the celebrity-inspired trends of wavier hair, women and girls have migrated toward tools that help achieve these looks—as opposed to the super-straight styles popular just a few years ago."

[Image: gettyimages.com/powerofforever]

You've been in this business long enough to know that the general make-up of your team is in a constant state of flux. The roster of associates you had one year ago probably isn't the same today. That's the inherent nature of retail. You'll always have some turnover. But something you have probably also noticed from your experience in managing people is that there are great employees, mediocre ones, and those who need special attention. It is the latter category of associates that can be the most vexing.

Continue reading this story on Beauty Store Business'October digital edition.

What do you think of when you think of North Carolina? Duke University? The Outer Banks? The Tar Heels? BBQ? Krispy Kreme? The Biltmore Estate? Grandfather Mountain? When I think of North Carolina, I think about a forum of beauty boutiques spearheaded by beauty industry veteran Jeffre Scott.

He began his beauty career at Barneys in 1999, and then opened Jeffre Scott in New York City in 1999, a distribution company focusing on selling niche beauty brands to independent beauty boutiques throughout the country. It is in his NYC showroom that Jeffre and I first met, actually. I wanted him to distribute my family's skincare line. That wasn't meant to be, but that wasn't the end of our story either…

Continue reading this story in Beauty Store Business' October digital edition.

[Image courtesy of Ada S. Polla]

'Tis the season soon. Are you getting ready? Sure, there's Thanksgiving Nov. 27, Black Friday Nov. 28 and Cyber Monday Dec. 1. And, of course, Christmas Eve Dec. 24. However, did you know about the following upcoming dates for the 2014 holiday shopping season?

Nov. 29: Small Business Saturday
www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/smallbiz-benefits?e...

Dec. 2: Giving Tuesday
www.givingtuesday.org

Dec. 8: Green Monday
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Monday

Dec. 16 (evening)-Dec. 24 (evening): Hanukkah
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Dec. 18: Free Shipping Day
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Shipping_Day
www.freeshippingday.com/

Dec. 20: Super Saturday
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Saturday

Dec. 26-Jan. 1, 2015: Kwanzaa
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa

[Image: www.gettyimages.com / Betsie Van der Meer]

Thirty percent, or 9 million, of 2010 U.S. census takers indicated mixed-raced heritage—up from 6.8 million in 2000; and more specifically, 16% indicated Hispanic and 13% indicated Black. Subsequently, the multicultural beauty products market continues to outpace the growth of the overall market for cosmetics and toiletries, posting a 3.7% increase in 2014, within an estimated $400 billion global beauty industry. To gain share of the ethnic consumer's pocketbook, beauty marketers now competing from both ends of the spectrum need to understand a myriad of new market undertones, a topic that will be explored by global consulting and research firm Kline & Co.'s upcoming report "Multicultural Beauty and Grooming Products: U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities."

"Over the past three years, we've observed corporate giants such as L'Oréal expand marketing efforts targeting brown people globally, and U.S. retailers such as Target, Ulta, CVS and Duane Reade increase multicultural beauty offerings, such as Carol's Daughter, Shea Moisture, Nuance by Salma Hayek and Miss Jessie's. We love the category growth, but for sustainability, consumers must be able to navigate the space," said Olivia Scott, founder of Omerge Alliances, a New York City-based marketing management consultancy that specializes in brand strategy, marketing planning and consumer promotions.

On other end, brands such as Carol's Daughter (recently acquired by L'Oréal USA) are positioning themselves away from being an exclusive ethnic brand to now also targeting a broader audience, regardless of ethnicity. This holds particularly true in the natural personal-care segment where popular ethnic hair brand Shea Moisture is now also rebranding to become suitable for all consumers. This trend is viewed by some as the result of the development of intensified competition, due to rapidly growing ethnic populations that are causing multicultural beauty marketers to break boundaries between general and multicultural beauty.

"This widening approach helps move multicultural brands beyond the ethnic section of the beauty aisle to sit side-by-side nationally advertised brands," said Donna Barson, senior associate at Kline's Consumer Products practice. "However, this audience expansion needs to be done without alienating longtime consumers who might feel deserted if they feel like their brand no longer speaks exclusively to them."

[Photo courtesy of PRNewsFoto/Omerge Alliances]

Step 1: Use professional makeup brushes, such as the Beauty Strokes Brow Brush, to groom the brows and apply brow powder.

Step 2: Try the Ardell Professional's Brow Perfection Stencils for a flawless look every time.

Step 3: Draw a thin line of eyeliner - we like Styli-Style's Stylus Liquid Eyeliner Pen - on the top eyelid. Let it dry. Then repeat the process, starting from the middle of the eyelid and draw another thin line above the existing line, ending with an uptick at the outer corner of the eye.

Step 4: Apply one coat of mascara to highlight the lashes. Try Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics' Mesmer-Eyes Mascara.

Step 5: For a more dramatic or evening look, apply false eyelashes to really make the eyes pop. We like MD Lashes Mink Eyelashes for an elegant, luxurious finish.

Read more on the Beauty Store BusinessOctober digital edition.

[Image: Getty Images]

Retailers are assertively preparing their shipping operations to avoid delivery and service issues this year, according to Shop.org’s eHoliday survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, which found that nearly 80% of retailers surveyed will set their standard shipping deadlines for guaranteed Christmas delivery to expire at least one week before the big day, compared to just over 73% who said so last holiday season. Additionally, roughly 21% will set those deadlines to expire Dec. 19 or later, compared to roughly 26% who said so last year.

“It’s important to remember that the 2013 holiday season was impacted by a multitude of factors that affected the supply chain in the days leading up to Christmas, including bad weather and a shortened holiday calendar. That said, retailers and their delivery partners this year are proactively planning to make sure they meet customer expectations for delivery and customer service,” said Shop.org executive director and National Retail Federation senior vice president Vicki Cantrell. “In addition to ramping up their online promotions earlier to entice customers to start shopping earlier in the season, many companies this year also have invested in functionalities such as live chat, checking in-store product availability and buying online-picking up in-store.”

Of the roughly 92% of retailers polled who plan to offer free standard shipping of some sort this holiday season, 69% said their guarantee for Christmas delivery will expire on or before Friday, Dec. 19. Nearly three-quarters of retailers polled last year had a deadline on the equivalent day (Friday, Dec. 20, 2013).

In a separate survey released in August, Shop.org asked retailers which site and service features they have invested most heavily in before the holiday season, and many agreed shipping and fulfillment features were of utmost importance. According to the survey:

• 41% have invested significantly in live chat
• 35% noted they have invested in technologies that allow shoppers to check in-store availability
• 31% have invested in shipping-deadline calendars
• 27% have invested in ship-from-store functionalities
• 26% have invested in buy online-pick up in-store services

For those waiting until the last minute, 21% of companies surveyed that plan to offer a free or upgraded expedited shipping promotion will give customers until Tuesday, Dec. 23, to take advantage of the offer. By contrast, roughly 15% of retailers polled will let their customers take advantage of that offer only through Monday, Dec. 22, and another 15% will end their free expedited shipping promotions on Sunday, Dec. 21.

More than half of retailers surveyed who plan to offer express two-day shipping say their deadline for guaranteed Christmas delivery will expire on or before Sunday, Dec. 21, while the balance will end guaranteed two-day shipping on Monday, Dec. 22.

“Consumers now have more tools at their disposal when it comes to connecting with retailers. And as online shopping continues to grow, more shoppers this holiday season will look for specific online promotions as a way to find the perfect gift at the right price,” said Prosper’s principal analyst Pam Goodfellow. “Possibly having learned from their procrastination last holiday season and with another shortened holiday calendar ahead of us, shoppers could start looking for those shipping offers sooner rather than later this year.”

When it comes to one-day express shipping, 50% are comfortable offering express one-day or overnight shipping as late as Tuesday, Dec. 23, for a guaranteed Christmas delivery; 30% have set Monday, Dec. 22, as the deadline for their one-day express delivery deadline.

[Image: www.gettyimages.com / rolfo]

More than 2,000 communities are committing to rally their neighborhoods to celebrate Small Business Saturday this holiday season.

Now in its fifth year, Small Business Saturday (Nov. 29), held every year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, was created by American Express in 2010 to support the small businesses that create jobs and boost the economy. Since its inception, Small Business Saturday has served as the ceremonial kickoff to the busy holiday shopping season for independently owned businesses.

Just as important, it has driven high visibility and appreciation for the unique role that small businesses play in local communities. In 2013, consumers who were aware of Small Business Saturday reported spending $5.7 billion with independent merchants on the day, an increase of 3.6% from the previous year—according to a 2013 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey conducted by Redshift Research for the National Federation of Independent Business and American Express.

Neighborhood Champions will be helping spread the word about Small Business Saturday along with various business organizations.The Neighborhood Champion program was created to help inspire communities to participate in the day and support local Small Business Saturday celebrations throughout the country. To become part of the program, prospective Neighborhood Champions were required to share their plans to bring together at least 10 businesses in their community to recognize the day and commit to serve as ambassadors, encouraging friends and family to shop small.

To date, more than 2,000 Neighborhood Champions from every state and the District of Columbia have signed up to celebrate Small Business Saturday in 2014. As part of the program, businesses have access to a number of resources to help make their Small Business Saturday events a success, including event guides and marketing materials to promote their involvement. They also will receive "Shop Small" branded merchandise such as buttons, balloons and tote bags to decorate their stores and offer to shoppers.

To help facilitate and amplify local Small Business Saturday events, American Express has also partnered with numerous business organizations, including the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, the American Independent Business Alliance, the International Downtown Association, The Latino Coalition, the National Main Street Center, the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Women Impacting Public Policy.

[Image: www.gettyimages.com / huePhotography]

Sporting a diverse background - forays in chemistry, food and winemaking - Sherri Sebastian always knew she'd find herself steeped in the science of fragrance. She began as a professional perfumer in New York, developing scents for major brands, including Coty and Estée Lauder, but Sebastian eventually recognized the need for fragrances designed to satisfy the growing legions of customers who seek artisan and eco-friendly solutions.

Continue reading this story in Beauty Store Business'November digital edition.

[Image: Armando Sanchez]

A recent study of more than 2,100 U.S. residents found that 62% of them expect live chat to be available on mobile devices, and 82% would use it. The survey, which was commissioned by Moxie Software, also identified the rising trend of live online chat for sales and support assistance and found that 75% of survey respondents would prefer to use live online chat versus calling to speak with an agent.

“Today, people have their mobile phones with them at all times, and they are primarily using them to research information, message family and friends and engage with apps,” said Nikhil Govindaraj, vice president of products at Moxie. “[Our new] Moxie Chat [product] provides consumers with the fast and simple experience that consumers demand. Our customers now have the ability to design the chat experience to align with their brands and execute specific campaigns that resonate with a growing base of mobile-device users.” Moxie, which prides itself on anticipating what customers want, offers various solutions that allow companies to deliver the right engagement offer via the right channel to increase total customer value.

According to the study, consumers’ growing preference for online chat provides companies with an opportunity to enhance the customer journey and increase customer satisfaction, specifically on mobile devices. Seventy-two percent of respondents reported they were satisfied or very satisfied with their customer-support experience when shopping online, but the level of satisfaction increases to 92% when live chat is used on a mobile device.

The survey also found that:

• Twice as many men than women surveyed make daily purchases online and are making more weekly purchases as well.
• Millennial men are becoming the new power shoppers, and those living in the Pacific region (California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii and Alaska) are among the most active online shoppers in the nation.
• Consumers who plan to make purchases on mobile devices this holiday season expect top-notch service and support. Sixty percent of consumers will abandon their online shopping carts and never make purchases from an online retailer again if they experience poor customer service.

[Image: www.gettyimages.com / Carol_Anne]

A new beauty platform has emerged allowing consumers to shop for beauty products and donate 5% of the purchase price of each product to a cause of their choice, all at the same time, through BeautyKind.us. The newly launched ecommerce site offers customers prestige makeup, skin care, fragrances, hair and nail products.

“We created BeautyKind.us to be more charitable and more rewarding than anything in the category,” said Hil Davis, co-founder of BeautyKind. “At its core, BeautyKind represents three things: the most rewarding way to buy beauty products in the industry, an effortless and viral fund-raising platform, and a business model that empowers consumers, communities and influencers. BeautyKind.us aims to reshape how consumers shop for brands in the 21^st century.”

The new site also offers a loyalty program in which up to 5% of every purchase will be given back to consumers in the form of “Beauty Points” as a reward for buying and sharing within their social community. The unique loyalty program gives back to the consumer every time they shop or refer friends, as well as when their friends make purchases. On the site consumers will be encouraged to develop their own cause circle through a "Share" option that generates a personalized link that they can distribute via a personal email or on their social-media platforms. Consumers choose how to redeem their Beauty Points, which can be redeemed for additional donations, products, samples, expedited shipping and as a debit card to spend as they wish.

The cause-focused ecommerce site has partnered with one of the entertainment industry’s biggest power brokers, Scooter Braun, founder of SB Projects. Braun will serve as a strategic consultant, procuring influential ambassadors as well as facilitating partnerships for the site. "At SB Projects we are extremely passionate about giving back and infusing philanthropic initiatives into everything we do,” said Braun. "By partnering with BeautyKind, we can create ‘everyday philanthropists’ who give back while shopping for the products they're already using every day.”

Powered by “we-commerce,” BeautyKind.us is marketed as the first beauty website that will unite consumers, beauty brands, influencers and causes to create a shift in how businesses deliver both emotional and physical brand benefits.

[Image courtesy of BeautyKind.us]

Educational sessions will complement product finds and special after-hour events during the winter edition of NY NOW, The Market for Home + Lifestyle, Jan. 31-Feb. 4, 2015, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Industry experts will share design and color trends, social-media and related marketing strategies, the basics of importing and other business-building advice.

“From savvy business strategies to social-media tips NY NOW seminars cover practically every aspect of retailer education, and our after-hours entertainment showcases New York City’s best offerings and our industry’s highest achievers,” said Scott Kramer, NY NOW co-director and vice president.

Four seminar “tracks”—LIFESTYLE, NEW! IDEAS, HANDMADE and HOME—are designed specifically to complement NY NOW’s collections. Nearly 40 sessions presented address issue and opportunities central to today’s home and lifestyle industries, including personal care and wellness.

The full seminar and event schedule is now available at www.nynow.com/programs, and advance pricing discounts are in effect through Jan. 27. Most sessions cost $20 in advance; $25 on-site. Advance registration is suggested.

As part of the LIFESTYLE track, the Day Spa Association will host “Spa-ctacular Products to Boost Sales” showcasing can’t-miss products from the NY NOW exhibit floor. As an added bonus, seminar participants will receive coupons for show orders and a chance to win a swag bag containing free samples.

Also, in the the LIFESTYLE track, Susan Tucker of Giftware News and Baby & Kids will share advice for trend-spotting and integrating trends into existing best sellers in a session titled “Keeping It Fresh—How to Spot, Shop & Sell On-Trend Gift Items.”

As part of the NEW! IDEAS track, Linda Cahan, visual-merchandising and store-design expert, and columnist for Gifts and Decorative Accessories, will present “Store Design On a Shoestring: Design Or Renovate?” addressing trends in store design, ideas for budgeting and creating a floor plan that works.

In addition, the NEW! IDEAS track will include a series of 15-minute seminars presented by SnapRetail, focusing on a variety of ecommerce, social-media and emarketing strategies for retailers—from how to get the most out of a store’s website to effective strategies for Pinterest and Instagram.

[Image courtesy of NY NOW, The Market for Home + Lifestyle]

The Professional Beauty Association has introduced a new membership structure to accommodate its growing membership and to continue to craft a value-based experience for its members.

The new structure consists of three new membership types: Business Member, Individual Member and E-Member.

The Business Membership provides benefits focused on the growth and development of the business and better supports and engages the employees of the member company, while the Individual Membership provides benefits that support individual members’ personal career growth and enrichment.

The E-Membership provides electronic benefits only at no cost.

The new structure will allow the PBA to better serve its members and tailor its services to each member’s needs.

“We really wanted to offer a membership model that better represents our changing industry. The new structure supports all types of industry professionals and extends affordable membership options for both individual and business members,” explained the PBA’s Membership & Association Programs director Elizabeth Fantetti. “The PBA team has been working to make this transition as seamless as possible, and we look forward to this opportunity to better serve our members.”

The new membership allows students to join for $20, licensed and unlicensed industry professionals to join for $50 and businesses to join for as little as $175. In addition:

• Business member dues levels will be based on the number of employees designated to receive member benefits, and annual dues will be calculated on an anniversary date renewal cycle.
• Business members should encourage employees to complete an online profile to receive a more personalized membership experience based on their individual needs.
• Admission to events, access to online and live education, entrance fees to competitions and various other resources will be offered at up to 50% off non-member rates.

Through this simplified structure, members are able to access information across the association, providing unlimited learning and resource potential. Additionally, PBA members will have more control over their membership—from choosing the level of dues best suited for their business, to saving individual members money by only paying for the benefits they need. Both membership types will have 12-month terms billed annually on the member’s join or renewal date.

[Image courtesy of Professional Beauty Association]

Small items, makeup and fragrances are expected to take front and center this coming holiday season, according to the NPD HIGHLIGHTS: Beauty Holiday 2014 Outlook.

“The smaller items that don’t generally get the big headlines will have a big impact on the market this holiday season—taking advantage of opportunities in unexpected spaces is key in today’s shifting prestige beauty market,” said Karen Grant, vice president and global industry analyst at The NPD Group. “The positive direction that much of the U.S. prestige beauty industry is headed in this holiday season will be given an added boost by brands’ efforts to connect with and engage their consumers in inventive ways.”

More specifically, NPD's holiday outlook—which was released Nov. 11—outlined these trends:

A Beauty-Full Holiday—This holiday will see opening price-point items making an unexpected but potentially significant impact on the shopping season. As potential stocking stuffers, the little things—eyeliners, facial skincare masks, fragrance minis, etc.—will offer the great variety consumers crave but at an affordable price, and will ultimately help drive holiday sales.

'Tis the Season for Makeup—Makeup leads overall prestige beauty with dollar sales up almost 10% from last year and will continue to thrive throughout the holiday season. While the face segment remains positive, the eye and lip segments are the primary drivers, and consumers will continue to look for color and definition from these products.

Scents Ascend—Fragrance is always a top category during the holidays, and after years of lackluster results, the market is finally growing well. Fragrance has been reported as the fifth most-popular purchase of the season, and with more women’s fragrances available this year, the outlook is expected to remain positive.

Skin Care Slows—For the first time in a decade overall category performance is below that of fragrances. While sales from indie and premium-priced brands are robust, it can't overcome the softness in top subsegments such as facial moisturizers, age specialists and gifts. Capitalizing on the smaller subcategories that are growing will help keep skin care afloat this season.

[Image: www.gettyimages.com / Kemal Bas]

It's the busiest season of the year - and the most stressful. If the time between Black Friday and Christmas can make or break a store, success to a large extent depends on effective customer engagement by a motivated staff. Too often, frustrated and distracted employees deal poorly with the public and that can affect revenue. Customers are less likely to buy when the staff is clearly not having a good time. And profits can soften further when frazzled employees call in sick, leaving a skeletal staff to deal with shoppers frustrated by reduced service levels. What causes holiday stress? For starters, employees are under pressure to keep up with the season's requisite parties and shopping trips - events that need to be somehow fit into schedules already stretched by extended working hours. At the same time, a greater number of customers are clamoring for attention. And those customers, feeling pressure from their own holiday activities, tend to be less forgiving about employee errors and omissions. The result: plenty of angst. "Everything comes together to create a high level of stress in the store," says Doug Fleener, president of Dynamic Experiences Group (dynamicexperiencesgroup.com), a consultancy in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Continue reading this story on Beauty Store Business'November digital edition.

[Image: Getty Images]

All U.S. Sally Beauty Supply stores should have new nail studios with about 750 shades of nail polishes near their entrances by January 2015, a top Sally Beauty Holdings executive said Nov. 13 in a conference call with analysts discussing the company's fiscal 2014 fourth-quarter and fiscal 2014 financial results released the same day.

The nail studios will be installed in 1,500 U.S. Sally Beauty Supply stores by the end of November, added Christian A. Brickman, who was appointed president and COO this past June. It is expected that Brickman will transition to CEO of Sally Beauty Holdings by April 2015.

"We will be marketing the nail studio to Sally customers in [the second quarter of] fiscal 2015 once all the stores are fully set," stated Brickman. "Based on the early feedback we have received, we’re already working on additional in-store studios—including a haircolor studio in order to further differentiate our stores going forward."

Additionally, SBS's "Store Refresh Test Initiative was recently completed with 139 U.S. Sally stores in three regions," he reported. The "refresh" includes hardwood floors, LED lighting and updated signage at a cost of about $20,000 per store, according to Brickman. "We will decide how broadly and quickly we want to move forward with additional stores" after evaluating the results, shared Brickman.

"TIGI [Professional], the maker of Bed Head and Catwalk, has awarded exclusivity to our BSG [Beauty Systems Group] stores and provided additional territory to our sales consulting business effective prior to January 2015," he also announced.

[Image of Sally Beauty Holdings headquarters in Denton, Texas, by Marc Birenbaum, Beauty Store Business; Earnings call transcript by Seeking Alpha used]

In early 2014, Andis introduced the American Legacy Collection - an experimental marketing campaign utilizing several of its own employees as makeover models in an attempt to illustrate the variety of styles that can be achieved with Andis clippers and trimmers. Beauty Store Business documented the campaign (April, BSB, page 62) with the help of Andis vice president of marketing Karen Formico, enabling us to provide you with a sneak peek of the campaign and interviews with the employees involved.

Now, in response to positive feedback received from stylists, consumers and beauty store owners, Andis has released the American Legacy Collection Series 2, using a new group of Andis employees as models, and taking additional steps to make the collection easier than ever for stores to retail.

Once again, we sit down with Formico; this time to hear the result of the first collection and to find out how this second series works further to assist beauty store owners with clipper and trimmer sales.

Continue reading this story in Beauty Store Business'November digital edition.

[Image courtesy of Andis Co.]

The Professional Beauty Association'sPBA Executive Summit 2014 to be held Dec. 4-5 at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia in Scottsdale, Arizona, has filled up quickly but there's space for some more executives, the PBA told Beauty Store Business Nov. 17.

"We are thrilled with the response and the amount of support we’re receiving for this event," said Jessi Marshall, director of the PBA's education & industry programs.

"Our goal is 125 with a maximum capacity of 150, and we are close with currently 131 registered attendees," stated Marshall. "Since this is the first year for the PBA Executive Summit, we wanted to create a more intimate experience to allow for networking and brainstorming opportunities. We felt that if we went over 150 we might lose the personal feel and the networking opportunities we're striving to create for the event as well as for the attendee’s experience."

According to Marshall, current attendee representation cuts across numerous professional beauty-industry sectors (manufacturers, manufacturers reps, distributors, schools, salons, beauty stores and others). Currently, 67 companies are attending. The vast majority of attendees—about 70%—are manufacturers and maunfacturers reps. Current beauty retailers are ULTA Beauty and Sally Beauty Supply. Current distributors are CosmoProf Beauty, SalonCentric, Beautyscope, DePasquale Salon Systems, Neill-TSP and Salon Innovations. Current confirmed trade press are BSB/Creative Age Publications, CEW Beauty Insider, GCI Magazine, Salon Today/Modern Salon, American Salon and The Beauty Industry Report.

Casual business attire is recommended for attendees at the Thursday-Friday event. "We want all attendees to feel comfortable so they can take as much away as possible from the event," she noted. "Plus, it's a gorgeous time of year in Scottsdale, so casual business attire might lend itself well to the weather.

"The Montelucia is a beautiful resort in the heart of Scottsdale with a Mediterranean feel," she added. "The location is within minutes of Camelback Mountain trails that locals and visitors flock to for hiking. While it might be a bit chilly for locals to be in the pool, hotel guests enjoy the pool year-round."

The venue itself doesn't have a golf course, but there are several award-winning courses nearby. Due to a high level of interest in golf among attendees to date, the PBA is arranging tee times on Saturday morning, Dec. 6, for those who have expressed the desire to play a round.

A decision has not been made yet about a PBA Executive Summit in 2015, commented Marshall. "The idea for this event was a direct result of the industry’s request. So we are going to wait and see what our attendees have to say before we commit to anything. Attendees will receive a survey at the conclusion of the event, and we will make a decision for 2015 based on their feedback."

For any questions about the new event, contact Marshall, jessi@probeauty.org, 480.455.3424. The PBA may be contacted at 800.468.2274, 480.281.0424. The Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia may be contacted at 888.627.3010, 480.627.3200. For more information about the event, visit www.probeauty.org/execs/.

[Image courtesy of the Professional Beauty Association]