LOTIONS & Packaging
by Michael Caswell, Ph.D.
Packaging
Generally, two important aspects are considered when a company chooses packaging for their product. First, the packaging has to look similar to other products in its category. For example, a bottle of moisturizing lotion has to look like it is a bottle of moisturizing lotion. If it looks like a sunless tanning lotion, then your customers who look at it will be looking for a sunless tanning lotion and will not buy it because it is not a moisturizing lotion. However, the packaging also must be sufficiently distinctive to set it apart from other moisturizing lotions. A product with distinctive packaging will be able to develop recognition based solely on packaging.
Second, the packaging must be cost-effective and functional. An expensive package calls for a higher price, although the lotion inside might be no better than that of a less expensive product. Customers might buy an expensive package once, but if the product inside offers no benefit, another sale would be unlikely. In addition, the package needs to be functional. If the expensive package offers a benefit to the customer, then they might buy the product again. For example, a lotion in a pump bottle can be used on the countertop every day and it can be used to fill small sample-sized containers. Your customers can get multiple uses from the product, which increases customer satisfaction and the chances of repurchase. Thus, the salon sells more product.
When examining a bottle of lotion, notice the packaging, the container, the closure or top and the label. Lotions come in many different containers with a variety of labels. Containers can be simple plastic bottles with a pump dispenser or they can be colored bottles. Generally, a pump dispenser is white. These types of containers are relatively inexpensive and with an attractive label they offer a very clean appearance.
When you receive your products, immediately examine your purchase. Is the order complete? Is the packaging intact? Are the bottles damaged, cut or soiled? Are the labels on correctly? If anything is wrong with the purchase, immediately contact the distributor with clear information about the problem. The distributor then can check his or her supplies and determine if a larger problem exists. You not only will be helping your salon, but also the distributor and the manufacturer.
To protect your salon, look at the packaging before you buy. Is the packaging distinctive yet similar to competitive products? Does the packaging offer some benefits to the customers? If the answer is yes to each of these questions, then the product probably will be successful in your salon. My perspective is that you, the salon owner, should avoid wasting your money on gimmicks that remain unsold on the salon shelf.
Lotion
Once you have sold a bottle of lotion, the most important quality of the product for repeat sales is the lotion itself. The lotion will bring the customer back. There are several characteristics of the lotion that are important to your customer. Perhaps the most important are color, fragrance, thickness, greasiness and absorption. When you try a new lotion at a trade show, look closely at these characteristics.
To your customer, the lotion fragrance is perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic. It should be noticeable, yet complement your daily choice of fragrance. Further, it should fade within 30 minutes. Whether a lotion smells good is in the "nose" of the customer. What one customer likes, another may not. However, some lotions are known for their pleasing fragrance, and these are the lotions that should be sold in your salon. If the fragrance of a lotion is not pleasing to you, you probably want to keep the lotion out of your salon so you don't have to smell it four or five times each day.
The color of a moisturizing lotion should be white or off-white, indicating purity. Occasionally, a lotion will be designed to have a light yellow or light green color; however, these lotions are rare because coloring ingredients may cause problems for customers with sensitive skin. When you put some lotion in the palm of your hand, look at the lotion from different angles to see how the color can change. A lotion that holds a clean white color looks richer to the eye.
A daily moisturizing lotion should appear rich and thick, yet absorb into the skin quickly without a greasy residue. With new raw materials available to scientists, this request is no longer difficult. Salon owners should demand these characteristics from the lotions they sell in their salons. When you try a lotion, take your normal amount and rub it into your hands. As you rub, ask yourself if the lotion is absorbing quickly. In less than one minute, the lotion should give your hands a soft, velvety feel without feeling greasy. Afterward, your hand should appear natural without a greasy shine.
Salon owners should choose their salon's products according to their customer base. Generally, younger customers will prefer a lighter moisturizing lotion with a non-floral fragrance. If a salon caters to a wide age group, consider a light, daily moisturizing lotion and a heavier, daily moisturizing lotion. This way, a salon owner can appeal to both the younger and older groups by stocking different types of lotions.
My Perspective
To run a quality salon, salon owners must sell quality lotions. Although the manufacturer creates a moisturizing lotion to appeal to the customers, it is your job to decide which lotions to sell in your salon. My perspective is that salon owners should closely examine their lotions each year to determine if they are meeting their customers' needs. Look at the packaging and test the lotion. If a different lotion meets your customers' needs better, you will help your customers by selling that new lotion in your salon and will help your salon by selling more product. Demand and sell only the best. By demanding that lotion manufacturers meet your requirements, you are providing your customers with the best possible products available on the market today and ensuring the long-term success of your salon.
