There was a rumble in cyber-space today; well actually the conversation has been brewing for a few days now since the distribution of Sephora’s new catalog. Apparently I’ve been hiding under a rock because I didn’t get a wind of it until today when Minx sent a mass e-mail to all of the Minx Manicurists. My guess based on what I read here at BeautyTech.com is that they’ve probably been receiving some angry phone calls. Shortly after the e-mail hit my inbox… my twitter feed exploded!
What was all the brewhaha about? Well, Sephora along with OPI collaborated with Minx for a new product. I immediately reached out to Minx PR; however I didn’t get much more info from them than what was in the e-mail I’d received earlier.
I ignored my twitter for a while, and gave this deal some thought. My background is business, I was in corporate just about as long as I’ve been in the beauty industry, and in 2001 I launched my own natural bath & body line and I've had my own beauty studio for five years now, so I can easily see this from the perspective of a small business owner (yes, Minx is a small business) as well as from the viewpoint of a manicurist.
I realize a lot of manicurists may have the misconception that because they’re placing 2 and 3, maybe even half a dozen $300 Minx orders a month that the company must be making money hand over fist. However, there’s production costs, marketing costs, administrative costs and the lists goes on. In addition it takes a while for almost any small business to begin to turn huge profits especially without additional cash flow.
I said all of that to say what? I understand where Minx is coming from. Collectively our $200 and $300 Minx orders are just not enough for Minx to continue to meet current demands grow the business and bring us new and innovative products. I hope that all makes sense.
Now let’s look at this from a Minx Manicurist's perspective. Is this Sephora OPI product in direct competition with the Minx service that you provide? In my opinion the answer is NO. Minx is a LUXE service, and should be treated as such. If you’re not marketing it in this way and discounting the service to compete on price here is your wake-up call to step up your game. There’s enough market share out there for the DIY client and the Minx client who is looking for a luxury service.
Here's a good example, I’m also a bridal makeup artist. I airbrush and I use Temptu. Sephora also carries a consumer line of Temptu Airbrush products. I personally have yet to hear of a bride that decided to airbrush herself on her wedding day. Sephora carrying Temptu has not affected my business.
In addition, do you remember Lee Press-on Nails? Well that didn’t stop women from going to the salon for acrylic tips and sculptures, did it?
Earlier today another Minx Manicurist and I were discussing this Minx/OPI/Sephora collaboration and she asked me what I thought. My response was that I don’t see my client sitting at home pushing anything on their nails to save a few bucks. That’s simply not my clientele. I think the OPI/Minx product (Mind you I keep calling the product that but it's actually OPI for Sephora) will appeal to a customer base with less disposable income, girls in high school and others living on a small fixed income.
Another possibility is that the OPI/Minx product will bring more awareness to the professional Minx service. EVERYONE shops Sephora but not everyone is familiar with Minx. So don’t fret, instead of feeling as though you may have to lower your prices to “compete” try adding more value to your service. Just like there’s enough market share for dozens of Minx Manicurists in each city there’s enough room for this new product. Think about it, instead of wasting valuable time on the phone with someone haggling you over your Minx price, you can now direct them to an affordable alternative that may be within their budget.
BeautySchooled! would love to hear your thoughts and please forward this post to anyone that you know who performs Minx services. Let’s discuss.
(Minx Photos: courtesy of Lisa Logan)
5 comments:
This is a great post! There are all sorts of hidden costs in the things we buy for beauty. Thanks for your analysis.
Great info! Glad that you touched on the "lowering prices" subject. I think that services should be priced accordingly and personally I turn the other way when a professional has lower than normal prices for luxe services.
It makes me question their ability to perform and if it's going to be that cheap I might as well do it myself.
Thank you Jessica and Charmaine both for reading and your feedback. Charmaine I feel exactly the same way. Pricing that's too low for a luxe service always gets the *side-eye* from me. lol!
Great post! I look at this like highlights - there are highlighting kits all over the place, and sometimes people attempt to use them. Often they end up orange and call a salon. The true minx should not be harmed; the Sephora version is like a $15 highlight kit...
I honestly think are are enough products for consumers. The professional service and products should be left to us professionals. I think out of respect for the license nail professionals that have supported Minx it should not be a consumer product, but i also understand that small business must do what they have so.
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