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where to buy salon products?
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papillon_purple View Drop Down
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    Posted: April 25 2003 at 11:17am
I'm wondering where to buy salon products, like Redken, Paul Mitchell, etc. I know the individual companies state that they can only guarantee the products sold through salons or in their own stores, like Aveda.

I know some places, like drugstore.com, post a disclaimer for the salon products. Does this also apply to general beauty supply stores?

Also, how does a salon become a "Redken" salon or a "Paul Mitchell" salon? Does the company have to certify them? I ask because I've seen some salons only sell products from one company, while other salons carry products from multiple companies.
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Lyris View Drop Down
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Points: 1269 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lyris Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 25 2003 at 11:41am
I'd be interested in a salon's affiliation process too. The (arguably) top salon in my town recently switched from Aveda to Sebastian, and I was curious about the way salons align themselves with a brand. Thanks!
Look for beauty, and you will find no intelligence. Look for intelligence and you will find both.Proud member of the Cult of All Soft
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LiliBeach View Drop Down
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Points: 526 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LiliBeach Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 25 2003 at 6:36pm
To sell a professional line, it depends on the company. Paul Mitchell and Redken are very specific on who sells their product. You must set up an account with a supplier by your cosmotology shop licence and your business licence. Both have a "Royal Member" program for the salons who purchase an "x" amount of thier product each month. With the "royal club" you earn points to purchase class tickets, merchandise and more product.

TIME FOR LILI"S SOAPBOX TO BE PULLED OUT AND PUT TO USE (start CD of star-spangled banner now)

In both companies they have a strict NO DIVERSION policy. The drug stores and department stores attain there product by hireing a middle man that will recruit salon owners to purchase large amounts of product for them, in return they pay the salon owner. This practice is very illegal and is very widespread. Redken and Paul Mitchell monitor the purchases of salons and if they suddenly purchase a very high amount, they will red flag them for investigation. Once investigated they will be prossecuted and revoked thier right to ever sell there product again.
So as innocent as it seems that your local Target or Rite-aid is selling these products, just remember how they got there. They are usually higher priced than in salons. ( I check them constantly) It also hurts the stylist who are working hard at making a living and depending on profits made by the sell of these products in their salon. ( Do you actually think Target and Wal-greens are hurting finacially? I think not) Stylist are hard working individuals who are trying to pay their rent just like anyone else in this world.

So next time you think of buying a Professional Product any other way but in a salon, think of this very true story and put your hard earned money toward a fellow hard working American!!
I am a professional Hairstylist/Haircolorist with 19 years experience. I have traveled all over the country for my advanced education. I am also a salon owner.:)........and I LOVE Redken!!!
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Karen Shelton View Drop Down
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Points: 4515 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Karen Shelton Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2003 at 7:06pm
Hi Lili and all,

This topic makes me so mad I could shoot flames out of my mouth..or something similarly dramatic. :-)

HairBoutique.com has always played by the rules and never sold any hair care or beauty products that we did not have written permission for in our Marketplace.

In some cases I have been told "confidentially" by the mfgs. that they would "look the other way" if I wanted to sell the pro products although they would disavow all knowledge that they gave me "permission".

Yea right...so of course I passed on that deal.

I also promised ARTec execs that I would always honor their "no diversion" code. And I have done so religiously even though I love ARTec and have used it for years. I know I have helped sell it for them because I include so much info on the site and have sent hundreds of emails about the ARTec line to people who email me w/ questions.

Meanwhile competitiors like Drugstore.com and Beauty.com and the similar ilk sell products that are "professional" and since I am walking the honest line I can't/don't. So I lose out big time since I have many customers constantly asking me for those very products that Drugstore.com sells. Like Matrix and ARTec and Aveda and Paul Mitchell.

I have 3 hairstylists that work on an ongoing basis for Hairboutique.com. We have one that comes to HB.com every first Monday to cut everyone's hair here and to work with me on consumers questions and hair issues. I pay them but because we don't have a "salon" we still don't quality to sell the professional lines yet Drugstore & many many other companies do.

This burns me up on a number of fronts. And yes, the mfgs of the professional lines KNOW full well about the diversion issues and they look the other way. I feel bad for the salons, the stylist and for me....we all play by the "rules".

Now when I go to Kroger or Albertsons in Dallas I see Matrix and Paul Mitchell and ARTec and yet I am still left out in the cold.

I was recently approached by one of the top distributors in the country who offered me the same lines that Kroger and Albertson has and Drugstore.com. They promised that they would support me and give me paperwork that gave me permission to sell the products here at HB.com but it would still be "unofficially".

So let me ask all of you....what would you do if you were me? The HairBoutique.com Marketplace pays for the HairBoutique.com site to be 100% free for all our valued visitors. We currently use 2 full T1s & 5 inhouse servers to handle all the traffic, messageboards, galleries and other free hair info related goodies. Our monthly operating expenses would make many people faint. However, we started the Markeplace so that we could be the site that we are today. I am not complaining but I just want to be able to compete fairly. Know what I mean?

Yet we are getting really screwed on this professional line deal. And anyone who knows about me and my obsession w/ hair knows...I have read every cosmetology book and watched every hair care/styling/cutting video that I could find. I have taken lots of courses on hair care, cutting, color...etc., yet because I don't have a salon or a stylist's license (if I had the time I would go to school in a heartbeat) I am officially not allowed to carry these products....even though I have 3 stylists that work for HB.com and get paid to help us offer advice to our many consumer customers.

Yeah...I could just say screw it and do it. But I respect people like Lili and others in the industry who are also getting the shaft from the mfgs who know but turn a blind eye. So who is right? Who is wrong?

In Europe and England they don't have this bizarre set of double standards. And hey, if some salon or stylist wants to partner with me to do this legally I would be all ears.

I guess nice guys & gals really do finish last. OK. I am stepping off my soapbox but I would love to hear what you all have to say about this.

Thanks so much.
Karen
That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger or drives you totally insane. :-)
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Dark40 View Drop Down
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Points: 126 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dark40 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 21 2012 at 10:34pm
You can buy a few salon products all over the web.  It is pretty common to find them unlike a few years ago. 

Edited by Karen Shelton - October 08 2012 at 10:20am
Shannon D. Bax
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