Magazine for the professional nail industry.
Issue link: http://nailsmag.epubxp.com/i/794232
106 | NAILS MAGAZINE | APRIL 2017 Like many nail-focused salons, Buff Beauty Parlor also offers hair removal services. Gel-polish is Sorbet's most popular nail service across its 170+ salons. South Africa-based salon chain Sorbet maintains a consistent look with its bubbly logo and signage. Long almond-shaped nails are popular at Nadia Erasmus's salon. SERVICE AND SALON PROFILE The salon-going population is truly diverse. "Everyone and anyone gets their nails done here in South Africa: women, men, young girls, and boys. There are salons catering to your more average income earners and then there are those in upmarket business areas that cater to career and business women and men, and even celebrities," says van Rensburg. "It has also become a social and even family outing for some, bringing along their little ones to have services and treatments done while they have theirs done. Men have become a lot more open and no longer have this stereotyped view, or feel embarrassed to have their nails, hands, and feet done. In fact, they feel it is a very important part of good grooming and looking good and how they are perceived as a man." Basic manicures start at R180 (US$13) and high-end spa manicures top out at about R350 (US$26), according to van Rensburg. Pedicures range from R220 (US$16) to R400 (US$30). The types of salons are diverse as well, and include full-service salons, nails-only salons, and everything in between (such as nail salons with hair removal services and men's salons). Some salons are appointment only, while others are walk-in only, and some are a mix. Chain salon Sorbet has been so successful that after opening about 170 salons (and counting) throughout South Africa, including a handful of nail bars, it recently expanded to the United Kingdom. "We have created a salon chain that anyone else could have created: accessible treatments and products and convenient locations in the package of a beautiful brand," says Courtney Fuhr, brand manager of the Sorbet Group. In order to help solve the problem of finding qualified employees, Sorbet owns four Beauty Therapy Institute schools that offer individual and combination courses where students study on their own time at their own pace. "They complete their modules and are guaranteed a job interview with Sorbet," Fuhr says. The chain's most popular nail service is Gelish, which is consistent with the country's gel-polish nail service trend. In December alone, the chain did 75,000 Gelish applications. Essie flagship nail and waxing salon Buff Beauty Parlor in coastal Umhlanga does brisk business with many different client demographics. "A lot of moms are coming in with daughters (our youngest client was 3), so the tween/ teen market is an important one for us. We can definitely see the growing trend of male grooming and men love that they have 'The Workshop' — a male treatment and retail space where they can have pedis and manis," says Tracy Gielink, Buff managing owner. Buff can accommodate groups of 10 clients at a time for manicures and pedicures and also hosts private parties in its space. Quirky gift ideas abound in its retail area, which does very well. Much thought and attention to detail went into Buff's interior design, which includes a soda fountain. Its most popular service is pedicures, "possibly because you have to have pretty sandal-ready feet at the coast in the summer," Gielink says. "When it comes to fingernails, most clients have acrylic with gel-polish application for color. A pedicure is R270 [US$20] and a new set of acrylic or gel nails is R450 [US$33] (same price for overlays or tips) or R550 [US$40] with the gel-polish application too." NAIL STYLE Most clients opt for gel-polish in the couture colors of the moment. "Most woman who have their nails done are very conscious about what looks and colors are in and trending," says van Rensburg. For example, in the summer, bright colors are popular. Regarding enhancements, van Rensburg says, "The trend is liquid-and-powder enhancements in medium to long lengths shaped into ballerina and coffin shapes." Buff's Gielink also sees increasing requests for coffin-shaped nails and to a lesser degree, stiletto. "There is also a predilection for a touch of bling with clients doing chrome or glitter on an >>>