Beauty Supply Stores: Understanding the Customers at the Beauty Supply Retail Channel

For many African American women, beauty supply stores are a cornerstone for their hair and skincare needs.

80% of AA women report using these stores for some element of their haircare needs. Over half of AA women report having purchased shampoo or conditioner from this channel in the past six months. This channel is also popular for purchasing styling products such as edge gel.

Over half of shoppers report choosing this channel due to its convenience. However, it can be differentiated from online/mass-retail offerings with almost half of women stating they use this channel as it stocks brands that cannot be found elsewhere.

There appears to be a trend of decline in the number of consumers shopping exclusively this channel, with 35% stating they are spending less in beauty supply stores, which is attributed to a few reasons such as the ability to find what they need in other retail channels, or hair style changes which do not require specialist products. However, the % of consumers who do shop the channel frequently have reported that they are spending more in the channel.