Be Bonnie started its journey in 2002 by opening its first salon at Unnayan Commercial Centre, Kolkata. In a short span of time, the brand – which believes in the pursuit of excellence – attained mutual rewarding relationships with clients, associates and peers, relying on open communication, trust and respect. The brand aims to attain a leadership position in the Hair & Skin Salon category in the country’s eastern region, while working towards setting up a pan India network.
Be Bonnie prides itself on exploring uncharted territory and are pioneers of new ventures. The brand’s service and quality have evolved over the years as a result of its commitment to customer-centricity and satisfaction. Be Bonnie consistently works towards upgrading the quality of all its products by identifying consumer requirements – current and in the future – in a bid to establish long-term relationships with all its clients.
Brand Mission
The mission of the brand is a commitment to being an extension of the marketing department of principal companies like Aroma and creating awareness for innovative hair and skincare products and services – products and services which off er the best value for money to their customers.
Market Structure & Challenges
The salon industry in India has come a long way from small hole in the wall parlours in neighbourhood markets. Today, this industry is a valuable partner of the beauty and wellness sector in all of India and especially in the eastern part of India. Beauty salons are becoming essential ingredients of daily life and premium products along with an experience-driven economy are gaining ground – something the Be Bonnie is taking advantage of. The brand is providing unparalleled services and facilities to clients who then want to keep coming back for beauty and hygiene-related treatments.
Challenges to running a hair/ beauty salon in India can be many and varied. These can range from new competition to changes in the industry’s laws and regulations. “The salon should identify threats in order to create strategic adaptations to overcome impending challenges. For instance, a hair salon’s customer base may be threatened by a new outlet in the area. Although one cannot force the new hair salon to move, one can create new strategies to counteract the competition, retain customer base and bring in new customers. These might include introducing new styles, providing new promotions and specials, and promoting the salon’s customer benefits,” says Utpal Mitra, Director, Be Bonnie Bodycare Pvt Ltd.
“Hair & skin salons are involved in a competitive industry with diverse target markets. With such diversity in an ever-changing industry, salons must have an aggressive and strategic approach to maintaining a competitive edge. Salon industry is a vast category in comparison to market share of beauty & wellness segment and this graph is going high day by day. A SWOT analysis helps the businesses, including hair salons, to identify the areas in which they excel while classifying areas that require improvements and adjustments. Identifying the strengths of a hair salon can, at times, be as easy as looking at the clientele. A hair salon with an abundant clientele list is a sign of successful marketing, good operations and strong client management. Still, a strong analysis will identify the reasons that are good for the business,” says Mitra.
Opportunities can include introducing new hair-styles and styling methods, introducing new product lines and brands in the salon’s inventory and attracting a new client market.
“Factors like a well-trained team and a high traffic location can be the core strengths of the salon. For instance, lack of proper stylist training and poor customer care can hinder the hair salon’s income, but still not limit it. Identifying the hair salon’s weaknesses is the first step to making strategic improvements.It is important to take an unbiased look at the salon while completing this section. Weaknesses can be as simple as a lack of inventory, or as challenging as having the wrong location with limited space and parking,” he further adds.
Aside from this, the brand is investing heavily in technology. Be Bonnie has introduced billing software which helps in tracking client records like anniversaries and birthdays, so that the managemen can wish these clients personally. The brand also makes sure to stay connected with consumers by informing them of offers, deals and discounts with the help of this software. To garner more footfalls, Be Bonnie has tied up with few online companies which not only track the number of visits per day but also gives a correct data status of footfalls on a daily basis.
Growth, Achievements & Expansion Plans
The year 2019 has been very good for Be Bonnie so far with them coming up with a chain of salons recently in South Kolkata. For now, the brand prefers to open new outlets on high streets rather than in malls.
“Our preference is on the high street. Malls have multiple brands options which distribute the crowd, but on high streets, chances of two-three salons being present at one location are rare. There is also scope of opening outlets in more dense and interior areas of a city, which actually bring in more revenue and footfalls. In case of a mall, the situation is reversed,” explains Mitra.
The brand also launched ‘Be Bonnie Professionals’, their own range of hair-care products. The brand is on an expansion spree and has plans to open three more outlets in the coming year.
Must Read
