So, we've just sent our email informing clients we've reviewed our pricing this year (as usual in January). Everyone’s talking about the cost of living, and so they should, things are tough out there and everyone seems to be putting their prices up.
We don't get too many grumbles in the salon, and that’s on purpose - we carefully review our prices each year and do a lot to keep Tom Ashley affordable and luxury at the same time. Here's what’s really happening behind the scenes and why we’ve reviewed our pricing. Strap in!
Every January, our headline suppliers/partners put up their prices. We follow suit and reflect that increase in our guide amount, honestly, it’s always less than what they do. In July 2022, our supplier put their prices up again, unprecedented to have 2 price rises in 1 year. We didn’t pass that 2nd rise onto you, so we’ve been a little on the backfoot as we’ve been absorbing the second price rise since July 2022. As expected, our supplier has again increased their prices for 2023, but much more than anticipated; up to 17.3% (!) for some parts of the product supply. Don’t fret; we’re not rising our prices by 17%!
Dinner
party rules apply; I'm not talking politics, but despite central
government promising to help out small
businesses recover from the pandemic, our Business Rates rose 25% in 2022
compared to 2021 and are expected to climb again in April 2023. We received no support on VAT like the
hospitality industry did over the pandemic.
We haven’t got the energy;
well, we have, but it’s costing a lot more, just like at home…. Wonder how
much our energy bill has gone up? Wonder no more: 256%. But what about the government help?
There is none. As you’re aware, our energy consumption is considerable,
heating water, heating & lighting the large salon space, washing & tumble-drying
towels and running hairdryers. Yikes.
Trust us; out of most of the feedback we receive, we love to hear that we are ‘trusted’. So, you can expect that trust to continue. Trust us when we take you through a hair-diagnosis and recommended the best product for you. You can’t get that online and we genuinely are offering a bespoke service. That’s why we want you to buy in-salon and not online from companies that don’t even pay VAT (not to mention people buying the wrong products which are totally unsuitable for them).
Not everything is going up; we’re not raising all of our prices, in fact, some are coming down! Retail Price Index currently stands at 14%, which our increases will fall below. We’ve worked hard to minimise these increases as much as possible. I’ve mentioned that we didn’t pass on the 2nd price rise to our clients in 2022 or when our energy went up over 200% back in April, so you can continue to buy your favourite products, we’re only going to raise product (retail) prices when we re-order at the new increased cost price. Which means we’re freezing the price of the items we already have in stock. I saw that coming, so we invested in late 2022 to keep prices low for as long as possible. This is why you might find some shampoos priced a little differently in-salon.
It’s a match; we run regular promotions such as price-matching, which means if you find it cheaper somewhere else, we’ll try to match it (T&C’s on our website). We can even deliver locally.
Keep it down; we’re continually looking at ways we can keep costs down so we can stay open; like encouraging cash payments so we don’t lose 5% straight away in card fees and compressing our working hours so we can heat/light the salon for less time. Literally, every little helps (not my slogan!)
Ok, I’ll stop now, but in a snapshot, here’s our advice on how you can continue visiting us:
- Grab discounts when you see them
- Change appointments well ahead of time to avoid cancellation fees
- Shop local and take advantage of expert advice and free delivery
- Look at our offers page on our website & keep an eye on socials
- Recommend your tribe... like a post, share it, send people our way and we'll look after them
See you soon!
B @ Tom Ashley