NEW YORK — Several different brands under the L’Oréal Professionnel umbrella are introducing new products to help address women’s demanding hair needs, as well as to boost the hair care division’s sales between 10 percent and 15 percent in 2005.
To get there, the fifth-largest professional hair care company with an estimated $125 million in annual sales for 2004 is first looking to build on its $50 million Serie Expert franchise. Coming to salons in October is a new line under Serie Expert, Absolut Repair, which targets overprocessed, damaged hair. Likely candidates include those who double or triple process their hair, leaving it to “feel like straw,” said Soniya Sheth, marketing director for L’Oréal Professionnel Hair Care and Styling.
Absolut Repair joins existing Serie Expert in-salon treatments, which target fine, colored, curly, blonde and dry-hair types, and are offered in 5,000 salons. The in-salon treatment starts with the application of Renew C, which is formulated with AHA-Lipid Guard, Expert’s first pretreatment with alpha hydroxy acids. Renew C looks to protect keratin links prior to a color or chemical process. After a shampoo, Power Repair B with Neofibrine technology is applied, to deep-condition and restore shine.
Users can then take home Absolut Repair’s Expert Homecare range, a shampoo ($17), a conditioner ($18), a masque ($24) and a leave-in cream ($19). The in-salon service costs between $15 and $35, depending on the salon.
According to Pierre Lampert, vice president and general manager of L’Oréal Professionnel, Serie Expert is on a roll. Its success at the backbar has broadened its availability recently to an additional 2,000 high-end salon doors. In fact, backbar items make up 35 percent of Serie Expert’s business. While he wouldn’t reveal L’Oréal Professionnel’s overall sales, industry sources estimate the company generates nearly $125 million each year. Matrix and Redken, two other businesses under the L’Oréal’s professional hair care group, rank first and second, sources said.
Also looking to boost sales are several new styling items under the Textureline brand, called Colorshow, which are specifically formulated to protect color-treated hair. There’s Lisscream, to smooth hair, Volumemousse for volume and Fixspray to hold styles in place. Lisscream and Volumemousse use a shine-optimizing wax fortified with apricot oil, amino acids and UV filters. All items have low levels of alcohol, are packaged in pink containers and retail for $13.95. Colorshow will also be available in salons in October. L’Oréal Professionnel expects Textureline sales to increase 30 percent with the launch of Colorshow, as well as by Freshstyle, a four-item line promising clean and natural-looking locks that launched in the spring.
Related Articles
You May Also Like
L’Oréal Professionnel is also broadening highlighting options in the salon. In August, a new highlighting service, Platinium, kicked off in salons such as Frédéric Fekkai and Salon AKS, and looks to make a commodity service a luxurious one. Platinium, which is mainly for highlights, uses conditioning benefits to replace lipids and leave hair in the condition it was in prior to a color treatment.
“It’s a healthier highlighting service,” said Chris Turner, assistant vice president of marketing at L’Oréal Professionnel. Platinium uses a paste technology — as opposed to dust — so colorists don’t inhale it. L’Oréal built a separate facility in Spain to manufacture Platinium, which has already more than doubled L’Oréal Professionnel’s market share in the hair color category, Lampert added.