NEW YORK — Jean Louis David has its sights set on the mass market.
The salon business, which operates 12 stores in the U.S. (all in Manhattan) and 1,063 units internationally, has created a line of hair accessories, brushes, makeup bags and cosmetics tools to be sold in stores such as Duane Reade, Walgreens and Brooks-Eckerd. Buyers at these chains have been contacted about the line, said Liliane Schachmes, president of Cosmeco International, the line’s U.S. distributor, and will be provided details of the assortment at Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing’s European Beauty Care conference Feb. 26 in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Jean Louis David is owned by Minneapolis-based Regis Corp., the largest salon operator in the world, which acquired Jean Louis David in April 2002. La Brosse et Dupont, a division of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA, is manufacturing the hair care line.
Jean Louis David will go head to head with category leaders Conair and Goody in the hair accessories and styling segments. According to Information Resources Inc., Scünci led sales in hair accessories with $236.9 million in sales, while Goody ranked second with $159.2 million, in food, drug and mass stores for 2005. Conair ranked third with $108.9 million. However, Conair Corp. owns both the Scünci and Conair brands, making it the top vendor in the category. Sales data does not include Wal-Mart.
A new player in hair accessories is likely to have a tough time penetrating the unusually loyal customer base the category attracts. But Jean Louis David items have desirable designs and details that help make it stand out from the pack.
Brush handles are thick and easy to grip, and many brushes are made with boar bristles. Elastics are packaged in protective plastic bags with zippers for storage. Tweezers come with a carrying case. Makeup bags are gender neutral, available in turquoise, and have rubber detailing on the bottom and sides of bags. Packages are unified with products as both use turquoise, gray, orange and black shades. These items will be supplemented by seasonal and promotional offerings. Prices for the Jean Louis David line are competitive with what’s currently offered in stores. Brushes retail between $10 and $20, hair accessories will sell for $5 to $7 and makeup bags and cosmetics tools will sell for between $5 and $18. Landing one account could yield the company $1 million in first-year annual sales, said Schachmes.
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Market conditions are also in favor of Jean Louis David joining the mix. IRI data showed that hair accessories sales grew 7.4 percent in 2005 to $579 million. Merchandising displays for the Jean Louis David line have been designed to start at 2 feet and go up to 5 feet.
One impenetrable hurdle the line might face is whether people outside of Manhattan have ever heard of the Jean Louis David brand. Many people in New York are familiar with the hairdresser’s roots, knowing that he used to style the likes of Barbra Streisand and Shirley MacLaine, and considers himself an innovator in wash-and-wear hair. He now consults for the brand, splitting his time between Paris and the Bahamas.
Schachmes said people traveling to New York and Europe are used to seeing the brand via its numerous salons. She noted that buyers outside of New York knew the brand when she contacted them and were excited to hear about the new line. Public relations efforts will help get the Jean Louis David message out, too.
“People want something new,” Schachmes said.