Hair dryers and hair care a hot pair

Discount Store News, March 1, 1993

The best location for personal care products within a discount store is likely to come under greater scrutiny as suppliers renew marketing efforts to pair hair care appliances with health & beauty care and cosmetic labels.

Discounters often merchandise the category in housewares, H&BC, or with home environment products (like humidifiers and air cleaners) near the pharmacy. Others have placed the appliances adjacent to hair care accessories like clips, bows and brushes.

But new appliance introductions and marketing efforts could cause divisonal merchandise managers to reconsider where personal care appliances are displayed.

Helen of Troy Corp. unveiled a line of Revlon licensed hair care appliances in January, creating a merchandising bridge between cosmetics and electrical hair care products.

Clairol, long known for both its hair care appliances and its hair colorings, has developed promotions combining the strengths of these two divisions. The manufacturer also repackaged its appliances to mirror the design of its Ultress hair coloring boxes. Conair and Vidal Sassoon brands had also tied appliance, hair care formulas and hair grooming aids together under a brand umbrella, but Clairol intends to take this "marriage" a step further.

James J. Vatrt, director of sales and marketing at Clairol, noted that in Clairol's history there has never been any cross-merchandising of hair colors and hair care appliances, but that the company plans to undertake numerous promotions tying the two Clairol brands together.

Conair's new "90210" licensed hair care appliances are geared toward the teen market and could find greater sizzle and impulse purchase opportunities with other teen-related categories such as accessories and cosmetics.

Among national chains, the Wal-Mart Supercenters place personal care and environmental care appliances within housewares, offering a wider range of manufacturers than most retailers, with the exception of cataloger Service Merchandise and other hard lines discounters like Lechmere.

The Wal-Mart Supercenter selection includes a broad range of price points and supplier such as the Clairol and Slimlines 3/4-inch curling iron for $6.88 and the Solid Gold line from Windmere for $11.96 and the Hartman 1/2-inch barrel curling iron for $5.43. In total, these stores offer more than 12 different models of curling irons, another dozen hair dryer models and an extensive assortment of air and water filters and cleaners, all within the housewares area.

Target also groups personal care appliances with other small appliances in housewares, but does create a "home" for hair care appliances along one aisle with home environment products on the facing aisle.

Helen of Troy's new Sable line, geared toward the ethnic market, has already been placed in some Target stores. Whil Conair and Clairol are the dominant brands in the department, the chain has extended its vast private label reach into personal care appliances where it now offers the "Salon Selections" hair care line, retailing for about $2 less than the national brand names.

Among regional chains, Caldor's assortment consists of 4 linear feet of hair curlers, 8 feet of hair dryers and 4 feet of massagers and other personal care appliances. In Caldor's new prototype, the category is positioned on a gondola with housewares. In stores with the older format, personal care lines the back wall of the housewares department adjacent to floor care.

GrandPa's, the regional discounter based in Bridgeton, Mo., merchandises personal care appliances adjacent to hair care accessories in the H&BC department. Conair and Clairol are the dominant brands.