Dermalogica retailers, are you losing sales to web based sites????

[Lynne Baker]

Salons can't sell at the internet prices on the whole which makes it even more important that your clients are not just buying product from you, but are buying your expertise, advice, your experience and the whole salon experience. My clients could easily buy certain products cheaper elsewhere, but I doubt that they could just drop in on a Sunday, or have it taken to their door free of any postage charges, at their convenience. I do as much as possible to ensure that my clients have little reason to buy product elsewhere.

 

[SpaGirl]

The reason salons can't afford to discount dermalogica the way online purveyors do is simple - we buy 1 or 6 or 12 of each item; the online guy buys hundreds of each item. Dermalogica offers all their clients a quantity discount ... buy 6 get 5% off, buy 12 get one free. Start doing some math. It is more profitable to sell 1000 of something at a cheaper price than it is to sell a few things at a higher price. The salons either aren't getting the discounts the online guys are, or our volumes are too low. Having our clients, who we just spent time and energy educating about dermalogica and giving our professional recommendations to, go out and buy from the online guys just worsens the problem. I maintain that any skin business professional cannot stay competitive by supporting a line that their clients can buy without them.

I have retailed dermalogica exclusively in my salon for nearly 20 years. But when a client who had never heard of the line before me told me she was buying it online "because it's cheaper", I knew I had to do something. The kicker was that she then said, "But I'm buying what YOU TOLD ME TO."!!! WOW. I don't get paid to recommend a product to you and have you buy it from someone else. I only get back the money I've invested in stock when a client buys from ME! Unbelievable. So ... just think of how many clients, who like her, had also never heard of the line before, are getting it online and through unlicensed purveyors, but just aren't telling us - they just aren't coming back into our businesses. This is a HOT topic for me, to be sure!

 

[angelina221]

I'm so pleased i went with Eve Taylor.Eve Taylor police sites such as ebay and you can't sell it on the internet at a cheaper price than in salons. If you type Eve Taylor into ebay you wont find any!
Their range is really good and i swear by it. If Eve Taylor can do it then so can other companies!

 

[fozzyo]

If Eve Taylor can do it then so can other companies!

I can see the response now from any leading skincare brand: "Oh I do wish we could stop these people selling our products cheaply on the Internet and undercutting all our salons. But we don't want to."

Why? Because they are making shed loads of cash from people saving shed loads of cash!

 

[Sandiiiiiiii]

I agree with angelina and with you fozzyo. I too use eve taylor and never see it on ebay etc which is fantastic....companies like dermalogica are making so much money form these internet sellers that they don't care about smaller salons etc. Very betraying I think to their real professionals that really promote their brands!

 

[tor]

Im so Glad somone bought this up im based in Ireland and have been with Dermalogica 3 years because of the sterling been so weak against the euro some sites online are selling Dermalogica Cheaper than i can buy it Its not fair and Dermalogica DO NOT CARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Lynne Baker]

Business is rarely "fair".
If you're that unhappy about your choice of skincare there are many others to choose from. Most, if not all, of those others will be only too delighted to supply you, and you can introduce another range gradually while you run down your Dermalogica stock. The only person who can do something about this is you. As you rightly observe Dermalogica will not care. Find a supplier who will!
As your sig says - be positive. I'd like to add - be proactive - to that.
You could do a lot worse than SwissDermyl. A company small enough to care but big enough to cope. And you won't find it on eBay or QVC.

 

[tegan2]

Hi Charles! I am right behind you. I have only had a few clients who have bought from the internet. I offer different incentives for them to but from me but I think we need to set up something official to campaign against it. Don't know quite what but I'm sure there would be a lot of support.

 

[SpaGirl]

What can we do? We can change lines. Will they crumble with our departures? No. They will go on selling through unlicensed venues all over the world and will do just fine without us.

The POINT was that dermalogica was FOUNDED on principles that convinced us to believe in their company and products - WE made them popular - and now it is they who are stabbing us, their professionally licensed skin care "tribe" in the back and massively profiting from their 'bad karma' mass-marketing ways! Protesting dermalogica TO dermalogica will do nothing. The levee has broken, there is no turning back ... they are simply following the dollar/pound/rand/yen/Euro ... and simply do not see us as relevant to their monetary success.

 

[Teebster]

Just an observation, but I went in to Boots the Chemist this morning and they were in the process setting up a display selling Dermalogica products. I am sure boots will offer incentives on premium products at sometime as well as their points/loyalty scheme. Have to say they were also setting up a Declor stand as well. I am sure they are only selling these products in the larger branches but even so does add to your debate xx

 

[fozzyo]

TBH if I found Dermalogica were selling on the high-street and was considering opening an account that would probably stop me very quickly! Even if they don't discount the price this would cause me serious concern for a two reasons:

1) People are lazy - they like convenience so will stock up on products while in town
2) It devalues the brand - they have clearly decided not to support their salons, spa's and above all therapists

If they are moving into Boots then this is a major strategy shift on their part, and one that will seriosuly impact on small / independent salons. Causing a lot to move to another brand I don't doubt.

Mat

 

[bexi]

Just an observation, but I went in to Boots the Chemist this morning and they were in the process setting up a display selling Dermalogica products. I am sure boots will offer incentives on premium products at sometime as well as their points/loyalty scheme. Have to say they were also setting up a Declor stand as well. I am sure they are only selling these products in the larger branches but even so does add to your debate xx

Are you being serious? It was in boots?

 

[jo-from-moorspa]

I am very surprised at this thread. Could nobody see this coming?

A brand which rewards only its top selling salons with web presence, rep visits and platinum status is obviously motivated by sales. Even training is geared to retailing products (is there still a song?).

However, it does not make it right. The salons and therapists that helped build the brand are now getting their livelihood destroyed. If departments stores, chemists and online competition take your retails sales how many more treatments do you need to do to maintain your income (and is that really possible)?

The one question I seem to get asked more and more is about exclusivity for an area, I wonder why?

 

[essentia]

If they are moving into Boots then this is a major strategy shift on their part, and one that will seriosuly impact on small / independent salons. Causing a lot to move to another brand I don't doubt.

Mat

Totally agree - if anyone has ever been in doubt then it is very clear now what they are trying to do. Unless you have very loyal customers and good sales I would seriously consider dealing with them if issues raised on this thread are concerning you. They will be in Debenhams offering treatments next like the other big brands.

 

[Teebster]

Well, to make sure I was not seeing things I have just rang my local boots to ask if I was right and that they were stocking Dermalogica products as I had seen a display being set up this morning with price tickets next to a display with Declor products already actually on the shelf and was told that "Yes they will be stocking Dermalogica products, it is a new line and they are just waiting for them to come in". I asked when and was told that it would be soon as they would not hold empty shelves with tickets for any length of time, so to expect them any time now. I feel really sorry for all of you who have invested a lot of money in a company that obviously does not keep you informed, but it seems as though they don't have to now they have built a reputation on the support of hard working people like you. xx

 

[bexi]

Well, to make sure I was not seeing things I have just rang my local boots to ask if I was right and that they were stocking Dermalogica products as I had seen a display being set up this morning with price tickets next to a display with Declor products already actually on the shelf and was told that "Yes they will be stocking Dermalogica products, it is a new line and they are just waiting for them to come in". I asked when and was told that it would be soon as they would not hold empty shelves with tickets for any length of time, so to expect them any time now. I feel really sorry for all of you who have invested a lot of money in a company that obviously does not keep you informed, but it seems as though they don't have to now they have built a reputation on the support of hard working people like you. xx

I have just spoken directly with a marketing lady at Dermalogica and she absolutly denied this, I have also just rung boots and they denied all knowledge of this.

 

[Martigirl]

I have just spoken directly with a marketing lady at Dermalogica and she absolutly denied this, I have also just rung boots and they denied all knowledge of this.

My mum has worked for Boots for 30 years and different areas as well as different sized or types of stores get different ranges. Only when they hit the floor a lot of the time do the staff realise they are there.

My gut is telling me that Teebster is spot on with her information, she has no reason to say otherwise.

 

[bexi]

My mum has worked for Boots for 30 years and different areas as well as different sized or types of stores get different ranges. Only when they hit the floor a lot of the time do the staff realise they are there.

My gut is telling me that Teebster is spot on with her information, she has no reason to say otherwise.

Oh my god -its like the worst news ever (if its true.) I actually rang boots head office but who knows.

If dermalogica have lied straight to my face I'm off!

But I'll wait and see for confirmation!

 

[Teebster]

01227 470944 that the number of the Boots I saw the display at. I said I wanted to know as I had seen it being set up this morning and I wanted to buy some Dermalogica and was about to do so on line but would rather wait if they were about to stock it.

 

[bexi]

01227 470944 that the number of the Boots I saw the display at. I said I wanted to know as I had seen it being set up this morning and I wanted to buy some Dermalogica and was about to do so on line but would rather wait if they were about to stock it.

Hi

Not sure who you spoke to but the person I spoke to denied it also!