Upscale salons and spas are literally everywhere these days. Gone are the days when only metros and other urban cities had well-equipped beauty businesses. Tier 2 Indian cities are also now home to an array of reputed salon and spa chains. On the contrary, more than tier 1 cities, tier 2 cities have become salon hubs. The reason for this can be attributed to several factors including lower real estate rates, lesser competition, and customers with fewer demands. Tier 2 cities in the recent past are growing in terms of salons and spas, and their adoption of technology. They are seeing salon software as a major technological tool in helping them scale. However, what are the factors that are contributing to this growth?
Factors Driving Salon Software Growth in Tier II Cities
Increased Demand for Salon Services
Consumers in smaller Indian cities are becoming more beauty and wellness conscious. Owing to social media exposure and international trends, everybody wants to look a certain way and have a certain hair colour. There is a demand for professional salon services like never before. And, these consumers don’t want run-of-the-mill services. They want high-quality experiences from the time they schedule an appointment till the time they get home.
Urbanisation & Rise in Disposable Income of the People
It’s no surprise that tier 2 cities are experiencing rapid economic growth. This has led to an increased disposable income of the people. Better standards of living have boosted demand for premium services. Today, even the middle-class population has a high-spending ability.
Growth of Multichain Salons
Established salon brands in tier one cities are slowly expanding their presence through franchises. Salon owners are slowly realising that in order to make professional services more accessible, there is a strong need to invest in the right tools and technology.
Rapid Digitalisation
Digital tools have been around for quite some time now. However, post the COVID-19 pandemic, salons particularly realised the need to invest in digital tools. There was a growing need for contactless and appointment-based services. Today, the beauty industry has embraced concepts such as online booking, AI skin consultations and marketing which enhances client experience.
Today’s customers too in any tier 1, tier 2 or tier 3 city want solutions that are digitally-backed. This has pushed a large number of beauty businesses to adopt salon software for appointment scheduling, customer preference tracking and payments. It’s all done at the click of a button.
Professionalisation of Barber Shops
Though a lot of barbershops are still very unorganised, many of them are moving to organised formats. This professionalisation of barbershops has led to a growing need for tech-driven solutions. Everyone wants to manage their operations efficiently and offer their customers a top-notch experience. Consumers seek quality and convenience in everything they do. Whether it’s ordering groceries or booking themselves for a grooming service, they want to do it in a convenient and hassle-free way and most importantly at their own ease.
Better Technology Adoption
In smaller towns and tier 2 cities, very few salons have switched to the latest technology. However, owing to rapid advancements in other sectors, salons and spas are also now open to exploring new technology. It also represents a virgin market for SaaS providers. By understanding the myriad benefits of salon software, they’re ready to adopt it. The growing familiarity of digital literacy has also urged salon owners to use apps and software to manage business operations efficiently and facilitate growth. Digital India also has a crucial role to play in this. The government has encouraged SMEs to adopt technologies that will help them thrive.
Multilingual Support
Salon software offers multi-language interfaces which appeal to business owners that have staff from all across the country. They feel like when a solution supports multiple languages, it will be easier for their employees to grasp and use.
Conclusion
With the growing beauty and salon market, the competition too will be fierce. For salons in tier 2 cities to thrive, it’s important that they invest in Salon360App. While it will help them manage day-to-day operations, it will also help them reach new customers and create brand recognition. For this reason, tier 2 cities in India have emerged as a salon software hotspot.
