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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Mass Appeal Of Hair Line

Beauty brand “For the Love of Hair” has ended its exclusive placement deal in Bed Bath & Beyond stores, and Calabasas Beauty Group has plenty of new options for its prime product line. First, Love of Hair is still available at locations of Bed Bath & Beyond and its subsidiary, Harmon Discount Health & Beauty. But without the exclusivity clause, Calabasas Beauty Group can sell it elsewhere, and co-founders Frank Loffa and Robb Weinstein are searching for the right distribution channels while also developing new products. The partners started the Calabasas company in 2014 to create a brand that would generate some excitement with haircare lovers. “We really wanted to create a brand name that had some excitement,” said Loffa. For the Love of Hair comes in two varieties, Caviar and White Truffle, with both offering shampoo, conditioner, styling lotions, deep conditioning mask, dry shampoo and hairspray products. The caviar shampoo is designed to restore dry or damaged hair. The product contains caviar oil and omega 3 fatty acids to replenish hair. The White Truffle shampoo moisturizes and adds luster to hair. Full-size bottles start at $9.99 while the travel size retails for $1.99. That represents an attractive price as most competing caviar or truffle shampoos range from $20 to more than $50 a bottle. “We really like the $9.99 focus point, I think it’s a significant threshold in retail,” said Loffa. “We offer a great product at a really attractive price.” Product expansion In a 2016 report, Transparency Market Research predicted that the global haircare industry would grow 3 percent annually to reach $105 billion by 2024. However, the report found that “the competition among manufacturers is intense and thus the entry of new players is restricted,” particularly when competing against large corporations including Procter & Gamble Co., L’Oreal S.A., Unilever plc and Revlon Inc. To carve out a niche, Calabasas Beauty has targeted luxury buyers at mass market retailers. Most chain stores such as Target Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and supermarkets don’t carry professional-quality hair products that feature luxury ingredients such as caviar and white truffle, Loffa told the Business Journal. Usually, those ingredients are reserved for shampoos and conditioners in spas and salons, but Calabasas Beauty Group has found a way to make them accessible in store locations at an affordable price point. “We really bring something new to that sector of retail, and that always exciting for a buyer,” said Loffa. “Retailers are always looking for innovation and our innovation is bringing white truffle and caviar to food, drug and mass retail.” The exclusive deal with Bed Bath & Beyond provided a way to introduce the product to a large number of consumers, Loffa said. “We were able to get this great platform for the brand and they did a terrific job with the product, had a great shelf placement and great price,” he explained. “So far, the consumers once they try it, they really seem to like the product so our repurchases are very strong.” For now, the company is selling select products on Amazon and other sites at prices up to $23.99, as well as Bed Bath & Beyond and Christmas Tree Shops. The company is in talks to put its products in other retail chains but hasn’t finalized any agreements yet. “We’re planning things right now and hope to increase our distribution by the end of the year,” Loffa said. Although with the retail expansion, the company is at work on expanding the Caviar and White Truffle lines with six new products that could be on store shelves by the end of April. The Caviar line will expand into curling lotions that help revitalize and rejuvenate natural curls to give them shine and bounce. The White Truffle line will provide a deep conditioning hair mask. One marketing tactic that has worked for Calabasas Beauty Group is travel-size packaging. The packets give customers an opportunity to try the products before committing to the full-size purchase. “These packets are really great for consumers,” said Loffa. “The packet gives them a chance to try the product for a couple of bucks, and it has really worked for us.” The design of the full-size bottles has also grabbed the attention of customers and established the brand name. “We felt like we could have some fun with packaging, the way we have with our logos. It’s kind of cool looking and it works; it really helps push our brand name along with a sound message to the consumer,” Loffa added. Finally, the partners named the company Calabasas because at the time they both lived there. “It is always good to have names that are important to you and Calabasas Beauty Group just locked with both of us,” he said. The company’s office are located at 23679 Calabasas Road. Mass market experience When deciding what companies to target in their marketing efforts to secure shelf space, Loffa went with what he knew. With a background in food drug and mass retail, Loffa didn’t want to sell to high-end companies because from his point of view, a product can’t work in both distribution channels. “We can’t do both. With my background in all food, drug and mass market, I really liked working with Walmart, Target, CVS, Ralphs and Vons,” he said. “We created the product line to deal with our strength. And our strength is to market in food, drug and mass retail.”

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