Why do so many hairdressers hate selling retail?

The discomfort most hairdressers feel around retail stems from a structural problem in the traditional beauty industry: hairdressers and salons have historically been the end of the line consumer, not the client. Product companies sell to the salon, making the salon responsible for purchasing, stocking, and selling inventory — often under pressure, with sales targets tied to commissions or raises. This creates a cycle of obligation, resentment, and guilt that has nothing to do with whether a product is actually right for the client. When retail is tied to someone's livelihood rather than genuine recommendation, it stops feeling authentic.

What does 'end of the line consumer' mean in the context of salon retail?

In traditional product company models, the hairdresser or salon owner is the end of the line consumer — they buy the product from the brand, stock it, and then try to sell it to clients. The brand's primary customer is the salon, not the person sitting in the chair. This means product companies are incentivized to sell as much as possible to the salon regardless of whether the salon can move it. When the model shifts so that the client is the end of the line consumer — ordering directly and making their own purchase decisions — the pressure on the hairdresser dissolves entirely.

How does the Hairstory affiliate model change the retail dynamic for hairdressers?

With the Hairstory affiliate model, hairdressers share a personal link and earn 25% commission when clients purchase through it — but they don't buy or hold any inventory. The client becomes the end of the line consumer, purchasing directly from Hairstory and having it shipped to their door. Once a client purchases through a hairdresser's link once, they are permanently connected to that hairdresser's account, so the hairdresser continues to earn commission on future reorders automatically. This structure removes the pressure to push product at the chair and lets product recommendations feel genuine.

Does selling retail actually improve client retention?

According to Joy, the idea that selling retail is key to client retention is one of the biggest myths perpetuated by product companies. Whether or not a client buys a product has little to do with whether they return. Client retention is built on trust, relationship, and the quality of the experience — not product sales. When retail is put in its proper place as a helpful tool for clients to maintain their hair between appointments, rather than a performance metric, it stops distorting the hairdresser-client relationship entirely.

Why do hairdressers feel uncomfortable telling clients they earn a commission?

Joy identifies a few reasons: hairdressers often don't think of themselves as business owners, which makes charging for anything feel uncomfortable. There's also a long-standing industry taboo around talking openly about money and pricing. And there's an underlying question of whether hairdressers feel they deserve to earn well from something they genuinely enjoy. Joy's advice is to treat the discomfort as a signal to lead with transparency — being upfront that clients can support your business by using your link, and that you earn a commission from it, is more trustworthy than hiding it. Clients who want to support their hairdresser will appreciate knowing how.

How did big product companies contribute to tension between salon owners and stylists around retail?

Product companies promoted the belief that retail sales were key to salon profitability, which led salon owners to buy into large inventory commitments and put pressure on stylists to move product. Stylists, not understanding the full financial picture, often interpreted that pressure as the salon owner trying to profit at their expense — particularly when retail commission structures were poorly designed. Both the salon owner and the stylist were caught in the same system, believing a narrative that primarily served the product company. Joy describes it as 'lies built on lies built on resentment.'

Why do product companies keep releasing so many new products?

Joy's perspective is that since hairdressers are the true end consumer in traditional product company models, brands need to keep hairdressers engaged and buying. This is why they constantly release new products, new packaging, and new formulas — not because clients need them, but because hairdressers get bored and companies need to keep them purchasing. The result is salon shelves and back rooms full of products that don't sell, discontinued favorites, and a culture of chasing 'new' rather than using what works. When hairdressers step out of this role as the buyer, that cycle loses its hold.

What practical steps can hairdressers take to use their Hairstory affiliate link at the salon?

Joy recommends having a QR code displayed at your station that clients can scan before leaving — this ensures they click through your link at least once to be permanently connected to your account. Individual stylists can also print their own QR codes. There's no pressure to bring it up every appointment; some conversations will lead there naturally and others won't. What matters most is being comfortable mentioning it when it does come up, and not hiding the fact that a commission is involved. Transparency makes the recommendation feel more trustworthy, not less.

END THE “ICK” FACTOR: RECLAIMING RETAIL

Name: End the “Ick” Factor: Reclaiming Retail
Uploaded: 2025-12-17
Channel: Hairstory
Description: Hairstory's Wes sits down with Joy, a hairdresser, salon owner, and Destroy the Hairdresser coach, for a candid conversation about why so many hairdressers have a deeply uncomfortable relationship with retail — and how to change it. Joy introduces the concept of the "end of the line consumer" to ...

Does selling feel sleazy? Join hairdresser Joy LaMay to talk about reclaiming salon retail and using your influence authentically – and digitally – to recommend products in ways you can feel good about.

Joy LaMay has been passionately pursuing this industry and the people in it for nearly 20 years. As a salon owner and Destroy The Hairdresser Coach, she loves to lead others to the life they always imagined. An independent stylist for most of her career, she recently opened a clean and sustainable salon of her own, The Ministry Salon, founded on DTH principles. Her journey has informed a DTH course she is creating with Lo Shabino about making the transition from suite renter to salon owner.

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Hairstory's Wes sits down with Joy, a hairdresser, salon owner, and Destroy the Hairdresser coach, for a candid conversation about why so many hairdressers have a deeply uncomfortable relationship with retail — and how to change it. Joy introduces the concept of the "end of the line consumer" to explain how traditional product companies have treated salons and hairdressers as the buyer, not the client — creating a cycle of pressure, resentment, and inventory that serves the brand more than the hairdresser. The conversation explores how shifting that dynamic, including through the Hairstory affiliate model, can allow hairdressers to show up as their most authentic selves and recommend products from a place of genuine care rather than quota pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do so many hairdressers hate selling retail?

The discomfort most hairdressers feel around retail stems from a structural problem in the traditional beauty industry: hairdressers and salons have historically been the end of the line consumer, not the client. Product companies sell to the salon, making the salon responsible for purchasing, stocking, and selling inventory — often under pressure, with sales targets tied to commissions or raises. This creates a cycle of obligation, resentment, and guilt that has nothing to do with whether a product is actually right for the client. When retail is tied to someone's livelihood rather than genuine recommendation, it stops feeling authentic.
What does 'end of the line consumer' mean in the context of salon retail?

In traditional product company models, the hairdresser or salon owner is the end of the line consumer — they buy the product from the brand, stock it, and then try to sell it to clients. The brand's primary customer is the salon, not the person sitting in the chair. This means product companies are incentivized to sell as much as possible to the salon regardless of whether the salon can move it. When the model shifts so that the client is the end of the line consumer — ordering directly and making their own purchase decisions — the pressure on the hairdresser dissolves entirely.
How does the Hairstory affiliate model change the retail dynamic for hairdressers?

With the Hairstory affiliate model, hairdressers share a personal link and earn 25% commission when clients purchase through it — but they don't buy or hold any inventory. The client becomes the end of the line consumer, purchasing directly from Hairstory and having it shipped to their door. Once a client purchases through a hairdresser's link once, they are permanently connected to that hairdresser's account, so the hairdresser continues to earn commission on future reorders automatically. This structure removes the pressure to push product at the chair and lets product recommendations feel genuine.
Does selling retail actually improve client retention?

According to Joy, the idea that selling retail is key to client retention is one of the biggest myths perpetuated by product companies. Whether or not a client buys a product has little to do with whether they return. Client retention is built on trust, relationship, and the quality of the experience — not product sales. When retail is put in its proper place as a helpful tool for clients to maintain their hair between appointments, rather than a performance metric, it stops distorting the hairdresser-client relationship entirely.
Why do hairdressers feel uncomfortable telling clients they earn a commission?

Joy identifies a few reasons: hairdressers often don't think of themselves as business owners, which makes charging for anything feel uncomfortable. There's also a long-standing industry taboo around talking openly about money and pricing. And there's an underlying question of whether hairdressers feel they deserve to earn well from something they genuinely enjoy. Joy's advice is to treat the discomfort as a signal to lead with transparency — being upfront that clients can support your business by using your link, and that you earn a commission from it, is more trustworthy than hiding it. Clients who want to support their hairdresser will appreciate knowing how.
How did big product companies contribute to tension between salon owners and stylists around retail?

Product companies promoted the belief that retail sales were key to salon profitability, which led salon owners to buy into large inventory commitments and put pressure on stylists to move product. Stylists, not understanding the full financial picture, often interpreted that pressure as the salon owner trying to profit at their expense — particularly when retail commission structures were poorly designed. Both the salon owner and the stylist were caught in the same system, believing a narrative that primarily served the product company. Joy describes it as 'lies built on lies built on resentment.'
Why do product companies keep releasing so many new products?

Joy's perspective is that since hairdressers are the true end consumer in traditional product company models, brands need to keep hairdressers engaged and buying. This is why they constantly release new products, new packaging, and new formulas — not because clients need them, but because hairdressers get bored and companies need to keep them purchasing. The result is salon shelves and back rooms full of products that don't sell, discontinued favorites, and a culture of chasing 'new' rather than using what works. When hairdressers step out of this role as the buyer, that cycle loses its hold.
What practical steps can hairdressers take to use their Hairstory affiliate link at the salon?

Joy recommends having a QR code displayed at your station that clients can scan before leaving — this ensures they click through your link at least once to be permanently connected to your account. Individual stylists can also print their own QR codes. There's no pressure to bring it up every appointment; some conversations will lead there naturally and others won't. What matters most is being comfortable mentioning it when it does come up, and not hiding the fact that a commission is involved. Transparency makes the recommendation feel more trustworthy, not less.