Why would Amazon open a hair salon? And why might consumers and business customers patronize it? The answers to these questions are insightful for understanding why the salon itself looks the way it does.

In particular, the 1500-square-foot salon in a trendy London neighborhood is prioritizing technology. Patrons can play with Fire tablets as they get their locks trimmed. Displays on the walls offer “point-and-learn” capabilities, such that visitors to the salon can click to get additional information about new product offerings and options, then scan the embedded QR code if they want to have those products delivered to their homes. Separate stations are equipped with virtual reality terminals so that patrons can see what a different cut or color would look like, before the hairdresser gets to work.

Such offerings signal a cutting-edge image and create excitement and fun, which can appeal to potential clients. In addition, the salon is actively inviting hair care professionals in the area to visit, where they can learn about the product assortment and potential uses of new technology. It promises wholesale pricing and free delivery if they place bulk orders for products to stock their own salons. In this sense, the store design appeals simultaneously to consumers with hedonic features and to potential business customers with whom Amazon might partner using utilitarian benefits and information.

At the same time, the design clearly reflects the retailer’s broader goals, including testing out the viability of the point-and-learn technology and getting consumers more accustomed to considering Amazon for their service needs, beyond just using it for their product orders. It offers a novel way to support other beauty retailers, a segment that Amazon previously has signaled its interest in attracting. And it resonates with Amazon’s ongoing experimentation, trying out a range of retail location styles and options to learn what works best.

In a sense then, the question becomes, What isn’t Amazon trying to achieve with its hair salon?

Discussion Question:

1. What is Amazon seeking to achieve with the design of its hair salon for consumers? For business customers? For itself?

Source: Marianne Wilson, “First Look: Amazon’s New High-Tech Hair Salon,” Chain Store Age, April 20, 2021; Rachel Lerman, “Amazon Is Opening a Hair Salon. Seriously.,” Washington Post, April 20, 2021