Who: Barber Shop Company
Where: Auckland, New Zealand
Barber Shop Company is popping up all over Auckland’s North Shore offering men’s grooming services. Set in some pretty sweet looking stores, they are bringing the cool back into getting your hair cut. But of course it’s not only about getting your hair cut, but instead about offering an entire experience. We spoke to their CEO Adam about the business, it’s success so far and why they started using Vend.
Take us back to the beginning, how did Barber Shop Company get going?
I started the business in January last year as a wholesaler, supplying products to barber shops. I met a gentleman in February that had developed a very successful franchise business and had recently sold it to a division of the New Zealand Government, we discussed the possibility of developing a similar model for the barbering world. John is now my business partner and we are making progress on our store footprint.
What sets you apart from the rest?
Our modus operandi is to deliver a ‘world class client experience’ to men, it sounds simple, but it’s not. We are focused on the many details that make up the client experience including hygiene, our environment and of course a great haircut! We are striving to deliver this experience consistently and widely and that’s why our team culture is critical to our success. We are fortunate to have a team of highly talented and passionate barbers and we put a lot of effort into training and development, providing career opportunities, celebrating our successes and delivering better pay opportunities.
Tell us about your local community.
Our local communities are our life blood. Each of our stores has it’s own personality and we are proud to play an important part in each of the communities we operate within. At our opening in Millwater last month we delivered free haircuts all day to over 60 clients and we raised $440 for the Silverdale School’s garden project.
What brought you to Vend and how’ve you found it? Are you using any of the add-ons?
We were looking for an efficient POS system that we could adjust remotely and would provide some great reporting functionality. Vend is super efficient to use in store and that is critical on a Saturday when all the chairs are going and there are customers waiting. I’m loving the new reporting functionality (still in Beta) and Vend is scaleable, we can roll it into the next 100 stores, no problem.
At present we also use MailSync to collate our customer database (every 15 minutes) from our Vend accounts and our online store. In the near future we look forward to using Collect to develop our customer loyalty and engagement.
Where does your passion come from for what you do?
I’m very fortunate to LOVE what I do. I am particularly proud of what Barber Shop Company is and what it stands for. Firstly we deliver fantastic products and services to our clients, then we provide the best earning, learning and career opportunities to our team of barbers and because of this, we are able to deliver positive cash flow and capital value outcomes to our store owners. For me it’s about the win-win-win.
Do you have any advice for new retailers?
I read an article a while back and the interviewee said “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” and that comment resonates with me. With the right culture all good strategy is possible and on a large scale. Also If I could say two things to the barber shop owners out there that aren’t a part of our family 1.) It’s not just about the next haircut and 2.) Call me!
– Adam Johanson, CEO, Barber Shop Company
Do you have an awesome success story? Share it with Amy and the 15,000-strong Vend community!
About Lorilynn McCorrister
Lorilynn is Vend’s Community Manager and resident music buff. Before joining Vend, Lorilynn worked in the music industry as a social media and artist manager. She loves writing, traveling, checking out live music, and, of course, communicating with Vend’s awesome group of retailers, partners and friends. You can get in touch with Lorilynn on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.
Reply