2024 Bronner Bros. Beauty Show

We are back! # ATLBBHOMECOMING24

The Bronner Bros. Beauty Show, one of the biggest events in the beauty industry, took place Feb. 24-26 at the Georgia World Congress Center this year. The 77th annual BBS was as well attended and enthusiastic as ever. This event was especially exciting for many Georgia-based consumers and businesses because the show had been held in Miami, Florida for the past two years in a row. BBS has a long history as a beauty show and is known for being well organized and packed with attractions. More than 100 professional classes were offered, and nearly 300 exhibitors and 25,000 beauty professionals shared trendy products and new techniques at the show. At the same time, it’s a great way to receive customer feedback on the spot. We visited the Bronner Bros. Beauty Show, which came with the exciting announcement, “2024, we’re back!”, in order to get a first-hand look at the trends that stand out.

Consumption trends in the hair market: polarization

When talking about the current global consumption patterns, one of the most notables is polarization. It generally refers to stark disparity in the price of products consumed by people of different income levels in the era of high inflation, but experts are pointing out a subtle difference in polarization this time. People spend less on necessities as expected, but when they buy non-essentials, they seek “value for money” (psychological satisfaction with the price) rather than cost-effectiveness, looking for premium quality products even if they cost extra money.

Many vendors told us that the hair market is also experiencing the polarization of consumption. According to an H2Pro representative, its high-end dryer, which was the most packed with features and therefore the most expensive of the company’s lineup, was the top seller at the show. Despite being well above the typical blow dryer price point, many customers opened their wallets for the promise of powerful blow and less hair damage. Ted Hair, a wig company, said that while natural black had been a consistent seller, in the past year it had seen an increase in customers looking for long, bright-colored wigs. Compared to natural black, the price of blonde products is much higher. This is because there is an additional process involved to bleach the hair while minimizing damage. Nevertheless, brightly colored wigs are a sought-after item for many consumers again this year.

New development among Chinese vendors

The number of Chinese exhibitors has increased dramatically. Chinese manufacturers that used to supply to U.S.-based vendors are no longer going through the middlemen and are often jumping directly into the market, according to people with direct knowledge.

We asked a representative from a wig company called Lap Hair that brings products directly from China, about how to order from them. He said while they do deal with distributors, they work mostly with buyers directly, using show booths and pop-up stores to provide web links for placing orders or through social media (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook). The low burden of carrying inventory allowed them to offer consumers unique products usually not available on the market, and thanks to the warehouse in California, they could ship overnight. With great customer service, it’s not going to be anything different for the buyers, he said. This distribution route seemedappealing to buyers in many ways beyond the price point. The business was growing through word of mouth, he stated. Another hair company, with a warehouse in New York and direct shipping from China, was able to catch buyers’ eyes with its improved quality and affordable prices.

Marketing for the social media

Due to the nature of the beauty market, it’s nothing new for people to test products in person and get demonstrations. But when you take it to social media, it’s another story for you to grab the attention of many people in a short amount of time. Instead of using social media merely as a way to go viral, more companies are now bringing promotions geared to social media. 

KISS ran three barber battles a day to showcase its line of professional tool products released at the show. On Saturday, it hosted a battle on the main stage where stylists who best utilized its products were awarded with cash prizes. The format of the performance battle was interesting enough to get people’s attention, and it was the kind of marketing that could be shared on social media to ignite interest and recognition for the participants’ work.

EBIN didn’t sell products at their booth at the show, but rather gave away free products in exchange for following them on social media.  It seemed they were focused on providing knowledge about the brand and product details through social media and wanted to directly engage with consumers to understand their needs.

We could witness a lot of trust in the UOG brand and positive feedback after demos. Hairstylists, salons, and barbers purchased products for their businesses, and also other businesses including beauty supplies showed a steady stream of interest.

Firstline’s lace bonnets were popular and black was the most popular color. A trendy leopard print was also popular.

LocN newly launched products, hair waxes and braiding gels, were popular. Compared to past BBS shows, the crowd was much larger, and the mood improved. People took a lot of videos for social media posts.

Many people visited Goople booth because of its great online reputation. The sprays, edge controls, and braiding gels were especially popular, and the merchandise was almost sold out.

IWELL’s all-natural beard products and turmeric fermented soaps were popular. Turmeric products have gotten a lot of attention, especially after they went viral on TikTok.

Here are some of the fashionistas we met who elevated the show floor with their unique, eye-catching, and colorful looks. Exquisitely dressed from head to toe in minute detail, they were confident and relaxed, enjoying the show.

Toward the end of the show, I had a quick interview with James Bronner, CEO of Bronner Bros. Beauty Show.

What was your focus in preparing for this show?

After four years, we’re back in our hometown of Atlanta. This year’s show is all about getting back to the basics and bringing us all together. Here, we also started the preparation of handover to the next generation, the third generation of management.

You know the beauty industry better than anyone. What would you like to point out for the people in the business right now?

What I would emphasize to everyone in the business is that I want them to utilize social media. Nowadays, people check social media before buying anything, and they definitely take a note of influencers before making a purchase decision. Be sure to utilize social media.