Face-off with “Hot” Braids Overview of “Cool” Summer Wigs

Face-off with “Hot” Braids
Overview of “Cool” Summer Wigs

In the beauty supply industry, summer is considered the “season of braids”. However, based on the research last month, we learned that braids have overcome its seasonal limit and became a year-long staple. There are obvious reasons that you cannot solely welcome the wide popularity of braids. In addition to its low price, braids are taking away the market share from other hair products including wigs. Summer is coming, and if you want to shift the tide during the off-season, you should focus on cool summer wigs. Here comes the new summer wigs that will boost your summer sales.

 

1. Can you sell a fridge in the Antarctic? Are wigs in summer the same story?

Is there any other beauty supply merchandise that has as many seasonal characteristics as wigs? If you pull Google Trends data on a wig, you would see the exact trend that you expected. The following graph shows the past five years of trend history on interest in wigs. It repeatedly hits the rock bottom in summer and momentarily peaks in winter.

©Google Trends

 

Why don’t wigs sell in summer?

Basically, wigs are not easy to wear in summer due to the discomfort from weight and extra bulk. Your sweat and extra moisture, body odor from sweat and skin trouble, melting glue under the sun, unbreathable caps, and more complex issues make wearing a wig in summer like wearing a ski helmet in the desert.

Then, should you stop selling wigs in summer?

No one in the beauty industry would simply nod to the question. Although the profit margin for wigs is in decline, still it is incomparable to the low-cost braids. Beauty supplies cannot give up wigs however hard they are to sell. Especially smaller beauty supplies that cannot afford shelving and displaying all sorts of braids have their lifeline attached to their wig sales. For customers, if you wear wigs daily for hair loss or some other reasons, you cannot simply abandon it just because it’s too hot. You are just too accustomed to wearing it. Even for younger customers who largely prefer braids, wigs are great mood-shift items that can bring some much needed break for their scalp. Knowing these, wholesalers keep releasing summer wigs regardless of profitability.

Then, how should you sell wigs in summer?

There is a saying that a good entrepreneur can sell fridges in the Antarctic and stoves in the desert. A good beauty supply business owner can definitely sell wigs in summer to fight off the recession.

The important thing to consider when selling wigs in summer is to boost the desire to purchase for customers with eye-catching displays and interesting items and educate people on the benefits of wearing wigs in summer. Let’s take a look at the wig sale strategies suggested by hair company B and hair company G.

 

 

    1. Utilize mannequins: you can display wigs in a stylish and attractive way using mannequins. In addition to the light color wigs for summer display, you can add sun dresses, beach hats, sunglasses for a summer touch.
    2. Point out benefits of summer wigs: wigs can protect natural hair from the sun, sweat, and moisture to help quick and easy style changes for various kinds of summer activities. In fact, many wigs currently on the market can be readily styled into different looks.
    3. Summer themed display: you can add decorations such as beach balls, sand and palm trees to the summer wig display for a desirable look and a hint of exciting summer days.
    4. Allow try-on: if you still have no try-on policy prompted by the pandemic, it’s time to drop it. The wig market is already being chipped away by online sellers. The biggest strength you have as a brick-and-mortar store is that customers can inspect, touch, and wear the wigs.
    5. Private room for try-on: for customers, it is not flattering to display their wig try-on in public. To increase wig sales, you should have a private, dedicated dressing room for wigs.
    6. Raise the limitation on wig try-on: most retail businesses limit wig try-ons to a certain number, mostly twice per customer, but it is not easy to decide on a wig based on two tries. You should increase the number while mandating hygiene caps and make them available for purchase at the store.
    7. Dedicated staff for wigs: highly trained staff members should be ready to guide customers through various types of wigs and educate them on the benefits of summer wigs. They can offer tips and personal advice ideally. To provide incentive to your employees, you can provide commission for wig sales.

 

 

Next, if you want a successful wig sale in summer, you should offer the right items. You should wonder what items should fill the summer wig section and what items can be recommended. The basic considerations for summer wig purchase and maintenance are as follows:

Length: Short over Long
To avoid wet and sweat-covered hair, it is wise to choose shorter length wigs in styles like bob, pixie cut, and layered. If you must go with long wigs, you can choose longer than shoulder-length wigs for a loose ponytail or updo styles.

Material: Synthetic over Human hair
For summer, synthetic will be a better choice. Synthetic hair is typically two to three times lighter than human hair. Also, human hair wigs would react to the humid summer weather just like human hair, that is prone to frizz or hard to keep in a desired look.

Color: Light over Dark
It is a widely accepted fact that dark colors absorb more heat from the sunlight. In summer, we recommend lighter colors such as light brown, white, and silver instead of black and other darker colors. From green to purple, yellow, red and orange, you can try vibrant colors for a change.

Wash: more frequently
Although frequent washing can deteriorate the wig construction, you should wash it often regardless in summer. In hot weather, you release more sebum and sweat that can accumulate on wig caps, making it feel heavier and hotter. Frequent wash can make it feel lighter and keep your scalp cool. (*for human hair wigs, you should wash them after wearing them 8 to 10 times.)

In this regard, hair companies are offering many options such as breathable caps, lighter lace material, and high heat fiber to relieve some of your inconvenience in summer wig wearing. Here are some of the featured summer wigs from various companies.

 

2. 2023 summer wig trend

 

 

The above table compares the features of featured summer wig products for this summer. You can see the synthetic wigs are the mainstream raw material. Only 5 out of 20 companies that responded to our request included human hair wigs in their recommendation, and 2 of the 5 were synthetic blends, confirming the preference of lighter synthetic wigs in summer. This year’s release included a substantial number of glueless wigs. They have highly stretchable bands pre-installed, so you can forgo the messy chemical adhesives and wear it quick and easy, a great advantage especially in summer.

Half-wigs and headband wigs, and braids wigs that were a bit slowing down in popularity are likely making a major comeback, and lace front products featuring high heat fiber are trending with light and breathable fabric. The overall summer trend will be versatile and easy to wear wigs that are highly customizable based on personal preference and style needs.

 

3. List of must-have wigs in summer

☞ Click here to download the ‘Comprehensive Review of Top Braids in 2023’ list.

 

COVER STORY By BNB Magazine
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