The beauty care products industry is predicted to be worth US$265-billion by 2017. Startups and VCs the world over have started to take notice. In America Makeoverly is forging its own way as part online-beauty consultancy part etailer, while in South Africa try-before-you-buy startup Rubybox has gone from strength to strength having received funding from HPV Africa.
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Joining the race in South Africa is online salon Everything Hair offering products, service and advice, making it something akin to the South African Makeoverly.
On the one side of the business, customers can order their favourite hair products in one place, online, and get it delivered to their door. On the other users have the opportunity to chat with a consultant in real-time so that they can get the best advice for their hair.
Unlike Makeoverly though, the real-time consultancy is not done online in chat-format, but rather over the phone. This does makes sense in South Africa given bandwidth limitations but perhaps a mobile solution, such as SMS, would work well as a low-cost solution.
Everything Hair dubs itself “South Africa’s premier online salon” featuring top brands like L’Oreal, Babyliss and Kerastase, and a wide range of products from hairspray to dryers, stylers, like GHD, and even hair loss products. Orders over R800 get free delivery to your door in South Africa.
With a narrow focus on hair, rather than all beauty products, and a toe in the real-time consultancy game, Everything Hair might just have enough to stand its own in South Africa’s online beauty care industry.
