Indians have also evolved in terms of style and are not averse to exploring the latest trends - Samir Srivastav

Technology has been playing a vital role in uplifting the beauty industry. The various innovations have been adding in dimensions to the evolution of the beauty industry. New ideas and trends from other countries have been influencing the Indian market a lot and some brands have made all this more worthy by blending it perfectly with cultures. In a conversation with Samir Srivastav, CEO, Jean Claude Beguine Salon and Spa, he tells us about bringing the best for the Indian market and his views on the growing salon industry.

Kindly give a brief about your brand, Jean Claude Beguine.
Sometimes a name is all a brand needs, one that is strong enough to entice consumers towards them. Jean Claude Beguine is not just about style but is here to showcase the ‘French –Edge Technology’. Brands at times tend to adapt to popular styles, simply following trends and hence lack creativity, but here we have a brand which believes that the culture of style always progresses and does not stick to what’s popular. Beguine believes in introducing a new style and making trendy statements. In fact, the brand is often defined as serious trendsetters. In India, the brand wants to blend the best international styles to its exquisite culture of style. With a wide range of luxury services, the brand offers complete beauty and grooming services from head to toe and uses the best of the product for all its services.

Let us know about the journey covered till now?
In 1982, Jean Claude Beguine opened his first salon and since then he has been setting standards with some contemporary solutions, making his own mark in the world of style and wellness. Later in 2008, the brand entered India, at a time when the market had just started growing. It would have been a cliché for the brand to simply enter without any innovation of its own, but they had a certain vision, to build a lasting legacy. So, the legacy tour began with Jean Claude Beguine’s flagship store in Bandra, Mumbai in 2008. Since then the brand has flourished all across the style pathways. It has built a boutique business operating in Mumbai and Bengaluru catering to the needs of the style conscious consumers, in quite a stylish way.

What were the challenges that you faced while expanding your brand?
Since the opening of the flagship store in Bandra, we have realised that Indians, who are well travelled, are exploring different facets of style from all over the world, is a difficult bunch to please. Indians are forward thinkers and the challenge lies in catering the customers to their satisfactory best to provide ammunition for such a magnanimous challenge. Beguine Education has played a vital role in creating the best ‘ Salon Artists’ who understand what it takes to bring out the uniqueness of Jean Claude Beguine’s style philosophy. As these artists are constantly striving to follow the cultural and aesthetic value of the French Heritage in style. It certainly makes the brand a unique place for our customers.

What are your views regarding the salon industry?
The salon industry is becoming colossus and Beguine’s philosophy is to provide its customer with services which are better than ordinary as we believe in evolving. Style is not constant, it emerges then passes out, but it is essential that a new trend fills the gap. As far as the sector is concerned, Indians have also evolved in terms of style and are not averse to explore the latest trends. While our forward thinking and fashion sense slowly becoming an important part of the brand’s DNA.

Kindly share business model and expansion plans for the brand.
Jean Claude Beguine follows a company –owned and company-operated business model which speaks in volume of our ideas and how we perceive growth. The brand constantly brings in international products and expertise to fulfil the growing demands of the customers. From the time we have attained success in this market, they began acquiring other salons to expand the reach of their brand and penetrate well into the market. Since the inception of their flagship Salon in Bandra back in 2008, Jean Claude Beguine has seen their business rise upwards, curving through the right masses and creating a stunning reputation for themselves in the salon industry. They have since opened 15 stores and planning on at least 4-6 each year going ahead.