Right ways of Promotion and exclusivity with International Brands has helped us become successful- Santosh Kumar

 Salons and spas have been enjoying growth in the wellness industry for quite a long time. The evolution that is being witnessed seems like just the beginning of an era that will bring the best to the salon industry. Customers have not only been looking at the services that are being offered to them but also at the ambience and luxury that the brand holds. In a conversation with Wellness India, Santosh Kumar, Managing Director, Paris De Salon, tells us about his journey from being an aspiring model to an entrepreneur, his plans for his brand and many more.

Kindly give a brief about your brand, Paris De Salon.
Paris De Salon sticks to its motto of offering affordable luxury to its clientele. Flaunting a world-class interior and flawless ambience, professionally qualified stylists and beauticians leave no stone unturned in bringing a glowing smile on the client’s face. Known for its luxury beauty care regimes and expert staff behaviour, and not to mention, the incredibly sleek infrastructure, the salon obviously attracts a lot of high- profile customers that include celebrities, movie stars, politicians, businessmen and even housewives from the upper strata of the society. The exclusively luxuriant glass facade of the salon increases its appeal for the customers, and also takes care of their comfort. The salon has an elite customer base and famous personalities like Sania Mirza, Jaya Pradha, NamrataShirodkar and a host of stars from the Telugu Film Industry as well.

Let us know about your entrepreneurial journey.
Paris De Salon is a unit of Starlet Group and was conceptualised by me in 2010. I had the unique honour of being identified as a semi-finalist at the renowned Gladrags Model Hunt. The passion for glamour and fashion persisted in the years that followed until it manifested into a tangible business in the hair and beauty realm. The business began with Scarlet Group that is almost four decades old and has businesses across various sectors such as textile retailing, real estate, luxury salons and a premium furnishing studio. The salon closely works with renowned brands like Paul Mitchell, Dermalogica, Seasoul and Lazio. World’s premium brands and the highly trained professional staff is what makes Paris De Salon the most preferred salon by elites. Our belief is ‘Once our client is always our client’.

What challenges did you face while expanding your brand?
Initially, Paris De Salon faced a humongous challenge in managing staff. I’ve seen staff shifting from one company to another as and when they wished to. It was very difficult to find ones suitable for the industry. Then we started the contract system and since then managing them became easier. Another big challenge for the salon was to stand out of its competitors and be No. 1. This was achieved by trying various ways of promoting Paris De Salon in the right way and having exclusivity with international brands.

Kindly share with us some of your wow moments.
The brand, in spite of being seven years old, has won seven awards out of which two are national awards. I am happy that in- spite of the fact that I don’t belong to this industry, I still was able to create the best salon brand by promoting in the right way and being worthy of receiving so many awards in such a short span.

What are your views regarding the growth of the wellness industry?
Wellness Industry is growing at the rate of 30% annually and there is a lot more to explore. Salons and spas have got great recognition in the metro cities and in the next 20 years, this will be a booming industry in India.

What is the business model that you follow and any expansion plans to look forward to?
The brand is keen on expanding its presence in the Indian metro cities via franchise model. After its unprecedented success, its reach is extended to other locations. The salon is looking forward to expanding to all the metro cities in India.