For many American women, Drybar is synonymous with blowout. Glam+Go is looking to change that with services that are affordable, quick, consistent and, increasingly, expanding.
While the budding blowout contender isn’t yet running 100-plus locations like Drybar, it added seven locations last year to hit 14 salons and surpassed $1.5 million in revenues, and projects its revenues will reach over $3 million this year and the number of locations could double again. Glam+Go is considering entering San Francisco, Boston, Austin and Scottsdale in 2019 as well as magnifing its presence in existing markets New York City, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, D.C.
“I think 2019 is our year,” says Erika Wasser, CEO and founder of Glam+Go. “The opportunity exists within the industry. We have really cornered our product and, now, it is about sharing it with as many women as humanly possible.”
Glam+Go has a unique partnership-oriented real estate model. Its locations are often inside spa, gym, co-working and hotel spaces. Opened in 2015, its first location began as a rolling cart in the locker room of the Exhale Spa on the Upper East Side before swelling to 200 square feet. Today, it has locations connected to Row NYC Hotel, Equinox Sports Club, Gansevoort Meatpacking Hotel, Luminary and more well-known destinations.
Wasser explains the partnerships position Glam+Go in locations its customers are frequenting for blowouts or other activities, making its salons convenient and visible. When assessing real estate, she says, “We want to think about who our woman is and are we going into a place that will make her life easier.” She elaborates, “Our woman can be everyone from new moms to CEOs to young professionals. It’s someone who cares about efficiency and the end result, and really wants to find the best way to get there.”
“I think 2019 is our year. The opportunity exists within the industry. We have really cornered our product and, now, it is about sharing it with as many women as humanly possible.”
Glam+Go doesn’t take up much room and can easily squeeze into existing concepts. Its footprint averages 600 to 750 square feet with three to six stylists. However, Glam+Go won’t only multiply with co-location salons, and full-service standalone flagships opened in 2018 in the New York neighborhood Tribeca and LA neighborhood Brentwood.
“It’s really about the customer experience. We are very much about one-on-one services. We are a company that values the relationships our stylists have with our customers and our customers have with us,” says Wasser. “By keeping it intimate, we are able to keep that promise. You will never walk into a Glam+Go and have it feel like a blow-dry factory.”
Glam+Go’s partnerships extend beyond geography. It struck a deal with ClassPass to allow ClassPass customers to apply their credits to book Glam+Go blowouts, and rosé brand Fleurs de Prairie for events and promotions. At its locations, stylists use the haircare brands Redken, R+Co and Living Proof, and products are available for purchase. However, Glam+Go is introducing its own haircare line during the second half of this year that it will incorporate into the salons.
This week, Glam+Go will perform its 100,000th blowout. For busy women, Wasser points out Glam+Go is appealing because its services are fast – she estimates a typical blowout lasts 30 minutes and an express service is 15 minutes – and comparatively cheap. Drybar blowouts are $49. Glam+Go’s are $45, and the express service is $25. Members account for 45% of Glam+Go’s sales, and its membership packages range from two blowouts or four express services per month at $79 to unlimited access to services at $225 per month.
“Not everything we do makes the most financial sense, especially from a culture perspective, but a [robust culture] allows us to keep our team intact and provide really high quality.”
To maintain lofty standards as it spreads, Wasser is adamant Glam+Go’s strong culture of respect doesn’t dissipate. She reveals its turnover is low relative to competitors, an important factor in executing quality services. And she mentions that, within the first month of a new hire’s tenure at Glam+Go, he or she will do Wasser’s hair because she is keen on ensuring they meet her expectations for services.
“I don’t want to have anyone on my team that I wouldn’t want to do my hair,” she says, continuing, “I can’t speak for any other business because I’ve never worked at them, but go in and ask the stylists if they are happy and, more often than not, you are going to hear something interesting. We know that because a lot of our team members have worked at other places.”
Although the blowout field is incredibly competitive – Glam+Go and Drybar are joined by Blo Blow Dry Bar, DreamDry and an array of other physical formats, and on-demand apps like Glamsquad, BeGlammed and Priv offer blowouts, too – Wasser suggests Glam+Go can make headway as customers evaluate the hair services they’ve been getting. She says, “Between the time we started and now, Drybar has declined in terms of quality as they have scaled and franchised. We win best blowouts in every city that we are in.”
Glam+Go raised what Wasser describes as a “small seed round” in 2015 to establish itself. This year, it’s contemplating bringing on a strategic partner to help support growth. Wasser indicates she’s interested in a partner that understands Glam+Go may make choices that don’t net immediate returns, but are beneficial to its business long-term. She says, “Not everything we do makes the most financial sense, especially from a culture perspective, but a [robust culture] allows us to keep our team intact and provide really high quality.”
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