Men: Nailing the Salon Experience

New British pop-up Guys That Nail It is boldly reframing the beauty salon concept with a nail bar dedicated solely to men. Open from June 12-22 in London’s edgy Peckham district, clients are offered treatments ranging from classic pedicures through to more daring gel extensions.

The launch of the nail bar capitalises on the new era of male beauty, which we expect to grow in line with – and potentially overtake – the male grooming market, which is forecast to reach $60.7bn by 2020 globally (Euromonitor, 2017). Lisa Payne, Stylus’ senior editor of Beauty, says: “Although Guys That Nail It has opened as a pop-up, its success will indicate a gap in the market for more permanent beauty spaces dedicated to men.”

Another brand successfully tapping into the male beauty category is British label MMUK Man. It’s set to launch the UK’s first male-only make-up store in Brighton in July 2018, where consumers will be able to experiment with the 80-piece line.

These openings signal the potential of beauty spaces and services dedicated to men, with 45% of parlours and 64% of mobile professionals in the UK currently not offering male grooming treatments (Beautiful Britain, 2017).

For more strategies tapping into contemporary masculine values, see Men’s Health: New Directions, Marketing to Millennial Men and Fashioning a New Masculinity.