P&G expand across US professional hair care market

Procter and Gamble (P&G) has made moves to further consolidate its position as market leader in the professional hair care industry following news that a principal beauty store will now stock its products throughout the US.

The Beauty Systems Group (BSG) has signed a contract with P&G that will see it using a direct sales, targeted approach to the distribution of P&G professional care products in North and Southeastern US.

With BSG stores being the largest chain of professional beauty supply stores in America, the new partnership will provide P&G with a mass retail base within which to promote and sell its best selling products, such as Wella Professionals, Sebastian Professionals and Graham Webb products.

As a result of the partnership, P&G professional hair care products are now available in over 720 stores, rising from 240 with BSG dedicating huge marketing support to increase the sales of the brands within its stores.

P&G has stated that the move is a bid to capitalize on changing distribution opportunities in the North American marketplace, with BSG servicing a number of salons that were previously not in the company's coverage.

Speaking of the partnership, Reuben Carranza, managing director of P&G professional care exclusive line said "They will be an excellent partner in the Southeast, and our targeted approach for salon distribution, the first of its kind in the US, will best serve the needs of individual salons based on their business model".

P&G aims to drive home the importance of its brand and has stated that "the collaborative distribution approach will allow P&G professional care and BSG to create joint programs and drive conversions over a focused period of time, to accelerate market share for both companies".

The partnership follows a flourishing period for P&G. Thanks to an emphasis on investment in the personal care sector that has included the purchase of the Gillette business, the firm has nudged Unilever out of its position as the world's leading consumer goods manufacturer.