In spite of Potong Pasir being a small neighbourhood, there are a total of 16 hair salons.
By Victoria Lum
Nov 15, 2019
A sign pasted at the front entrance of Collista Studio to attract customers with their cheap prices. Customers are then persuaded into signing a $100 package when they pay. Photo by: Victoria Lum
The opening of The Poiz Centre this year brings three new hair salons to Potong Pasir, adding on to a neighbourhood that was already crowded with 13 existing hair salons.
However, hair salon owners have their ways to stay competitive.
Mr Alan Tan, owner of Cabello Casa, said in Mandarin, “We pay attention to service.” Cabello Casa is one of the hair salons that opened earlier this year in The Poiz Centre.
Mr Tan, a hairdresser of at least 20 years, said that one of the challenges of operating his salon is the aggressive price-slashing from competitors as a result of the “expensive rent”.
A wash and cut at Cabello Casa costs $25 while Collista Studio, a hair salon under Block 148, charges $15.
Cabello Casa is one of the three new hair salons in The Poiz Centre, which is not fully developed yet as it still has many unoccupied shop spaces. Photo by: Victoria Lum
Yet, he believes that hairdressing is a skill that should be well-respected as not anybody can do it. Hence, the service that hairdressers provide should not be priced too low.
The Poiz Centre is the retail component of a mixed-use development that comprises a residential area as well. It is connected to Potong Pasir MRT station, and currently has a supermarket, two pharmacies and a few eateries.
When asked why he chose this location to open his hair salon, Mr Tan said that the location was convenient as it was close to a MRT station, and that the government was developing the area. These factors contributed to him gaining “more customers”.
Despite the opening of The Poiz Centre, neighbourhood salons are not losing out.
Ms Soo Mei Mei, 63, owner of Sin Mui Mui Hairdressing Salon, relies on her regular customers to keep abreast of the competition. Ms Soo has operated this salon under Block 148 for 34 years.
“My business is not affected by the opening of the new hair salons at The Poiz Centre yet, since all of my customers are regulars. They all support me,” said Ms Soo in Mandarin.
Ms Soo said that over time, her customers became regulars, and then turned into her friends. Mothers who are part of her regulars will bring their daughters to her for hairdressing services as well. Being able to extend her customer base into a second generation has enabled her to further sustain the business.
She attributes the longevity of her business to hard work and would “rather earn less as long as the competition is fair”.
Mr Tan also said that “transparency” is another way for his business to stay competitive. He and his team of hairdressers are upfront about the price when customers inquire about it.
Ms Angie Chong Sau Fong, 47, resident of Potong Pasir, said that “the hair stylist’s skill” is how she selects her hair salons.
Mr Alvin Aw, 41, a lecturer for Retail & Event Management at the School of Business Management in Nanyang Polytechnic, said that mall tenants of the same trade like hair salons have to recognise their target audience and cater to them.
“The mall management which is the landlord, they have the autonomy to exercise discretion… They can always work out a ratio [of different types of hair salons] that works for all tenants,” said Mr Aw, when asked about how multiple tenants that provide a similar service in the same mall could stay competitive.
Infographic by: Victoria Lum
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