Product Diversion

Diversion is when...
professional salon products, like Nexxus, Paul Mitchell, Matrix, OPI etc... show up in unauthorized outlets or retail centers.

Unauthorized Outlets are... 
Drug Stores, Grocery Stores, Flea Markets, Unauthorized Web Stores etc... You should not buy any "professional only" products from these sources.  They may not be what they seem.

Authorized Outlets are... 
Beauty Supply Distributors, Licensed Salons and web stores hosted by a salon or other authorized source...

Diversion hurts all of us....
Consumers, Salons, Distributors and Manufacturers

Why do drug stores and grocery stores stock professional products if they are asked not to?
 When enough consumers ask for a particular product in the drug store... the manager of the store looks into acquiring the requested item....making a demand for it in the gray and black market. This is "big business".... and the big guys want a part of it at the expense of the salon owner & the beauty profession as a whole.

What salons and concerned consumers can do...
If you discover diverted goods in an unauthorized outlet notify the proper distributor and call the manufacturer.  Manufacturers do not want to anger salons or consumers (a personal call from each and every angry salon would speak volumes to the product manufacturer). Also alert the store manager that they are selling unauthorized and diverted goods in their store.   They may not care at that moment but if you and everyone you know mentions this to them...they will tell their upper management and it may make a difference.

Some products have tracking codes on them and it has helped us catch some diverters.  If we can not trace where the product is coming from and cut off the source You can still do things that can make a difference...We can still boycott the unauthorized outlet, write letters to the management, hold a picketing demonstration at the location, use your voice and your buying power...Make your unhappiness known to the store.  Remember they are taking food out of the salon professionals mouth, and endangering consumers by selling product that has gotten there by "shadey" means

Whats wrong with diverted Products? - Diverted products are many times tampered with. The tracking codes and batch numbers have been scraped off. By buying products at the drug store you are not supporting the salons professional efforts.  If you do not support our local salons all that will be left are large chain salons. None of us want that...

 Consumers may not be getting the product that they think they are when they purchase salon products at an unauthorized store.   Outdated, discontinued, damaged and tampered with products are often the products that are diverted into retail outlets.  

Products that have been purchased and then tested have proven many times to be counterfeit or expired... sometimes several YEARS old.

Also many professional products should be professionally recommended by a trained professional to insure proper use.  Salon products have higher concentrations of some chemicals that should be used only as directed.

If your drug store is buying professional hair products from "back door" sources what makes you think they wouldn't do that with your medicine or baby formula.  The "black market" is the black market no matter what the product, and you are supporting a "shady operation" when you participate in it.

The beauty industry DOES NOT want their professional products sold in drug stores.  Just like Lancôme or Estee Lauder is available "only" in exclusive department stores... You should "only' buy your professional beauty products from a salon or an authorized web store.

As a final note...
Many times the professional hair or nail care product is available at the same price that the salon is selling it for.  Contrary to what you might think... diverted product is rarely cheaper in the retail outlet... so there is no price consideration that drives the consumer to purchase it at the retail outlet, they are driven by convenience.

We will update you on the progress of our fight against this "cancer in our industry"....Until it is "cured" we are asking....no... we are pleading with the consumers, salons and salon professionals for their help to end this diversion issue by helping us apply pressure to the retail outlets.

Thank You