L’Oréal launches a pioneering programme to transform the hairdressing industry in France and Europe

Clichy, 3 March 2015 – L’Oréal Professional Products Division is rolling out “Salon Emotion”, a pioneering programme to support the development of the hairdressing industry in France and Europe. Launched in France and other major European countries starting January 2015, the program aims to transform 6 000 salons in Europe by the end of 2018.

Salon Emotion is a unique transformation programme based on three essential components: training and raising awareness of services, personalised advice and guidance to modernise the salons, and making financing simpler. “As the leader in beauty and the partner of choice for hair stylists, it is our responsibility to help the industry reinvent itself and become more dynamic,” declared An Verhulst-Santos, President Professional Products Division.

Salon Emotion will give stylists who are eligible for the programme, support to improve their clients’ overall experience, modernise their salons with complete and personalised guidance, and facilitate their access to financing. “This last point is very important,” said An Verhulst-Santos. “Making it easier for stylists who run small businesses to secure a bank loan is essential to developing the sector.”

L’Oréal has signed agreements with banks in every country where the programme will be deployed. In France, BNP Paribas, as part of its strategic plan “BNP Paribas entrepreneurs 2016”, and the Crédit Agricole Caisses Régionales are taking part in the programme. Hair stylists will benefit from simplified banking processes.

The banks working alongside L’Oréal are dedicated to support the transformation of an important business sector employing a significant amount of people. The second biggest craft trade in France, the hairdressing industry represents 6 billion euros* and a workforce of 170,000** people and suffers from having a number of lacklustre salons.

* Source INSEE/ESANE
** Source UNEC

About L’Oréal

L’Oréal has devoted itself to beauty for over 105 years. With its unique international portfolio of 32 diverse and complementary brands, the Group generated sales amounting to 22.5 billion euros in 2014 and employs 78,600 people worldwide. As the world’s leading beauty company, L’Oréal is present across all distribution networks: mass market, department stores, pharmacies and drugstores, hair salons, travel retail and branded retail.

Research and innovation, and a dedicated research team of 3,600 people, are at the core of L’Oréal’s strategy, working to meet beauty aspirations all over the world and attract one billion new consumers in the years to come. L’Oréal’s new sustainability commitment for 2020 “Sharing Beauty With All” sets out ambitious sustainable development objectives across the Group’s value chain.