Photo: DSW
DSW Inc., the off-price footwear chain, is expanding its test of manicure and pedicure services to three additional markets.
Since 2017, DSW has been piloting in-store nail salons in two Ohio locations through a partnership with W Nail Bar, an Ohio-based company. The retailer will add nail salons to five locations in Austin, TX, Washington D.C. and Dublin, OH. DSW has nearly 1,000 locations in the U.S.
Beyond manicures starting at $29 and pedicures starting at $49, the salons offer waxing services and beer and wine offerings, depending on the location. DSW shoppers earn rewards points for every service purchased.
"The nail bar services engage customers and create loyalty by inspiring self-expression,” said Bill Jordan, president of DSW, in a statement. “They also create repeat visits to the DSW brand."
In an interview with Advertising Age, DSW’s CEO Roger Rawlins said the tests showed the nail salons are attracting Millennial women, who make up about half of salon patrons and represent a quarter of the chain’s customer base. With flip flops and sandals merchandised nearby, salon patrons buy a pair of shoes during nearly a quarter of their visits. Salon patrons also spend about 60 percent more on footwear than they did before nail services arrived.
"You've got to develop differentiated experiences to ultimately retain and attract customers," Mr. Rawlins told Ad Age. Those experiences, he said, need to be ones "that cannot be duplicated in just a digital environment."
Getting a manicure or pedicure inside a store is a rare occurrence, even for stores that sell nail polish. Macy’s once had a nail bar inside its New York City flagship. Sephora earlier this decade partnered with XpresSpa, known for its massages and facials services in airports, on a test of nail bars in some doors.
Nordstrom Local, the retailer's merchandise-free concept that launched last October, has a nail bar at its Melrose location as well as services such as tailoring, returns, same-day online pick-up and personal stylists.