‘Like fashion and lifestyle, ancillary industries like hair care have also grown in Pakistan’

Interview with TONI&GUY and label.m team

BR Research met with TONI&GUY and label.m team in Lahore. TONI & GUY is one of the most powerful hairdressing brands in the world. It opened its door in Pakistan - TONI&GUY North Pakistan - years ago. And label.m Professional Haircare developed by the TONI&GUY International Artistic Team is now available in salons in Pakistan.

Shammal Qureshi is the dynamic young CEO and Creative Director of TONI&GUY North Pakistan, as well as the exclusive distributor for label.m products in Pakistan; Gary France is a long-standing member of the TONI&GUY International Artistic Team and now label.m International Education Manager, dedicated to nurturing new talent; Max Lamparter is the International Ambassador who has been working as part of the label.m International Education Team since 2014.

Following are the edited excerpts of the conversation:

BR Research: Tell us about the global spa and wellness industry in terms of its size and performance in recent years.

Gary France: Worldwide, the overall wellness industry has grown tremendously. It expanded by 10.6 percent over the most recent two years, from a $3.36 trillion market in 2013 to $3.72 trillion in 2015. The spa economy, including spa facility revenues of $77.6 billion, and furthermore instruction, counseling, affiliations, media, and occasion segments that empower spa organisations (revenues of $21 billion), developed to $98.6 billion market in 2015. Worldwide, spa areas hopped from 105,591 in 2013 to 121,595 in 2015 – an increase of over 15 percent

Since 2013, the industry has included 16,000 spas, more than 230,000 specialists (to achieve 2.1 million), and $3.5 billion in income. The unassuming 2.3 percent yearly income development rate (2013-2015) is, to a great extent, due to the US dollar money change from substantial spa showcases crosswise over Europe and Asia. On the off chance that worldwide spa office incomes are changed over to the Euro, the market really grew a powerful 25 percent from €56 billion to €70.1 billion.

BRR: The wellness and spa industry in Pakistan is in much nascent stages. What’s your view about the current situation of industry in Pakistan? And with rising income levels, what are the prospects for this industry in the country?

Gary: Yes, the industry is underdeveloped, but we look at it from the emerging market perspective. There’s a lot that we can learn from entering a new market like Pakistan. We’ve similarly entered other growing and emerging market in the past, and understanding the needs and the local culture helped us really get a grip on those markets and launch new products that were geared specifically for those parts of the world.

Max Lamparter: We’re really excited about getting to know more about the Pakistani market. This is our first visit here and we are very keen on learning more about the local trends, as well as seeing how international trends translate onto the local scene.

Shammal Qureshi: I’d like to add here that there is a lot of opportunity in Pakistan for international brands to grow and make a mark. As I’m sure you’re aware, the Pakistani fashion, and lifestyle industries have grown exuberantly in the past few years.

We believe that there are tremendous opportunities for brands such as label.m to leverage as Pakistani public is becoming brand and fashion conscious. This is great for all fashion and personal styling industries. With the growth of our local fashion scene and rising consumption due to rising income levels, ancillary industries, such as hair care and styling have also grown accordingly. The continuing growth and development of our fashion industry will have a knock-on effect and as such, I think the future is bright!

Max: To pick up from what Shammal just said, the very fact that Gary and I find ourselves here in Pakistan speaks volumes as to the future prospects of this industry. The fact that label.m is looking to increase its foothold in the country is testament to future growth opportunities.

BRR: What are the key weaknesses of this sector, especially with respect to Pakistan?

Shammal: I would say the biggest weakness we have here in Pakistan is a severe lack of qualified human resources, despite easy access to a large, and cheap human capital. Training is one of the biggest challenges we face here. That’s why we felt, it was essential to bring talents such as Max and Gary to Pakistan, so that we can learn from the greatest; and apply those lessons to the local market. The “We Are Two” event by TONI&GUY and label.m is largely geared towards meeting this specific challenge, by educating salon owners and stylists on how to get the most out of their styling products.

BRR: Can you elaborate on ‘We Are Two’ campaign?

Shammal: We Are Two is a way for label.m to connect with our clients as a global brand, and really tell them what we are all about. Here in Pakistan, and for me, this has special resonance. As you will learn more about the campaign, We Are Two is all about making connections. The Pakistani haircare industry has really evolved in the past few years, and the campaign is a great way to further this evolution and place it within a global context.

Gary: The whole philosophy behind the campaign – which is running globally, is basically about building and maintaining relationships. The relationship between a client and his or her hairdresser; or the connection between the brand label.m and the world. As I mentioned, this is a global message for all people. When it comes to Pakistan, it’s about connecting the brand and the brand’s philosophy with the people of Pakistan, and placing the people of Pakistan within a larger global context.

Max: To quote the campaign, “We Are Two is a global celebration of Cultural Diversity, Unity, Equality, Individuality, and Partnerships.”

BRR: So how do you plan to bring the local industry close to the global standards?

 Gary: I would say through training, education, and provision of professional and reliable products.

Shammal: As Gary just mentioned, education and training is the key requirement. This means actually teaching salon staff the way any high-end salon would do abroad. And in addition to training salon staff, and providing them with the very best products on offer, it’s important to also ensure that consumers and clients know what’s going on in the rest of the world, and then educating them on what to expect from their hair dresser or stylist.

BRR: Tell us about label.m Pakistan operations. Can you share some growth numbers? What is your target market and who are you competing with?

Shammal: label.m has been operating as a brand officially in Pakistan since 2008. Since then, the brand’s cumulative growth has been around 20.5 percent. The brand’s main competitors locally would be L’Oréal and Wella. Generally speaking, the target age bracket is between 25-45, but we aim to include everyone.

BRR: How suitable are label.m products for Asian markets like Pakistan? What was the main idea behind bringing label.m products to Pakistan?

Shammal: When I returned to Pakistan and entered the hair styling industry, I realized that the market was seriously lacking a hip, youthful hair product brand that gave brilliant results, worked well with our hair types, and at the same time, resonated with both millennials, as well as older people.

Gary: As for the suitability, I would like to add that label.m products work in harmony with our environment by protecting hair, but also resisting humidity. I personally love the Pakistani quality of hair and am really excited to be working with some of the texture while here. I’m also really excited in understanding the cultural trends and how label.m can influence and adapt in terms of product.