Is it me or is Sally's Beauty Supply racist?

[SqrpioQutie]

I understand we are tired of hearing the 'r' word associated with everything, but I really was wondering if it was just me. I don't know if any of you have heard of Sally's beauty supply, but it is a major beauty supply chain around where I live. They sell majority white haircare and products, and they have a few black hair care products as well. But, every one of those beauty supplies I have been in, puts the black haircare products, right next to the aisle the register is, where the aisle can be 'watched'. I noticed this, when I went to the first one, when someone was sticking there head out to watch me. And a few other ones I have been to. I don't blame them for protecting their merchandise, but are black people more likely to steal hair products? And does our singling out have be so obvious? Hmmmm, just an observation.

sorry, but at the bolded... that's a HILARIOUS thing to say, here of all places...

as to your original question, i don't think the placement of their products/layout of their store constitute racism... and if it helps, in the ones that i go to, all of the "hair extensions" geared toward the white folk are right by the register... so that's MUCH easier to watch than the ethnic haircare products...

 

[FindingMe]

I have been in Sally's where the ethnic section is near the cash registers and away from them...but I definitely think store setup and inventory is strongly related to demographics...

...as we do have a "Black folks" Sally's BSSerplexed over on the south side of town, where 85% of the store is ethnic products...it's the biz-ness...me and my girls take turns driving to the "black" Sally's when we can't find what we need at our local Sally's in the burbs...

 

[darkangel25]

I never thought about it. The Sally's that I go to has the black haircare products right next to the register, too.

 

[aja1121]

there is a Sallys in the London and the products aimed at black people are no where near the register if i stole something no-one would know but that is real bad from what i am reading shame shame on them.

Same here....the one I go to in Philly has the black hair care in the aisle farthest away from the register.

I wouldn't necessarily call it racist unless it was constructed with that in mind. However, if they took inventory and realized they had the most shrink in that area and then moved accordingly, as a business owner, how would you react? It is a shame, but it is what it is.

 

[Eisani]

I understand we are tired of hearing the 'r' word associated with everything, but I really was wondering if it was just me. I don't know if any of you have heard of Sally's beauty supply, but it is a major beauty supply chain around where I live. They sell majority white haircare and products, and they have a few black hair care products as well. But, every one of those beauty supplies I have been in, puts the black haircare products, right next to the aisle the register is, where the aisle can be 'watched'. I noticed this, when I went to the first one, when someone was sticking there head out to watch me. And a few other ones I have been to. I don't blame them for protecting their merchandise, but are black people more likely to steal hair products? And does our singling out have be so obvious? Hmmmm, just an observation.

Maybe it has to do w/demographics because the three in my area aren't like this. Actually, much to my chagrin, they put the products in the last aisle, in the back half of the store. I worked PT at Sally after my real job for about 3 yrs and caught white people stealing far more than blacks/latinos. IDK if I totally agree w/your observation.

 

[mezzogirl]

The Sallys around my area keep most of the black hair care products in the back of the store away from the register. The the employee base is usually at least 50% black where I live in Florida. I haven't noticed any racism.

 

[Lucky's Mom]

The"ethnic" products are inthe Back of the store at most of the Sally's I go to.... I don't buy those products - so I guess I never thought about it....
I always get good service.......... I did have a lady tell me that Noodle Head products "weren't for me" But that is it..... She was not nasty about it - She just did not know Pokahotas!!!! HAAAA

 

[Rae1234]

IDK. At the Sally's where I live the Black hair care products are at the very back of the store in the last isle.

same here. but i do understand were the OP is talking about

 

[Hairsofab]

I never noticed that but that has been true for all the Sally's I've been in. wow!

 

[CokoQt]

I have been thinking the same thing especially this past weekend. There is a Sally's in my area that opened up about a year ago. When they first opened, the black haircare products were on the farthest aisle away from register. In the last month, they were reorganizing the store. They have moved the black hair care products to the aisle next to the register and moved the other products like Aphogee, generics, etc to the far aisle. Most of the workers there are black and I felt comfortable shopping there without being watched, but I know the layout change came from higher up because they had diagrams all over the store.

As much business as we give them, you would think we would be getting red carpet treatment. If I really wanted to steal something from Sally's, why would they think I wouldn't want some Porosity Control, Mane and Tail, or some Aphogee from another aisle....Just saying. Why not just put all the shampoos, conditioners, leave ins, etc on one aisle facing each other if thats the case? One store I shopped at had Wild Growth Hair Oil behind the counter when it used to be on the shelf. I was hard down looking for it until the clerk asked me if I needed some help.

 

[CokoQt]

Same here....the one I go to in Philly has the black hair care in the aisle farthest away from the register.

I wouldn't necessarily call it racist unless it was constructed with that in mind. However, if they took inventory and realized they had the most shrink in that area and then moved accordingly, as a business owner, how would you react? It is a shame, but it is what it is.

Well stated. It does make sense from a business standpoint if their inventory showed shrinkage in those areas. I used to do inventory and didn't think of that possibility.

 

[SignatureBeauty]

Alot of stores are like that, not just sallys, Where I am at, At first it wasn't many black people so they didn't carry many black hair products, but now that it has grown so has the black products that they now carry. I only go to sallys for protein treatments, I do most shopping at a BSS that I know carry what I need.

 

[CenteredGirl]

hmm that's really interesting. The Sally's I go to our laid out the same way!

Wow. That blows my mind. I thought this was the new millinium and all. Might as well be back in the day. hmf

 

[kombov_dymond]

I work in an area where it has a high percentage of non-black people. I think they base the products they stock on what they think the hair of the people in that particular area has. When the Sally's first opened near my job, I asked for some Elasta QP product. The sales lady was like: this is all we carry right here. It was a blonde chick with an attitude. (She was rude, but I didn't give a damn. I wanted what I came to get.) They had like maybe 4 items. Of course their sales plummeted, because although they are not AfAm, 80% of their hair is like ours. They started going to the older Sally's in the nearest town to continue to get the Elasta QP, Motions, Silk Elements...I knew that was going to happen. I know hairtypes. And what they were shelving would never work.

I went in there to pick up some Porosity Control a few months back and lo and behold, there was almost the full aisle of black haircare stuff.

I started to complain that first day, but I just decided to see if they would find out for themselves after their sales didn't do as well as they expected. Sometimes smart people have to learn the hard way.

They do keep our stuff near the wall where the registers are though. It's all good, 'cause I worry the crap outta them. You wanna watch, you may as well help me shop so I can get outta your store quicker.

I too prefer the BSS'es. I always get discounts on something when this particular sales guy is in there.

 

[Lady Esquire]

both sallys near my house have the ethnic near the back. but now that i think of it, if i had to look for any kinda racism, it is in the first aisle, where the register is in clear view. but i cannot really agree or disagree with your observation. boycott if it bothers you. lord knows there are plenty of other bss in every major metro.

 

[chebaby]

wow this is odd to me. all the sally's in my are sale mostly black hair care lines. the only product i always see behaind or near the counter is kemi oyl products and some fake hair.

 

[audacity.]

I understand we are tired of hearing the 'r' word associated with everything, but I really was wondering if it was just me. I don't know if any of you have heard of Sally's beauty supply, but it is a major beauty supply chain around where I live. They sell majority white haircare and products, and they have a few black hair care products as well. But, every one of those beauty supplies I have been in, puts the black haircare products, right next to the aisle the register is, where the aisle can be 'watched'. I noticed this, when I went to the first one, when someone was sticking there head out to watch me. And a few other ones I have been to. I don't blame them for protecting their merchandise, but are black people more likely to steal hair products? And does our singling out have be so obvious? Hmmmm, just an observation.

The black hair care prods in the Sally's where I live -

7450 S GARTRELL RD #A7
AURORA, CO 80016-2439
Phone: 303-400-0691

are tucked away in a corner in the back of the store.

 

[Angkin73]

The Sally's in my town used to have the black supplies on the isle beside the register. They have moved it to the last isle across the store. I does have a big mirror in the top corner at both ends of the isle. Thats the same with the sally's in a town near mine. Although, they do have all the weave and wigs, and the stuff that go with it almost beside the counter.

 

[mnemosyne]

The Sally's I know of has the (tiny) black hair care section in the back of the store furthest from the register. It's the one down Grand avenue in Queens. I didn't know of any product placement conspiracy.

 

[MissJ]

I've never paid any attention to that before, but now that you mention it...you're right!!! There are about 5 sally's within a 20 mile radius to my home and they all have the "ethnic" products down the isle nearest the cash register. erplexed

Yep!

I've been to several Sally's in different states, and the black products are always on the aisle by the register. Even though some of the products are toward the back, there's a big mirror overhead so that they can see what's going on.

 

[Enchantmt]

The stores here have different layouts, in the one by my job they are in the aisle furthest away from the register and in the back of the store, in the one nearer to my home they are in the same aisle as the register. I havent noticed getting "watched" at any of them, but I tend not to notice that sort of stuff unless it is blatantly obvious.

 

[trendybosschicebz]

hmmm, interesting. Ive had nothing but positive experiences in the Sallys surrounding my area. And they sell alot products marketed for blacks.

 

[snowbal2200]

Sally's Beauty Supply store never appealed to me. I prefer my neighborhood BSS instead. The BSS store owners are much more willing to stock products based on customer suggestions and that means a lot to me. I have never bought so much as a scrunchie from Sally's Beauty Supply and I doubt I ever will. I walked in and walked right out. I checked out their online store and did not like it as well. I live in Brooklyn, NY and there are not too many Sally's Beauty Supply stores in the borough. They are not preferred over the local BSS stores.