Eric Choong: We are mainly involved with hair care industry including hair styling, hair care consulting services, sales and distribution of hair care products and education.

TCP: Do you offer any branded products that can generate bigger profit margins?

EC: While we carry our own branded products, we have also launched another sub-brand under Toni & Guy, Label. M. We also distribute L’Oreal’s professional hair care products.

TCP: How do you polish your brand in China?

EC: We often enter into strategic partnerships with top international brands. Our collaborations are often beneficial to both parties. At the same time, we enhance our reputation in China by participating and sponsoring large-scaled or top-end fashion shows. These events provide opportunities for fashionable consumers who are sensitive to new trends to gain awareness of Toni & Guy as a brand and a hair care specialist.

TCP: Can you share with us a successful example that you have enhanced brand reputation through participating in an event?

Shanghai Fashion Week in early November this year as the event’s exclusive hair care sponsor. This was the second time we cooperated with this event. This year, we allied with several famous international fashion designers including Julien MacDonald and Manish Arora to design tailor-made hair stylists for their clothes, among which include new a British brand Unconditional. At the same time, we also cooperated with the cosmetic brand MAC. This undoubtedly consolidated our position and allowed us to expand to the market through assimilating with Mainland fashion events.

TCP: Have you encountered any difficulties introducing a saloon chain of Western concept to China?

EC: Chinese hair care market is more familiar with styles from Japan and Korea. As a hair salon chain from Britain, we strive to promote hairstyles that have a heavier Western touch. Therefore, we hope to let our consumers be more familiar with Western styles. Since many Chinese consumers have become more curious and sensitive to new trends in fashion or beauty products, our styles are gaining more recognition.

TCP: How do you want Chinese consumers to view Toni & Guy?

EC: Tony & Guy positions itself as more of a top-end brand through salon location and customer services. Because we mainly target white collar workers aged 18 to 45 and the young market segment that are fashion-sensitive, we want to generate an impression on the part of the consumers that the brand is closely associated with top-end fashion and beauty products as well as personalized services.

TCP: What is the next move of your business?

EC: China is an important and vibrant market to us. Compared with other markets, China offers many opportunities for growth and development. We now have 11 Toni & Guy hair salons and schools in Mainland China. As a prerequisite for business expansion, we place much emphasis on strengthening the professional training we provide hair stylist and technicians. We also work on introducing Western hair care and beauty concepts to Chinese consumers, with the aim of expanding our potential client base.

TCP: Is human resources a problem to your development? If so, how do you solve it?

EC: As an international brand, we constantly attract many people trying to join our corporate structure. However, we maintain consistent and strict recruitment requirements. At present, it is still difficult to track and tap quality and professional hair stylists and human resources for beauty services. While we provide continuous training programs for our employees, we would also recruit locals to be responsible for administrative and internal management.