From Independent To Saks Perth
When Elaine Morgan opened her salon in Perth, she knew exactly what she wanted to spend her time doing. Looking after clients. Developing her team. Creating beautiful hair.
After years in the hairdressing industry and building a strong reputation locally, Elaine had recently opened her own salon. She’d built a loyal client base and was well known for her warm, approachable manner, but like many independent salon owners, she quickly found herself trying to juggle everything that comes with running a business.
“There was just so much to do alongside making sure the team and customers were okay. The hairdressing, developing and training the team and looking after customers. That’s what I enjoy. But I struggled with the accounts and marketing the salon, particularly all the online stuff. It’s just not my skill set.”
The parts of the business she loved most were the reasons she’d become a salon owner in the first place. But attracting new clients and keeping on top of the numbers didn’t come as naturally.
So, when Elaine discovered the support available through Saks salon conversion, she decided it was time to explore a different way forward.
KEEPING THE SALON SHE LOVED. GROWING THE BUSINESS SHE WANTED.
But when considering joining a bigger brand, Elaine had one big question. Would the salon still feel like hers?
“I work hard and I wanted people to know it was still my salon. And yes. Saks has got the balance right. It’s always been clear that it’s still me. When I met the team, I felt confident. Everything was explained clearly and it just felt right.”
That was something Elaine felt from the very beginning. After meeting the Saks team and visiting HQ in Darlington, what stood out wasn’t just the systems. It was the people. A few months later, Morgans Hair became Saks Hair Perth. But this wasn’t just a name change, the entire business underwent a transformation.
MORGAN’S REIMAGINED AS SAKS
The salon itself was refreshed with new Saks branding, updated décor, new furniture, styling stations, retail displays and a premium look and feel that instantly elevated the customer experience while retaining the warm, intimate atmosphere Elaine’s clients already loved. The high street presence was transformed too, with new signage ensuring the salon stood out as a premium destination in the city’s vibrant St. John’s Street and Café Quarter.
“The team and customers are loving it. I’m loving it!”
Behind the scenes, though, the changes went much deeper. As part of the conversion, Elaine and her team were introduced to the Saks systems, structure and support network designed to help salons grow sustainably.
RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING WERE JUST THE START
Building the right team was one of the first priorities. Saks HQ supported recruitment from the outset, promoting vacancies on the Saks website, creating an Indeed profile for Saks Perth and running targeted Meta advertising campaigns. Support continued through interviews, trade tests and appointing the strongest candidates.
“As soon as it was announced, we were flooded with CVs.”
Applications came from across Perth and beyond, with many candidates attracted by Saks’ reputation for education, career development and long-term progression. For Elaine, it was an early sign of the strength of the brand.
The result was a talented team eager to learn, develop and be part of a business with a clear vision for the future.
The opportunities available through Saks have been embraced by the whole team. From brand induction and social media training to the Simply Saks education programme, learning and development have been central to their journey.
A Saks Artist spent time in the salon coaching the team on the Saks approach to consultation, cutting and styling, helping build confidence in delivering the Saks experience while refining technical and communication skills.
For Elaine, that investment in people has been one of the most valuable aspects of joining the brand.
Another significant change was the move to L’Oréal Professionnel, Saks’ long-standing product partner. While Elaine was already familiar with the brand, much of the team had worked with different colour houses. Comprehensive training and ongoing mentoring ensured a smooth transition and built confidence from the start.
The support didn’t end after the initial training. Through continued development opportunities, the wider Saks education programme and access to L’Oréal educators, the team continue to grow their skills and knowledge.
Joining Saks has brought not only world-class products, but also education, technical expertise and creative opportunities often beyond the reach of independent salons. From stronger consultations and technical confidence to renewed enthusiasm for learning, the team feel they’re continually progressing in their careers.
“The training has been great and the team got to grips with everything quickly. When you’re learning something new, it makes you enjoy your job more. They’re proud to be part of Saks and they can see the opportunities ahead of them.”
FROM NEW WEBSITE TO LOCAL BUZZ
The launch was supported by a coordinated marketing programme delivered by the Saks HQ team.
A new website was built, and optimised, social media channels were set-up or refreshed, a Google Business Profile and Salon Spy review platform were launched, and targeted local marketing campaigns introduced the salon to both existing and prospective clients. A half-price first visit offer helped drive trial while influencer partnerships, PR activity, local business engagement and digital advertising generated awareness across Perth and beyond.
“It made a massive difference to the number of clients ringing and coming through the door.”
FROM GUESSWORK TO GROWTH
Saks recommended salon management software, SalonIQ brought online booking, customer relationship management, reporting, stock control, automated marketing and business insights into one place. Before joining Saks, many of these systems either didn’t exist or were managed manually.
“It was all guesswork and pen and paper before.”
Elaine initially found the amount of data and reporting available a little overwhelming. But the impact quickly became clear.
“At first, I was thinking, I can’t do this; it’s too much. I love it now. I’ve never really known my numbers before. Now I review everything every week and it keeps me focused.”
Online booking, in particular, has transformed how customers interact with the salon, a new source of business that simply wasn’t available before.
“You go to bed thinking you’ve got gaps in the diary, then you wake up and they’ve filled up overnight.”
SAKS PERTH BY NUMBERS
The results came quickly. Just twelve weeks after opening as Saks Perth, the salon was already seeing significant growth across digital engagement and visibility, client acquisition and turnover…
✨ Over 10,000 visits to the salon’s new website. Before converting, the salon had no dedicated website.
✨ Instagram followers up 348%.
✨ Facebook followers up 83%.
✨ 100s of Google Business Profile interactions and a strong reputation with perfect 5-star Google and excellent 4.98 Salon Spy rating. Before conversion, the salon had no Google Business Profile.
✨ 100s of new customer offer voucher downloads.
✨ 100s of bookings and new customer records added through SalonIQ.
✨ £1000s generated online, through a booking platform which already accounts for over 20% of bookings and that wasn’t previously available to clients.
All demonstrating how converting to Saks can rapidly enhance a salon’s visibility, attract new clients and introduce scalable systems that support long-term sustainable growth.
MORE THAN A LAUNCH
For Elaine, one of the biggest surprises was that the help didn’t stop once the salon became Saks. Today, she’s supported by the Saks HQ team across marketing, finance and business mentoring, giving her more time to focus on the areas where she makes the biggest difference.
“It just keeps going. It’s taken such a load off me. That’s where I’d struggled in the past, and now I’ve got that support there.”
The structure has brought something else too: confidence.
“I love knowing what I’m doing. I’ve never really had that level of visibility in the business before.”
NO LONGER DOING IT ALONE
Running a salon can sometimes feel lonely. For Elaine, becoming part of Saks changed that too.
Whether it’s support from HQ, trusted partners such as L’Oréal Professionnel and SalonIQ, or fellow Saks salon owners, she knows she’s backed by a network of people who genuinely want the business to succeed.
“If I need help, I know it’s there. You don’t feel alone. You feel like part of a big family.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Just a few months ago, Elaine was worried about growing her business in a challenging market. Today, she’s excited about the future. In fact, she already has her eye on what’s next.
“I’m much more positive than I was six months ago. I’d love to open another Saks salon one day. Let’s get this one booming first, but absolutely.”
And when asked whether converting to Saks was the right decision? Her answer comes without hesitation.
“It was definitely the right decision. I look back to that first conversation just a few short months ago and where we are now, and I couldn’t have imagined it. I’m incredibly proud.”
YOUR SALON. BACKED BY SAKS.
For independent salon owners wondering what the next chapter could look like, Elaine’s story shows that joining Saks isn’t about losing your identity.
It’s about keeping everything that’s special about your salon while gaining the support, systems, business and marketing expertise, technology, education and community that help you grow.
Thinking about exploring what’s possible? Get in touch… We’d love to have a confidential, no-obligation conversation about your salon and ambitions.