Dive Brief:
- Signaling the expansion of its same-day delivery services, Sally Beauty announced a nationwide partnership with Instacart to transport same-day delivery orders from more than 2,200 locations, the companies announced Tuesday.
- Through Instacart, customers can order more than 7,000 beauty products from Sally Beauty stores, including hair care, hair color, skin and nail items.
- The beauty retailer scaled up its partnership with Instacart following a successful pilot earlier this year, per the press release.
Dive Insight:
With its Instacart deal, Sally Beauty is adding another delivery partner to its operations. Earlier this year, the beauty retailer enlisted DoorDash for on-demand delivery, enabling customers to buy products from more than 2,000 stores in the U.S. Sally Beauty is now available on both the DoorDash and Instacart platforms, a spokesperson confirmed to Retail Dive.
“Our partnership with Instacart builds upon our ongoing omnichannel strategy and commitment to enhance accessibility,” Natalie Lockhart, group vice president of strategy, customer insights and digital experience at Sally Beauty, said in a statement. “We remain focused on putting our customers first by offering the latest technology and shopping options to ensure they have greater access to all their beauty essentials.”
For Instacart, the Sally Beauty expansion broadens the app’s offerings beyond grocery stores to provide shoppers with more beauty products, Blake Wallace, senior director of retail partnerships at Instacart, said in a statement. The company has partnered with over 1,500 national, regional and local retailers, per the press release. Another recent addition to its retail roster is Kohl’s, which joined the platform last month.
In addition to its recent delivery partnerships, Sally Beauty in December also tried to reach customers via its digital color consultation service. Through its Licensed Colorist OnDemand tool, customers can ask licensed colorists questions via chat or video consultation.
The rollout of Sally Beauty’s delivery and consultation offerings comes as the retailer struggles to reverse revenue declines. In its full-year 2023 results, the company reported a 2.3% drop in consolidated net sales year-over-year to $3.73 billion. Those losses continued into the first half of 2024, during which the company reported 2.7% and 1.1% declines in its first- and second-quarter consolidated net sales, respectively.
“Our second quarter performance reflects the benefits of expanded distribution, product innovation and the strengthening of salon demand trends in our Beauty Systems Group segment, offset by moderating traffic and customer purchasing patterns in our Sally Beauty segment resulting from the inflationary environment,” Denise Paulonis, president and chief executive officer, said in its second quarter earnings release. “Amidst these cross-currents, our teams continued to advance our strategic initiatives and deliver engaging experiences for our customers as we focus on driving long-term growth and profitability.”
