How many business opportunities are there in "top priority"?
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In recent years, the "face value economy" has been continuously subdivided, and there are more and more consumer items related to the human head.
The improvement of industry service quality and the increase of business investment in marketing have pushed up the prices of some products or services.
However, the blind entry of some merchants can hardly satisfy consumers' high expectations for service experience.
Nowadays, all industries from clothing, fitness, cosmetics to medical beauty want to take a share in the field of "value economy".
Among them, consumer items related to the human head are particularly prominent, including hairdressing, hair transplantation, beauty and skin care, and orthodontics.
A reporter from the Workers’ Daily found that the prices in these areas of consumption, which involve “top priority” issues, are generally not cheap.
The constantly segmented "head market"
"China Life Beauty Industry Development Report (2020)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report") pointed out that in order to meet the diversified needs of customers, the life beauty service industry market is further segmented.
This means that more "head market" needs are being tapped, and everything from hair to teeth has become a new capital track.
According to the hair loss population survey released by the Health Commission in 2019, there are already about 250 million hair loss populations in China, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the total population.
It is worth noting that hair loss presents a younger trend, with 63.1% under 35 years old, and hairline shifting has become a general anxiety for post-80s and post-90s generations.
Under these trends, the economy of hair loss such as hair transplantation, hair care, wig products, and scalp care is growing rapidly, with a market size of over 100 billion yuan.
The Blue Book of China's Orthodontic Consumption in 2018 shows that the ideal normal oral cavity in China is only 9%, and the proportions of individual normal and deformity reached 19% and 72% respectively.
On this basis, the consumption potential of the dental orthodontics market is evident, and derivative products such as invisible braces and dental health care related to teeth are welcoming hot sales.
Cui Lili, executive director of the Electronic Commerce Research Institute of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, believes that most urban areas in my country, especially first- and second-tier cities, have already surpassed the basic life and clothing stage.
"From a demand level, when the basic needs are met, more consumption will be biased towards self-realization, such as enhancing one's external image."
Many items are not cheap
The reporter's investigation found that many items are not cheap in the consumer sector involving the head.
"Most barbershops now have exquisite decoration, adequate air-conditioning, and good service staff. Some hairdressing projects take a long time. The staff in the store can also help you buy food and drink. The director, art director, and senior designer on the price list The position of teacher and chief designer is dazzling." Ms. Peng from Beijing said.
Ms. Peng believes that behind these exquisite and thoughtful services are the high cost of opening a store.
"Maybe this can be regarded as an advancement in the hairdressing industry. Everyone wants a better consumer experience, but the result is also obvious. It is common to spend three to five hundred yuan for hairdressing in a store."
The "Report" shows that high operating costs, low passenger flow and insufficient talents are still the main difficulties faced by merchants in the life beauty service industry.
Nearly half of the interviewed merchants believe that "increasing rent and water and electricity costs" restrict the development of stores.
At the same time, since 2018, the unit price of hairdressing and nail art has increased slightly.
Compared with 2018, in 2020, the unit price of hair-raising customers has increased by 26.4%, and the unit prices of nails and hairdressing customers have increased by 4.4% and 2.9% respectively.
The reporter inquired about a number of medical institutions and found that the price of the invisible correction package was about 20,000 yuan, and that of an imported brand correction package was as high as 50,000 yuan.
Some businesses are keen to sell high-priced services to consumers.
In August 2018, Xiao Wu, a Hangzhou man who originally just wanted to have a haircut, was pulled into the store as a free experience.
At the same time, the other party gave him a list including skin rejuvenation, extraction, and sideburn care. Xiao Wu signed the letter without seeing it clearly, but he did not expect to owe nearly 40,000 yuan in debt.
Xiao Wu, who felt he was being scammed, chose to call the police, and finally paid 2500 yuan.
After the incident was exposed by TV stations and other media, the experience of the "hairline boy" resonated throughout the network.
Consumers have higher expectations for service effects
Higher prices correspond to consumers' high expectations for service effects, while consumer products involving the head have become the focus of frequent disputes.
According to data from the China Consumers Association, from 2015 to 2020, the number of complaints received by the National Consumers Association in the medical and aesthetic industry has increased from 483 to 7,233, and the number of complaints has increased by nearly 14 times in five years.
Among them, false propaganda and illegal medical practice are two prominent problems of medical and aesthetic institutions involved in litigation.
Taking hair transplantation as an example, the reporter found on the black cat complaint website that the problems reported by consumers related to the insignificant effect of hair transplantation, the effect of publicity exaggeration, customer service pretending to be a qualified doctor for diagnosis and treatment, and difficulty in refunding rights.
The expenditure of tens of thousands of yuan at every turn makes consumers pay more attention to the service experience.
The "Report" pointed out that the current structural shortage of talents in the life and beauty service industry in my country is more serious. There is a shortage of basic posts with low technical requirements, and a lack of senior technical personnel and management personnel.
At the same time, the hairdressing and beauty industry standard system is not yet complete, and there are deficiencies in standards in many fields. At the same time, the current standards are also out of touch with new technologies and new formats, and there are huge gaps in corporate standards.
Cui Lili told reporters that the frequent disputes in the consumer sector involving the head are on the one hand due to the increase in market demand and consumption, and on the other hand, it is also related to the blind entry of businesses.
"Some unqualified merchants rushed in. At the same time, in many consumption scenarios, some merchants did not adequately inform and confirm consumers accordingly."
Cui Lili said that the prices of such products or services are usually high and professionalism is relatively strong. Consumers are often at a disadvantage in terms of information awareness and rights protection.
Liu Xiaoyan