From one hair salon in Darlington, offering new, relaxed ‘cuts and blow dries’ for a new era, the Saks-buzz spread and further SAKS HAIR salons quickly opened, culminating in Saks Franchising launching in 1981, taking the brand nationwide in the early ‘80s.
SAKS BEAUTY launched in 1996 in response to a huge demand from clients and Saks was the first to bring botox and injectables to the high street. Non-surgical facelift treatments, Oxygenator anti-ageing facials and IPL laser hair removal have further strengthened the clinical offering.
The best training
Saks stylists are trained to be experts by the super-talented Saks Art Team, who’re responsible for standards for hair within the network, delivering training in Saks salons and training academies across the UK and overseas.
Saks’ beauty training ensures that all therapists are experts in the brand’s values, client consultation and the Saks beauty offering, with Skills Days ensuring all core beauty services are continuously delivered to an expert standard.
Saks also offers beginners the best training with fast-track NVQs with renowned Saks Diplomas – guaranteed to open salon doors – at their training academies in London, Darlington and Glasgow. Plus, for experienced hairdressers, classic and advanced hair short courses are delivered by the Art Team for those wishing to refresh skills and push creative boundaries to the max.
Managing Director, Stephen Kee, has been with Saks since the beginning and runs the business today along with original co-founder, Dennis Cheesebrough. The other original co-founder, Malcolm Hanson, sadly passed away last year.
Kee says: “Saks at 40 is all about making women feel special. It’s our ethos and it’s at the heart of everything we do. We’ve invested lots of time and money to find out what makes our clients tick. And this has enabled us to really understand what women want.
Kee continues: “We spend lots of time ensuring our people understand what we’re about. It’s essential that everyone at Saks buys in to our brand ethos. We also provide our salon teams with ongoing training so they’re up-to-date with the latest hair trends and beauty innovations. They get Saks, and it translates into everything they do. And time and again ‘what makes Saks special’ is the big deciding factor for new franchisees coming on board.”
Published: 8 April 2014
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