The beauty and grooming industry is one of the fastest growing industries in Kenya, with an estimated 400% leap in the last four years. We are looking at growth from Kshs26 Billion in 2015 to over 100 Billion in 2019. And from the look of things, this will continue to grow. After all, ladies and gentlemen want to look good and they’re not afraid to spend their time and money towards that goal. After all, when one looks good, they feel good. And when one feels good, everything just sort of ties together nicely and we all want that.
With advancements in technology and the continued need for convenience and time saving, this industry was bound to go tech sooner or later. Take a look at Saspacity for example – an online directory and booking platform for salons, barbershops, stylists and other professionals in the beauty, health and wellness space.
And there is space for it alright. With over 400 salons, 1800 styles and 2000 unique haircare and wellness services, Saspacity will allow clients to search and discover beauty services/parlours, explore latest styles, compare prices, get reviews, check out discounts and offers from different salons and book beauty appointments online. Customers can seek out stylists online for manicures, blowouts, and even spa services like facials.
The platform, which has already gone live on Google Play Store works in the same way one would prefer to use Uber or Bolt to hail a cab. A user can book a slot for the desired service online and show up at the salon or book a slot with a freelancing stylist to deliver the service at their location, minimizing movement as a result of Covid-19 pandemic.
In an added layer of convenience and safety of money, Saspacity also includes an e-wallet so that clients can credit their wallet via M-Pesa before making bookings. It is also quite inclusive prices ranging from braids from Ksh.500 to Ksh.3000 depending on the braid style, salon, and location; and nails from Ksh.150 to Ksh.4500 depending on style, salon, and location.
Saspacity was started to help hair stylists in Kenya, most of whom may not be tech-savvy, don’t have adequate access to schedule management, custom statistics, and online booking software, as well as those who do not have the expertise nor the capital to market themselves.
The platform targets those aged between 18 and 50 with a variety of services including all beauty services in the categories of hair (braiding, weaving, dreadlocks, hair styling), spa and massage, tattooing and piercing, men grooming (haircut, beard shaving, to name a few), nails, manicure, pedicure and beauty, and wellness products.
“According to research we conducted on salons in the Kenyatta market, Umoja, Kamukunji, and Nairobi CBD, we found out that the average wait time for someone to be served was 50 minutes and during that time, customers walk away. Similarly, our findings showed that more than 50% of clients struggle to find information on beauty styling from variety of services offered, their pricing, the best place to get them, as a result, the majority of them end up settling for less than they could get. With Saspacity, everything is now centralized and both the buyer and the seller can walk away satisfied,”
Ernest Were – Cofounder – Saspacity
