Why Not to buy professional products from a drug store.

[LisaM07]

Does this also apply to the Wal Mart hair salon? or is that ok?

 

[JennHippo]

that was a very interesting read.

 

[CuTeLiCiOuS]

Originally Posted by ldivastar7 Some product companies prosecute those retailers that carry there products. It is hard for them to keep tabs on because collectors and distributer sales people are selling the products to the chains. There are no laws against Grey marketed product yet but the NCA and the companies are fighting to make it a law. Companies can still take action against the stores that black market the products. Gucci , Chanel, etc. have knock offs too that are undetectable that come from other countries sold in Black market. Same thing. Even though some of the products look the same they are still black/gray marketed. So chances are they can be tampered w/, knock offs, old product, or rejected product from the distributors. I have seen several local CVS and Walgreen's have the products striped form the stores and pretty hefty fines from the companies.
Nexxus has become a OTC so they are no longer selling to Salons only. They got a buy out from wal-mart. I contacted them after I saw W/mart carrying the products and they told me there sales had went down in the last few years and they are no longer a salon only brand.

Well I love Nexxus products. No cones the real deal to keep the hair healthy. I cannot belive there is not a law aganists this. It is and sounds so illegal. I have never bought any Nexxus products, well maybe once years ago, from a salon, only walgreens or other drigstores.

 

[ldivastar7]

Originally Posted by LisaM07 Does this also apply to the Wal Mart hair salon? or is that ok? No Wal-Mart salons are pretty much like Fantastic Sams. They are chains but still lagitmet salons none the less. So the product they carry in there salons are all professional lines.

 

[Stitch]

Great info to know, thanks.

 

[frazerti]

personally my thing is I would never buy from a drugstore nver had never will.

 

[ldivastar7]

This is pretty rambling (sorry) but here it goes......

I just went to CVS today. I saw PM, Matrix, Biolage, Bed Head, and Redkin. I talked to the Manger about the products. He first told me he gets them from his distributor and they were not diverted. So I asked him who his distributor was and could I contact them .

I know in my area there is one salon distributor. The others have seemed to fizzel out over the years. 3 other Salons have told me they haven't saw him in a month and that is when the products showed up in CVS. I haven't seen him eaither. Hummm.

The manager told me he didn't know his name and it wasn't on the sales slip. (other salons had previously asked him to so he already knew he was in for it. BUT! He wasn't expecting me!)

1st of all, all salon retail sales slips to stores have the distributors names on them. Big Red Flag as to it being a diverted product! No names, no repercussions.

So then after I asked him a few questions his story got bigger as he went. He told me that he doesn't do the ordering that cooperate sent it to him.

I said, "Didn't you just tell me you had a distributor come to the store?" He denied saying that. After he knew I was for real he got really agitated and threw up his hand in my face and wouldn't talk to me and got very rude. (he was a teenager and I knew I had to keep my cool and be professional.) I remained nice and considerate even when he got rude w/ me. I told him I didn't have anything further to discuss I just wanted him to be informed of the malfraction his store is committing. I also would be bringing him information on diversion and the companies would be contacting CVS. The last store I reported got striped of product and haven't had it since.

It's an on going battle. Not only is it to keep salon integrity and profit in small business and not to the bigger market moguls. But also to insure safety and quality to or clients. I have read several notices from different products lately about contaminated gray market product.

I have had 2 articles published in the past month on diversion. I just want to see more stylist see the importance and are take the stand too. You can check out more info from most salon product company web sites. Clients taking a stand too helps us to insure your products remain salon quality.

BTW There was a lady who was in the store looking at product. She was listening to me explain gray market product and I heard her tell her friend what I said. She was going to a salon down the street to get what she needed. One for the cause!

 

[Sarahdipity]

I've heard of this several times, so I don't buy these products in drugstores. However, I got a sample of Nexxus shampoo and conditioner from walmart.com and then went to the nexxus site and got a sample from them. They both came in identical packaging...so how does walmart get the samples, and are they part of the gray market as well?

 

[rodenbach]

Thanks for posting.

 

[michal_cohen]

great post!

 

[SwtValina]

I was at our supermarket the other day and I saw Biosilk and TGI products in their little salon section and I remembered what you said so I steered clear. It's ridiculous because the prices are exactly the same as in the salon so why would people even bother.

 

[mabelwan]

Thanks for the great info! I wouldn't have known about this if I didn't read this thread.

 

[ldivastar7]

I just got this artical published!

Yeah! I'm so excited!

 

[marshall1704]

thanks for posting!!

 

[ldivastar7]

Oops I forgot I didn't post my artical on here. The 1st post was another artical I found doing research. But I got two articals published recently on diversion.

 

[Annia]

I have to agree with the rest, that was interesting. I never knew that so thanks for posting.

 

[KimC2005]

Thank you so much for posting. I know that I have seen the salon sections in Target, Walgreens and CVS. I had always wondered about it and I am glad to know now

 

[ldivastar7]

Originally Posted by Sarahdipity I've heard of this several times, so I don't buy these products in drugstores. However, I got a sample of Nexxus shampoo and conditioner from walmart.com and then went to the nexxus site and got a sample from them. They both came in identical packaging...so how does walmart get the samples, and are they part of the gray market as well? No Nexxus as I said before isn't a salon only brand anymore. Wal-Mart doesn't sell Knock offs or Gray market . Since they own a chain of salons they get there product through the normal distribution. But if you notice the salon only brands they have are only sold in there salons not in the store its self.

 

[liltweekstar]

thanks for this useful info... i was so tempted to buy a salon product at target but got it at my usual salon instead.

 

[geebers]

Wow I had no idea!! Good information...