Is your salon price list out of market? What 1,006 salons tell us
What are you really charging for your services? And are you too cheap, too expensive, or simply out of position without knowing it?
That is the question behind MDP Outlook.
We have analysed 1,006 Italian salons for blow-dry pricing, 178 real reconstruction prices, and we are building a nanoplasty benchmark with 178 complete profiles already collected.
Not to tell you what you must charge. The useful question is: where is your salon positioned, and is your price list helping your business or hurting it?
Why these numbers matter to a salon owner
A full diary is not enough. What matters is filling it with services that leave margin.
If your blow-dry price is too low, you can work hard and still earn too little. If you sell reconstruction at €20 while the market around you sells it at €35 or €40, you may be leaving money on the table. If clients do not understand the difference between nanoplasty, keratin and lissage, the problem is not only price: it is how the service is presented.
1. Blow-dry: 1,006 salons observed
Our blow-dry panel has reached 1,006 salons.
The question for you is simple: is your blow-dry price consistent with your positioning?
If you charge more than average, you need a clear reason: service, expertise, location, duration, consultation, products or result. If you charge much less, ask whether the price leaves enough margin.
2. Reconstruction: 178 real prices and wide differences
We collected 178 public reconstruction prices. The median is €30 and the average is €35.96.
That tells us the market is far from uniform.
Before asking “what should I charge?”, ask:
- how much time does it take?
- how much product do I use?
- how much value does the client perceive?
- is it sold alone or inside a protocol?
- what margin does it really leave?
Read the full benchmark here: Hair reconstruction prices in Italy: MDP analyses 178 real prices.
3. Nanoplasty: the problem is also how you explain the service
We already have 178 complete nanoplasty profiles and the research is still growing.
One issue is becoming clear: salons often use different names for similar services or do not explain the difference between nanoplasty, keratin, lissage and other smoothing treatments.
When clients do not understand what you are selling, they compare only price.
- What do you call the service?
- What result do you promise?
- How long does it last?
- Who is it for?
- Why should the client choose it?
Your price list is not just a list of numbers
It communicates your positioning.
Low prices across the board say one thing. High prices without a clear value story say another. Technical services with weak descriptions can be devalued before the client even tries them.
What you can do tomorrow morning
Choose three services: one popular service, one high-value technical service and one service that sells poorly.
For each, write down price, time, product cost, estimated margin, local competitor price and the reason a client should choose you.
If you cannot answer at least five of those six points, the issue is not the market. It is that you are not yet managing your price list properly.
Salon price list FAQ
Should I lower my price if I am above the market average?
No. A higher price can be consistent with your positioning, but the value must be clear: expertise, consultation, time, products, environment and result.
Should I raise prices immediately if I am below average?
Not automatically. First calculate time, product cost, team cost and margin. A benchmark should trigger a question, not dictate a price.
How often should a salon review its price list?
At least whenever costs, service times or positioning change. Leaving prices untouched for years can mean working with numbers built on costs that no longer exist.
That is what MDP Outlook is for
Not to rank salons. To give hairdressers real numbers to understand the market, compare their positioning and make decisions with less guesswork.
