I recently visited our local CVS drug store around the corner from my casa and to my disappointment but not surprise they had a 8 feet long glass case display under lock and key with every professional salon only brand and at discount prices to boot. To buy them you must locate a store manager to unlock the display.
While waiting for my wife I observed a store cosmetic manager open the display case for a attractive middle aged women. She reached for a $34 Hair Treatment and told the store manager that it was less expensive then at the salon and that the salon did not always have it in stock. There where also many well known celebrity hair stylist's products on display. It looks like every hair stylist that has touched a "movie star or celebrity" or appeared on TV today has their own brand and selling them any where they can....good for them. But when it comes to high profile professional brands that claim to only sell their products to salons that’s another thing all together. Some call this practice Diversion; another word would be "Deception".
So I decided to take a closer look at this deceptive practice and what could be done to correct it. A few days later I was told that if you called the Paul Mitchell Company for example and told them the store location they will send someone out to buy all their products to remove them from the store. After they will trace them back to the distributor or sadly in some cases the salon that sold them to the drug store.
This however was not easy and I've had to jump through some loops to located the JPMS diversion police department ;-) Using the Inter-galactic Goggle search I located their universal-web site and the PM Diversion Hot Line number. I left a message and. to my surprise I received a message from the Vicki, the PM Diversion Chief of Police. She took the information and arranged for a PM representative to purchase the inventory "ASAP". I will follow up and keep you posted as this cosmic drama unfolds.
This is how "we professionals" along with truly professional only companies like Paul Mitchell can help protect our business interests When you see your professional only salon products in drug stores call the company and demand they stand behind their word......be pro-active.
