QB House increased price from $10 to $12 for Haircut

[Sideswipe]

i saw Bangla, Malay guys cut hair at Snip Avenue. cheap mah.

 

[watchman8]

1.5 customers per stylist per hr will be more accurate.

Time and again, I see no customer or just 1 customer worked on by 1 stylist.

In any case, I've never got inside QB or EC to have a hair-cut. I've right-graded from shopping centre upmarket hair salons to Malay barber shop and now to Snip Street after I discovered its $3.80 per hair cut.

Also, at Snip Street, I can make friends with the PRC cashier or the female hair stylist, which all of them come from Malaysia.

Based on your estimate, each hairstylist only bring in $15 gross revenue per hour. You think can even pay rental and running costs? Where is the logic?

in business, you don't estimate based on lowest volume. Anyone here who frequent malls will tell you that there is always some customers having haircut inside QB, even during off peak hours. In the more popular outlets like Toa Payoh and Bishan, seeing three or four hair stylists is not uncommon.

 

[watchman8]

i saw Bangla, Malay guys cut hair at Snip Avenue. cheap mah.

That's why I never go to these cheap ones. Don't feel good sharing sissors, cutter, comb and apron with these ah nehs.

Many years ago, I always visit the malay barbers, until the day one fellow accidentally cut me with the shaver. Ever since then, I never dare to go to these guys again.

 

[Sinkie]

Based on your estimate, each hairstylist only bring in $15 gross revenue per hour. You think can even pay rental and running costs? Where is the logic?

in business, you don't estimate based on lowest volume. Anyone here who frequent malls will tell you that there is always some customers having haircut inside QB, even during off peak hours. In the more popular outlets like Toa Payoh and Bishan, seeing three or four hair stylists is not uncommon.

Many businesses are just nice concepts on paper, but fail miserably when put to practice. That's why prices keep going up to sustain the viability of its business model.

 

[chupacabra]

Alot of coffee cafes opening and have opened in peesai, but do you know Gloria Jeans closed alot of their shops due to poor business, even some starbucks dont make more than 500 bucks a day. Even with their takeaways. Peesai too small of a market. I got this info from suppliers and also to my manager kakis in FnB.

Small of a market meaning not much spending power cause FTs buy 3 in 1 coppee. Perth have smaller market but cafes make more money due to higher wages overall.

 

[laksaboy]

Alot of coffee cafes opening and have opened in peesai, but do you know Gloria Jeans closed alot of their shops due to poor business, even some starbucks dont make more than 500 bucks a day. Even with their takeaways. Peesai too small of a market. I got this info from suppliers and also to my manager kakis in FnB.

Too small of a market? Then don't have so many outlets.

Adding millions more people to an already packed population is very daft.

 

[chupacabra]

About 2 million Fts in peesai remit money back from the holes they come from. FTs no money. Unlike those that came in the late 80s to late 90s.

Peesai crowded for nothing. Only MIW business is good business.

 

[ray_of_hope]

The same biz can have vastly different results.

For instance, Borders bookstore failed miserably because of the absurdity of allowing people to go in and not just browse books but to literally plonk themselves in an outlet the whole day and read a book from cover to cover. So, it drew more scroungers than customers.

On the other hand, another similarly high-end bookstore Kinokuniya succeeds marvellously because it caters to the serious book reader. Rent at Taka is about the same astronomical rate as it was for rent for the Borders store at Wheelock Place. Yet, it seems Kino is profitable and just recently announced further expansion in Singapore.

 

[watchman8]

Many businesses are just nice concepts on paper, but fail miserably when put to practice. That's why prices keep going up to sustain the viability of its business model.

Can't disagree with that. But QB and EC are still making it good, at least that is what I observed up to now. There is always steady stream of customers.

Another business that is surprisingly doing alright is Bata. I once chatted with a store manager, and he told me that sales volume usually around 60k pm. I was very surprised, and he told me that many of their customers are school kids, and their parents that pick up something too while buying school shoes.

Even OTO is doing ok. I asked the store assistant a downtown outlet. Was told average 15 massage chairs PM, plus many units of small massagers. Sales volume in region of 40k pm.

What I still can't figure out are the luxury goods like Gucci, Prada etc. So many shops along orchard road, and all are super prime locations with super expensive reno. But you don't see the kind of sales volume like those in HKG. I suspect many of these luxury brands will need to scale back their retail presence in sinkieland in the coming years.

 

[Kinana]

The same biz can have vastly different results.

For instance, Borders bookstore failed miserably because of the absurdity of allowing people to go in and not just browse books but to literally plonk themselves in an outlet the whole day and read a book from cover to cover. So, it drew more scroungers than customers.

On the other hand, another similarly high-end bookstore Kinokuniya succeeds marvellously because it caters to the serious book reader. Rent at Taka is about the same astronomical rate as it was for rent for the Borders store at Wheelock Place. Yet, it seems Kino is profitable and just recently announced further expansion in Singapore.

Borders book are expensive and wider range, ie. carrying too much dead stock.

 

[Kinana]

I love Snip Avenue. Went there twice and both times fast and good.

Cheers

 

[ray_of_hope]

Borders book are expensive and wider range, ie. carrying too much dead stock.

Wrong! Kino has always carried a far wider range. But like a typical American company Borders used to carry popular titles mostly. You could not find obscure titles at Borders. It was never for serious book lovers.

 

[Sinkie]

Can't disagree with that...................

What I still can't figure out are the luxury goods like Gucci, Prada etc. So many shops along orchard road, and all are super prime locations with super expensive reno. But you don't see the kind of sales volume like those in HKG. I suspect many of these luxury brands will need to scale back their retail presence in sinkieland in the coming years.

It's MONEY LAUNDERING at its best and also for branding and tax evasion. Can be all these reasons or some of them. For QB and EC, it's a clear case of structuring a commission scheme with ZERO basic pay for its stylists and also a clear case of a few outlets doing well to support the majority that are not. It will not last by increasing price. It should just cut down the number of outlets but then again, it can't because I've a suspicion the owners are trying to turn it into a franchise to expand into other countries.

Let's face it, if the concept is so darn workable, you will see many copycats, just like bubble tea, or manicure/pedicure girlie shops, but they're hardly never in shopping centres but in neighbourhood centres instead. There are reasons for this and one of them is the rental. Look at Snip Avenue, it offers hair-cuts for $3.80 and hair bonding/coloring, etc at good prices and it's definitely a winning formula. QB and EC just offer a gimmicky product and that is 10 mins hair-cut. Now, who is so in a rush for a 10 mins hair-cut, but only idiots and parents with young kids who has no time on their hands even for a decent hair-cut and frankly, at $10, it has severe competition from Mohd Salleh barbershop at the corner unit in a shopping centre.

Like 1.99, Nanz Chong had a nice concept but she still failed. While Daisu succeeds like crazy. And I know why but it's too detailed to expound here.

 

[laksaboy]

QB House and EC House need to merge and form CB House.

Should also provide value-added services such as pubic hair trimming and massage.

 

[watchman8]

It's MONEY LAUNDERING at its best and also for branding and tax evasion. Can be all these reasons or some of them. For QB and EC, it's a clear case of structuring a commission scheme with ZERO basic pay for its stylists and also a clear case of a few outlets doing well to support the majority that are not. It will not last by increasing price. It should just cut down the number of outlets but then again, it can't because I've a suspicion the owners are trying to turn it into a franchise to expand into other countries.

Let's face it, if the concept is so darn workable, you will see many copycats, just like bubble tea, or manicure/pedicure girlie shops, but they're hardly never in shopping centres but in neighbourhood centres instead. There are reasons for this and one of them is the rental. Look at Snip Avenue, it offers hair-cuts for $3.80 and hair bonding/coloring, etc at good prices and it's definitely a winning formula. QB and EC just offer a gimmicky product and that is 10 mins hair-cut. Now, who is so in a rush for a 10 mins hair-cut, but only idiots and parents with young kids who has no time on their hands even for a decent hair-cut and frankly, at $10, it has severe competition from Mohd Salleh barbershop at the corner unit in a shopping centre.

Like 1.99, Nanz Chong had a nice concept but she still failed. While Daisu succeeds like crazy. And I know why but it's too detailed to expound here.

Care to explain how the luxury brands here do the money laundering?

QB and EC serves a sandwiched market: those who don't want to go to cheap and unhygienic barbers, but yet don't like to pay too much at hair saloons. To be fair, QB is not that ex, as 15 yrs ago, many Malay barbers were already charging $8 per cut.

 

[kopiuncle]

EC House will follow? I guess so.

i don't mind QB's increase...QB still maintains the standard...the others... copycats... have failed quite badly.....some really very terok ones!!!...i once got a prc boy cropping my hair....it was horrible!!!

 

[ray_of_hope]

i don't mind QB's increase...QB still maintains the standard...the others... copycats... have failed quite badly.....some really very terok ones!!!...i once got a prc boy cropping my hair....it was horrible!!!

Even at $12 the price is very cheap.

 

[laksaboy]

Even at $12 the price is very cheap.

Weasel words such as 'cheap' or 'affordable' tell nothing at all.

 

[halsey02]

because all I need is a quick haircut to remove as much hair as possible.

When you reach a certain age, there is not much hair to remove, and deeper, you will be removing skin.

 

[halsey02]

Weasel words such as 'cheap' or 'affordable' tell nothing at all.

Affordable is not cheap & cheap is not affordable anymore.