THE TRIUMPHS OF TEAM MR SAM WALL

In the aftermath of Sam Wall’s death, the barbering industry mobilised to form Team Mr Sam Wall in an effort to raise money to support men’s mental health.

Each member of Team Mr Sam Wall made it their mission to run 60km throughout November for Movember, the global organisation committed to changing the face of men’s health. The distance of 60km was in memory of the 60 men lost each hour to suicide across the world. That target was smashed – and in fact Team Mr Sam Wall have collectively run nearly 3000km.

The team, which includes Kevin Luchmun, Ky Wilson, Hayden Cassidy and Charlie Cullen, has raised £15,200 and counting! 

Despite Movember ending, you can still support Team Mr Sam Wall. If you’d like to donate head to https://uk.movember.com/team/2388727

MALE GROOMING IS BOOMING

The male grooming market is on the up according to new research by Product of the Year, a UK-wide survey of product innovation.

Key stats from their report include the following fast facts:

Over half of men in the UK (55%) say they have bought or would buy skincare products.

Beard care products landed in second place, with nearly a third (32%) revealing these products were part of their grooming routine.

Just under a fifth of those surveyed (13%) had bought or planned to buy male-specific make-up products.

Make-up for men is an area that’s gaining popularity (turn to p66 to see how Jonathan Andrew is tapping into the trend). Is 2021 the year you start offering make-up services in your shop … ?

MEET THE WAHL BARBER OF THE YEAR

Modern Barber was honoured to judge this year’s Wahl British Barber of the Year awards. The winners of British Barber and Barbershop of the Year 2020 were announced live on Instagram on Thursday 26 November after entrants submitted a video entry for this years’ COVID-secure competition.

Owner of Amigos Barbers, Kilian Maddison took home the Wahl British Barber of the Year crown and Andy’s Barbers Bicester was crowned Barbershop of the Year.

Kilian reveals how it felt to win ...

WAS IT TOUGH TO DO THE COMPETITION VIRTUALLY? 

It was really hard! Normally you’d have an audience to feed off, a presenter and a camera person to get all the right angles. My video entry was just me, my model and my cameraman. I tried to make it as engaging as I could. Plus, with the live competition you’d get to see the other competitors and find out if you’d won on the day. I had to wait an agonising four weeks!

WHY DID YOU WANT TO ENTER? 

Wahl British Barber of the Year at Salon International was the first competition I ever watched and it’s been my ambition to enter ever since.

HOW DID YOU CELEBRATE?

I didn’t properly celebrate until I was invited on the Barber’s Arms. Then I let go. Unfortunately I had a teaching job the next day – let’s just say even though I’m 28 years old, I felt a lot older that day!

ARE YOUR CLIENTS ‘SLIDING INTO YOUR DMS’?

A new study from Yell Business has revealed how communication has changed in salons and barbershops as a result of the pandemic. The main thing to note? Just how crucial instant messaging has become for business.

The study revealed that nearly three quarters (74%) of hair and beauty businesses found that instant messaging was key for success post COVID-19, while 98% have introduced new ways of communicating with their customers as a result of lockdowns.

Here’s the most popular forms of communication:

THE #SHOPLOCAL TREND IS HERE TO STAY

Is your barbershop ready to ride the #ShopLocal trend? A recent survey carried out by Phorest showed that support for local businesses has increased since COVID-19.

Nearly 80% of consumers say they plan to buy from local businesses rather than from larger retailers. This is really welcome news for small businesses everywhere, but as we move in and out of different tiers and with the threat of national lockdowns still present, it’s more important than ever before to be reaching out digitally to your local clients to show them that you’re online and available for them to purchase from.

THE LIONS BARBER COLLECTIVE ANNOUNCE NEW AWARD

A community-focused award is being set up by mental health charity the Lions Barber Collective. The Sam Wall Award will be given to barbers who have done incredible things to help their community. “We wanted Sam’s memory to live on and ensure his name is always connected with people who are doing amazing things for their community, just like he did,” explains the collective founder Tom Chapman. Entrants must be nominated for the award, rather than entering themselves. The winner will receive a stunning, handmade championship belt and will be crowned at an awards ceremony, expected to happen towards the end of 2021. We’ll keep you posted on any updates!