We got an opportunity to sit down with one of the owners of the new Great Clips hair salon at Willoughby Town Centre earlier this week and we asked a few questions about why they chose to open their new salon at this location. As background, Great Clips is a unisex, family-oriented hair salon that specializes in haircuts. No colours, no chemicals. The majority of their customers are men, kids, young adults and young moms, typically in that order. And we discovered that seniors like them too!

Randy, the owner we interviewed, told us that for more than a decade he and his partners have operated happy and busy Great Clips salons to the north of Willoughby Town Centre in Walnut Grove and to the south at Fraser Crossing. As the neighbourhoods along 208th Street sprang up they kept their eyes open for a location that could serve the corridor running between their existing salons; and the Willoughby location fit that bill. He noted that a big draw is the newness of the neighbourhood and he commented that as new neighbourhoods grow residents get excited to see brands they’ve trusted elsewhere enter the local market and if a brand is new to them they’re often willing to try it out if the commute to that store or service makes sense. He sees Willoughby Town Centre as being strategically located in the centre of a growing region and likes the fact that his newest salon, at the entrance to the centre, is well positioned and accessible.

When asked what sets Great Clips apart from other salons in Langley, Randy’s response was as follows: “Our franchise group believes in our brand and we work very hard at delivering the experience our customers expect from Great Clips. We are a no appointment walk in salon, and we strive to give our customers the freedom of minimal wait times. Many of our customers use our Online Checkin App (free download) to time their arrival at our salons. From there we focus on connecting with our customers through our Clip Notes program that informs each stylist how the customer last had their hair cut and then we work diligently to create the comfort that comes from a quality cut done in a timely fashion. Our haircut specialist concept looks simple from the outside but it takes a lot of behind the scenes technical and brand training to deliver the Great Clips promise. I believe that’s what sets us apart.”

Randy shared that from the moment they put the finishing touches on the salon and opened it up it just felt good. Comfortable. He pointed out that the building exterior is attractive, there’s lots of parking, front and back, and the salon itself has a clean, uncluttered layout. His manager and stylists are excited about this location and he is positive about the strong commercial neighbours in the centre, noting that this is a good destination for daily and weekly products and services.

Grand opening kicks off Saturday, Feb 21st and their special pricing runs for the next six weeks. This is a great time to check out Great Clips at Willoughby Town Centre. While weekends and evenings might be a bit busy but they will bring in extra stylists from their salons across Greater Vancouver to help out. If you can drop in during a weekday morning or afternoon that would be great!

We are very excited about their Grand Opening beginning on February 21, 2015, watch the Willoughby Town Centre Facebook Page and your mailboxes for more information.