The Data You've Never Been Shown Before: A Conversation with Alain Audet

In a recent episode of the Beyond The Technique™ Podcast, host Kati Whitledge sat down with Alain Audet, the beauty industry's "lifer" and VP of Sales and Marketing for SalonInteractive and The KIM Report. With decades of experience at the intersection of professional beauty and luxury retail, Alain shared his fascinating journey moving halfway across the world to Singapore as a luxury brand buyer, and eventually launching Kérastase in Canada.

The Quest for Industry Data

Alain's career has been defined by a quest for better salon data. When he first entered the professional beauty world, transactions were manual, and data was scarce. Today, through The KIM Report, he helps beauty professionals at every level of the industry leverage data-driven insights to modernize client experiences and maximize profitability.

The KIM Report currently follows 10,785 businesses, consolidating anonymized data from contributing software platforms. This reporting enables tracking of national and regional trends that help manufacturers, distributors, and salon owners understand where the industry is headed.

Key Metrics and Trends for 2026

According to Alain, the industry has shown incredible resilience despite economic fluctuations. Some of the most critical trends currently being observed include:

• Revenue vs. Visit Frequency: While overall industry revenue rose by 1.1% and average transactions increased by 2.6%, retail sales have fallen by roughly 5%. Salons are seeing fewer customer visits, meaning more revenue is generated by fewer people.
• Capacity Building: Larger salons (20+ service providers) are increasing staff counts, though volume hasn't yet caught up. This data suggests a phase of building capacity to handle future client growth.
• Data Consistency: One of the biggest hurdles is the lack of standardization. With over 300,000 different names for services alone, Alain emphasizes that "garbage in, garbage out." Precision in data entry—from service names to inventory tracking—is essential for a sustainable business.

Looking Ahead

Alain encourages salon and spa owners to be intentional with their pricing structures and to focus on the quality of the experience. As the middle market gets "squished," businesses must decide whether to lean into luxury and experience or compete on price point.

While the manufacturer and distributor version of The KIM Report has been available for over a year, the new KIM for Salons—designed specifically for verified salon owners and managers—is anticipated to launch in late summer 2026.

To hear more, check out the full episode of Beyond The Technique HERE.

Notable Quotes from Alain Audet

On Personal Philosophy and Opportunity

"You have to embrace what's presented to you, never look back, and there are multiple doors. You pick one, and once you're in there, the new doors are gonna open, and then you just keep moving, you don't look back, you don't try to retreat, you just keep going."

On the State of the Industry When He Started

"This is a paper industry, where the appointment is a book, and the transactions are mostly manual, so there's very little data available."

"That's been my quest for the last 20-some years: trying to figure out how we can get proper salon data."

On Retail and Inventory Management

"The moment it's not on the shelf, this is the excuse that many service providers need to stop retailing something, 'I've done all the work, I take my customer to the shelf, it's not there.'"

Referring to the SalonInteractive e-commerce platform: "The salon doesn't have to make sure that they have the stock on the shelf, that they have the box, packing the box, and shipping the box to the customers, and all of this, and managing the transaction and managing the credit card. All of that is done for you through your platform at SalonInteractive."

On Industry Improvement and Data

"If data entry got better, we'd all get better as an industry. After all, it's garbage in, garbage out."

"We are currently tracking over 300,000 different names for services, and a hairdresser somewhere is going to create a Susan cut, and the Susan cut exists just because Susan is a $35 haircut."

On the Biggest Threat and Opportunity

"I think for the salon is really to understand which direction is the right direction for you. Can you keep going up in prices, up in luxury, up in quality of service, and make it more of an experience for your customers? Or is your clientele and your market environment price point driven, and you're outpricing yourself?"

On Final Words of Wisdom

"I think that even though the economy was a roller coaster in the last year, looking at the numbers, the salon industry is very resilient. And I think this is encouraging because even though there are fewer customers going to the salons, the industry has shown resilience."

"Find your market and make sure that you service them well, and they want to come back. I mean, this is an industry where people find a hairdresser, colorist, or nail technician, and they want to continue their services with that same person. So just make sure that with every single visit, you give them the service that they want and know that they can get from you."