Target Corp (TGT)

[DiscoverGold]

Target Goes Beyond Ulta Deal and Adds a New Beauty Service
By: TheStreet | September 9, 2022

• The retailer has added something that you never would have expected in a way that may surprise you.

Many may marvel at how polished a coworker or a boss looks in a meeting when she shows up with great hair and smartly polished nails, but few people (beyond others with the same routine) realize how much time this sort of beauty upkeep requires.

While the advent of gel and SNS manicures have certainly helped nail services last longer -- but majorly compromised the health of the nails they are on in the process -- a typical salon visit to get them can last an hour or more.

The process of removing acrylic, gel, or SNS nails also involves the client soaking their nails in acetone, which simply adds more time to the process.

Many major nail care brands such as OPI, L'Oreal-owned brand (LRLCY) Essie, Revlon-owned (REV) CND, and Nails Inc have released their own "gel nail polishes," which promise similar longevity as the gel nails customers get in salons.

Most women, not to mention LGBTQ+ folks, who love getting their nails done will tell you that you have to suffer a little for beauty -- its a time-consuming process. But thanks to a new partnership between Target (TGT) and a very innovative tech design business out of San Francisco, making your hands look nice is about to become much easier.

What's Target's New Beauty Service?

Six Target stores now offer what could be the most revolutionary beauty service to hit the market in some time: a manicure that only takes ten minutes -- and is performed on you by a robot.

It's called the Clockwork Minicure, and while it may be more accurate to say it applies polish rather than performs a full mani (it does not push back or clip your cuticles as traditional services would do), it only costs $9.99 (or $8 if it's your very first one).

The Clockwork Minicure is in six Target locations now, with three in Texas, two in California, and one in Minnesota. Addresses of the specific locations can be found on this website.

This clever little machine was created by Clockwork, a San Francisco-based think tank funded by angel investors with prominent backgrounds, such as ex-Stitch Fix (SFIX) COO Julie Bornstein and Instacart co-founder Max Mullen.

In addition to this technology, Target has a deal with Ulta Beauty (ULTA) to add the beauty retailer as a store-within-a-store at hundreds of its locations.

What Does This Mean For Nail Salons?

While it may be easy to look at the Clockwork Minicure and assume it might put your local salon out of business, the situation is actually much more complex than that.

Reports of the harmful working conditions in nail salons abound, both due to the inhalation of toxic chemicals by workers and unlawful labor practices. Both are common knowledge in the news, but people still crowd into these salons to get their nails done anyway.

Robot manicures would eliminate both of these issues, but create a much bigger problem -- they also would eliminate the jobs of countless beauty professionals along with them.

However, the Clockwork Minicure is obviously a service for a certain type of client with little time to spare. For those who enjoy the time in the massage chair during a pedicure, chatting with their service professional, or the human touch of a hand or foot massage, it would simply not meet their needs. But for those with a few minutes to spare during a Target run while their prescriptions get filled, it will likely hit the spot.

Read Full Story »»»

DiscoverGold