LONDON — Strolling among the food vendors and independent pop-up shops of London’s historic Spitalfields Market, I stumbled upon a modern slice of American retail.
There, just a stone’s throw from merchants selling Mick Jagger portraits and piping hot dumplings, was a curiosity I did not expect: Amazon’s iconic curved arrow logo attached to a retail storefront called Amazon Salon.
Really? Amazon was in the hair coloring and neck massage industry?
We all know Amazon as a master of book sales, cloud computing and Prime Video — but I certainly had to determine how a Seattle-based tech juggernaut fared at cutting hair.
Amazon opened its first-ever — and to this day only — hair salon in the east London neighborhood five years ago. At the time, an Amazon executive said it would “bring us one step closer to customers, and it will be a place where we can collaborate with industry and test new technologies.”
Frankly, I had completely forgotten about GeekWire’s coverage of Amazon Salon — after all, it was one of many experiments that the so-called “everything store” was rolling out at the time.
I wasn’t really in need of a haircut. But I couldn’t resist this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get my locks trimmed by Amazon.
Stepping into a salon operated by a $2.3 trillion company didn’t look or feel much different than a slightly upscale Great Clips. It was clean, well-organized and the staff were overly pleasant — even with a curious American tourist asking a lot of questions.
Luckily, it was a slow Monday afternoon, so the staff were able to accommodate me as a walk-in. I was introduced to Korell, a gregarious stylist with a big laugh who has worked at the shop since its opening.
I informed Korell of the “experiment” I was undertaking, and he was happy to play along with a nice “tidy-up.”
“I kind of get your vibe,” he told me.
Beyond the “Amazon Salon”-branded barber’s gown and the logo on the wall, there was nothing particularly Amazon-y about the experience.
No robotic scissor cuts, frictionless check-out or AI-generated imagery showing what I’d look like with purple hair.
You are able to purchase beauty products on the wall with ease and have those shipped directly to your residence via Amazon, of course.
One thing Amazon Salon absolutely nails, however, is the haircut itself. Korell spent more than an hour sculpting, crafting, washing and styling my hair in a way I’ve never experienced.
(GeekWire staffers know I am not really a salon kind of guy. I previously took advantage of a promotion at Great Clips that allowed for free haircuts if the Seattle Sounders scored three goals in a game. Frustratingly, this promotion no longer exists.)
You can judge for yourself, but I’ve never had a better trim (or salon experience). I joked with Korell that I’d look pretty darn good for that night’s football match at London Stadium. (West Ham United knocked off Brentford in penalties to advance in the FA Cup.) No wonder Korell told me that they’ve experienced a steady stream of business over the years, with a number of repeat customers.
Upon check-out, I wondered if I’d be able to somehow link to an Amazon account for payment or perhaps “just walk out” — but neither service was available. I was told that the salon discontinued the Amazon account tie-in functionality, in part because they were drawing a number of out-of-country customers (like me) and they needed an Amazon UK account. It was just easier to pay, like any other salon.
A few hours after the $60 haircut I received an auto-generated email: “It was great to see you at Amazon Salon today, we hope you love your new hair!”
Yes, in fact I do!
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