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Drybar | |
Founded | 2008 Brentwood, Los Angeles, California |
Founders | Alli Webb, Michael Landau, Cameron Webb |
Headquarters | |
Number of locations | 92 [1] |
Revenue | US$70 million (2015) [2] |
Parent | Drybar Holdings LLC |
Website |
thedrybar |
Drybar is a California-based chain of salons that provides a hair styling service known as blowouts. The company was founded in 2010 by Alli Webb. [3]
In 2009, Alli Webb began a side business called Straight At Home, which provided an at-home hair experience. [4] As demand quickly outgrew the one-woman operation, Webb noticed a "huge hole" in her local market for a business that provided solely hair blowouts, [5] a concept that had already gained traction in larger cities such as New York City with brands like "Blo". [6] In 2010, along with her brother Michael Landau, Alli co-founded Drybar. [7] The following year, along with the help of friends, she raised $2.5 million to expand the business. [8] They added Castanea Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm, to their list of investors in January 2012. [9] Laura Mercier Cosmetics founder and former CEO Janet Gurwitch joined the company's board, as well Paul Pressler, the former president and CEO of Gap the same year. [10]
In 2019, the American consumer goods corporation Helen of Troy acquired the Drybar trademark for $255 million in cash. [11] In 2021, WellBiz Brands, Inc. acquired the Drybar shops' franchise rights. [12]
Everything at Drybar is referenced using the “bar vernacular”. The cashiers are called “bartenders” and hairstyles are named after cocktails, such as the Cosmo, Mai Tai, or Manhattan. [8] The idea behind this came from Webb. Webb’s vision is present in the designs of architect Josh Heitler. [13] Heitler, principal of a boutique architectural firm and now a partner in the company, [8] came up with the design elements and look of Drybar. [3] Instead of the typical salon setup, clients at Drybar “sit facing a U-shaped or single-stretch bar, with their backs to the mirrors,” which brings to mind sitting at a bar rather than being at a salon. [3]
Drybar revenue grew from $1.5 million in 2010 to $19 million in 2012 and to $39 million in 2013. [14] As of January 2016, Drybar had 66 [1] locations in 11 states, Washington DC and Vancouver, British Columbia. [5] [15] As of November 2017, the number of locations had expanded to almost 90. [16] As of October 2018, the company has over 100 locations and 3000 employees. [17]
Looking to increase revenue, Webb (along with the help of Board member and investor Janet Gurwitch) developed a line of products specifically for Drybar.
In 2013, after testing the line in about 70 Sephora locations, Drybar went ahead with 300+ Sephora shops and QVC to launch their line of products. [18]
The motto of Drybar is "No cuts. No color. Just wash & blowouts." [19] which is a reference to their primary service offering.