SINGAPORE – Lower prices have long drawn Singapore customers to beauty salons across the Causeway, and this is only set to increase when the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link opens in 2027.
With the journey between Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar taking just minutes, the new service could lead to Singapore consumers making 51% more round trips to JB a year, with beauty services listed as one of the top spending categories, a study released in July found.
In anticipation of this, some salons in Singapore have opted to improve their in-store experience and take their services directly to clients’ homes, betting that convenience and service quality will help them retain customers.
One example is Singapore facial salon Peachy Skin Bar, which offers facial treatments priced between $180 and $500.
“Instead of competing purely based on price, I’m finding ways to differentiate my facial business from other competitors in Singapore and Johor Bahru,” said owner Crystal Lee.
Her salon in Queen Street, founded in 2019, was recently renovated with pink walls and an open lounge area where customers can enjoy a free drink.
“The lounge is so that customers won’t feel trapped in a small room. I wanted my salon to resemble a summer destination where people can come to unwind,” said Lee, adding that her business is focusing on the overall customer experience rather than just the service itself.
As a value-add, she has also trained her staff to give customers a shoulder massage between the stages of a facial, rather than leave them alone while waiting for the next step.
She noted that even before the RTS came into the picture, competition from JB had always existed, and that building good relationships with her customers has kept them coming back to her salon despite the higher price.
Asked if she would consider opening an outlet in JB, Lee said that she prefers to observe the market first.
“Opening an outlet in JB would require a lot of money and logistics. I’m not a hasty person, so I prefer to focus on my Singapore outlet for now,” she said.
Still, she noted that customers are now more price sensitive and unpredictable.
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