Salon chain Price Attack on scout for talent among sacked flight crews
They are used to serving you at 30,000 feet, but the scores of flight crew out of a job due to the collapse in the airline sector could be greeting you at your next hair appointment.
QLD Business
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Sacked airline staff are being offered a new career on the ground with a Queensland-based hairdressing chain targeting them as prospective salon owners.
Brisbane-based Price Attack has embarking on rapid expansion targeting former Qantas and Virgin employees by offering them reduced franchise fees.
Price Attack plans to almost double the number of stores from 65 to 120 over the next five years and says airline staff’s background working in highly-regulated environments made them ideal prospective franchisees.
Price Attack Salons network development manager Delena Farmer said flight crews were detailed oriented and knew the importance of following systems that were common in franchising. They did not need to have a background in hairdressing.
“Qantas and Virgin staff are highly skilled and we see that there’s an opportunity for them to start a new career on the ground rather than in the air,” said Ms Farmer.
Price Attack chief executive John Pascoe said the company was looking to increase its store numbers by 46 per cent after identifying regional centres as a gap in the market.
Mr Pascoe said the company was particularly interested in finding franchisees in Mandurah in Western Australia, Bendigo, Rockhampton, Wollongong and Albury/Wodonga.
Price Attack is the third-largest operator in the $500 million-a-year Australian hair care sector, which is growing at a 3 per cent annual rate.
He said anyone made redundant could have confidence in the franchise sector, as it continued to be resilient business model despite recent controversy.
“The franchisor focus is all about building partnerships for success,” he said. “It has also made franchisees seek out the good franchisors: those with the tried and tested operations.”
The normal franchise fee is $50,000 plus GST with fit out and other costs dependent on store size and layout. In the wake of mass redundancies in the airline sector, Price Attack Salons said it is waiving 75 per cent of the franchise fee for former Virgin or Qantas employees.