Barber shops used to be a place where men just went to get a shave and a haircut. But today, the barber shop industry in the USA is estimated to reach $5.8 billion in 2025. They are much more than a buzz cut – they are a place for style, confidence, and for personal care.
As men are investing more in grooming routines than before, barber shops should meet their clients' needs by offering quality grooming products that clients can take home. Stocking the right products will enhance your customers' experience and will also create an important revenue stream for your business.
From beard and hair products to styling tools, here's a list of top men’s grooming products that every barber should consider offering in their salon to help their clients look their best between visits.
What do men do when they grow a poorly maintained beard? They shave it off even if they’ve spent months growing it. It’s the first solution they think of to get rid of that stuffy beard that’s giving them the itchiness.
But the right product, such as beard oil, will keep the area well-hydrated and eliminate the irritation. Beard oil is a powerful conditioner that moisturizes and softens the beard hair and the skin underneath keeping the follicles well-fed. When used regularly, it helps the beard look fuller, softer, and more manageable by taming the hairs.
Besides moisturizing, it reduces itchiness, dryness, irritation and beard dandruff. It’s a great product to sell in your grooming salon since every man wants his beard to have a healthy, well-groomed look with a subtle shine.
This product is very similar to the beard oil, but it has a thicker creamier consistency. Same as beard oil, beard balm ads shine, softness, and it's also excellent for moisturizing the dry skin beneath the beard, reducing irritation and preventing beard dandruff. The creamy texture of the beard balm provides a stronger hold than the oil making it ideal for shaping and styling longer beads or taming flyaways without making the beard look greasy.
If your clients want to have texturized, voluminous hair with a healthy, glossy finish, pomade is the perfect product to help them achieve that look. Whether they’re aiming for a sleek, polished style or a more natural finish, pomade offers long-lasting hold without the stiffness or stickiness that other styling products often leave behind.
Pomade is great for adding volume and control to unruly hair while keeping it lightweight and full of vitality. It works by providing a smooth, firm hold that keeps your style in place throughout the day, yet it’s flexible enough to let your hair move naturally. It works for thick, coarse, or curly hair, delivering a shiny, moisturized finish that gives hair a texture and a fresh, well-groomed appearance.
Due to its ability to tame frizz and create a sleek yet voluminous look, pomade is an essential styling product for anyone looking to add texture and shine to their hair. It’s perfect for both everyday wear and special occasions as it helps to achieve a polished yet effortlessly styled look.
Men who care for their hair and beards, will need both trimmers and clippers as they have different purposes. Clippers are used for cutting longer hair and creating various hairstyles, with multiple guard sizes for flexibility. While trimmers are designed for precision work, perfect for detailing edges and fine-tuning hairlines or facial hair.
A good hair clipper can help your customers achieve precise and consistent haircuts. Whether they want a fade, buzz cut, or any other hairstyle, a reliable clipper gives them the control and efficiency needed to create sharp, even cuts.
When it comes to beard and facial hair, a hair trimmer is key for detailed grooming and for that finished touch. Trimmers are designed for precision, allowing you to shape hairlines, trim around the ears, and define the edges of the beard with clean, sharp lines. Whether your customers want to maintain a short beard or go for a more flamboyant look with a mustache, a high-quality trimmer ensures that the lines are neat and defined.
Every man has a shaving cream in their bathroom, and if they don’t, they should buy a good quality one from your salon. Shaving cream provides protection and comfort for the skin and facial hair. It is an important step in the grooming routine.
As beard hairs are tough and wiry, similar to copper wires, making them harder to cut compared to the softer skin underneath. When shaving, you cut through thousands of these tough hairs, and without protection, which can lead to irritation, cuts, or razor burn. So, shaving cream acts as a barrier between the razor and your skin, ensuring a smoother, more comfortable shave.
Once men start using aftershave, they can never go back so make sure you find the best one in the market to sell in your barbershop salon. Post-shave balms hydrate and soothe the skin after shaving, helping to alleviate the irritation that often results from the process. A quick, early morning shave can leave the skin feeling dry, tight, and sore, particularly sensitive skin. Most men don’t feel irritated immediately after shaving, but the razor’s movement causes tiny abrasions on the surface of the skin, which can lead to discomfort later.
That’s why it’s important to maintain a solid post-shave routine with a good aftershave even if the skin doesn’t show visible signs of irritation or pain. Regular uses can prevent redness, dryness, bumps, and ingrown hairs, ensuring the skin remains in top condition after each shave.
If not so many decades ago face moisturizers were only used by women, men have now discovered its benefits. A good moisturizer protects skin from dehydration, dryness, and irritation, preventing premature aging signs like fine lines and wrinkles.
Moisturizer also strengthens the skin's natural barrier, preventing breakouts, sensitivity, and environmental damage. And it’s important for all skin types whether dry, oily, or combination skin helping the skin remain healthy, smooth, and protected. You might say that for oily skin, a face moisturizer will do only damage, but it actually balances hydration without clogging pores.
Often, oily skin results from over-washing and dehydration, but a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer can restore hydration and control excess oil production. So, make sure you tell your customers about the face moisturizing importance and be ready to show them some high quality products fit for their skin types.
You know your clients better than anyone and can tell a lot about their hair type. For those clients who deal with thinning hair or simply want a more robust, textured look, you should offer them a thickening shampoo to boost their confidence in their appearance.
Thickening shampoos are specially formulated to add volume and density, making hair look fuller and thicker. These shampoos work by nourishing the hair follicles and increasing the overall hair thickness. Regular use helps to strengthen individual strands, reducing breakage and preventing further thinning. A thickening shampoo also creates the illusion of fuller hair by giving volume.
For the clients who have wavy, curly, and coily hair that seems to have a mind of its own being wild and untamed, you can recommend a texturizing salt spray.
This versatile styling product adds volume and texture to the hair without the heavy hold of hairspray. It’s designed to give hair some grip and lift, helping to create the desired style or shape and keep that styled hair’s appearance throughout the day.
A texturizing spray differs from a hairspray because it helps with styling and creating volume, while hairspray locks the hairstyle in place as a final step. Texturizing spray is most effective on dry hair, whereas hairspray can be used on both dry or damp hair. But, it’s important to keep in mind that texturizing sprays often offer some heat protection, so they can be useful when styling with hot tools like straighteners or curling irons.
Cologne is a final touch to a man's overall appearance. Whether dressed up for a formal event or keeping it casual, the right fragrance can make a lasting impression, and even reflect someone’s personality and boost their confidence. Just like the choice of clothes, cologne is a form of self-expression, so make sure you sell in your salon different kinds of scents that could fit different personalities, moods, seasons, and occasions.
Finding the best barbershop retail products and choosing a reliable beauty product provider is not an easy task. It’s important to form solid partnerships with grooming brands because they will have a huge impact on your business. Therefore, here are some tips to help you find the best partners and make smart decisions.
You can research well-known industry brands you have heard about and find wholesalers online to see what they have to offer. Another good place to look for grooming brands is at trade shows and industry events because you can meet brand representatives and could have a chance to talk to them in person.
But since you work in the grooming business for a while, you definitely have some favorite brands you like to use. The best thing to do is to start getting in touch with the brands you’re accustomed to and which you know in and out, rather than jumping into new ones you’ve never tested and aren’t sure will work well for your customers.
Once you have your lucky winner, it’s time to reach out to them through email or phone to express your interest. Ask for detailed product information, pricing, discounts, exclusive product lines, and training opportunities. Understanding everything the barbershop retailer has to offer will help you make an informed decision.
When negotiating your partnership, you’ll likely encounter one of these several contract options. Wholesale contracts which are the most common meaning you will purchase products at a discounted rate for resale in your barbershop. Then there are the exclusive distribution agreements that may offer you the sole rights to sell a particular brand or product line and give you a competitive edge. And finally the commission-based contracts which allow you to sell products without purchasing them upfront, earning a commission for each sale made.
Before you sign the agreement, carefully review the contract terms, including pricing, payment schedules, product returns, and make sure you choose what best fits your salon and preferred selling style. This part of the process is highly important to prevent you or your partner from misunderstanding down the line and ensure you’ll have a long-term partnership.
No matter if you're choosing to sell the grooming products you usually use in your salon or decide to sell new brands, it would be best if you can set up an agreement with the brand representative to offer you some training around their products. It will help you learn more about the ingredients they use in their products, about their benefits, and possibly some tips and tricks about their selling methods.Take STMNT Care for example, which created on their website tutorials about how to use their products.
If you don’t have an online appointment app yet, you should get a platform like Goldie. Besides letting your clients make online appointments, it lets you manage and sell your grooming products from the app.
Goldie also simplifies inventory management by eliminating the hassle of manual stock tracking as it lets you manage and sell unlimited products, upload images, set prices, add descriptions, and monitor stock levels.
With automated inventory alerts, you’ll always know when it’s time to restock, ensuring you never run out of your grooming bestsellers. You’ll also have access to in-depth reports on product sales and top-performing items, giving you valuable insights to make data-driven stocking decisions.
You already have a loyal clientele at your grooming salon, so you probably have a good idea of the best products for their hair types, favorite styles, and beard care needs. Make a list of must-have products that complement the services you offer and which can be easily used by your clients at home to style their looks. From this to selling, there are only a few steps left.
Make sure to offer your clients an online shopping option so they can easily restock their favorite products anytime, keeping their grooming routine on point between visits. All this while you boost your sales and strengthen your customer loyalty.