Amazon to open augmented-reality hair salon in London with hi-tech mirrors

The 'experiential venue' will be staffed by real hairdressers and will allow customers to see what they'd look like with new hair colours before they take the plunge

Amazon Salon in London will allow customers to see what they'd look like with different hair colours, before they take the plunge. Courtesy Amazon

The salon, in East London's Spitalfields, will feature a range of AR technology. Courtesy Amazon

Guests will be able to flick through magazines on tablets. Courtesy Amazon

The salon will be staffed by professional hairdressers. Courtesy Amazon

Customers will be able to shop products by scanning QR codes. Courtesy Amazon

The salon will be open to Amazon employees, before inviting the general public to book appointments. Courtesy Amazon

Amazon Salon in London. Courtesy Amazon

A sinking feeling of dread followed by instant regret is an experience that, sadly, many have undergone while in the hairdresser's chair.

However, a new hi-tech salon in London is hoping to put an end to buyer's remorse with a savvy suite of technologies.

Global brand Amazon is expanding into the beauty market with a hair salon located in Spitalfields kitted out with augmented-reality tools.

Customers will be able to try out new hair colours virtually using special mirrors, "capturing their new look in a dedicated creative area", the company said on Tuesday.

As well as experimenting with new looks, guests will be able to order products in the salon via Amazon by scanning QR codes, and peruse magazines loaded on tablets at each "styling station".

The 1,500-square-foot salon will be staffed by experienced hairdressers from Neville Hair & Beauty, with prices yet to be revealed.

The permanent "experiential venue" will first be trialled by Amazon staff ahead of opening to the general public for appointments “in the coming weeks”.

London is beginning to ease Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, with salons reopening in England on April 12. Amazon salon customers will be offered free face masks, sanitiser and temperature checks, and the venue will operate at a reduced capacity.

In recent years, Amazon has launched a range of brick-and-mortar formats, including cashierless convenience stores, a supermarket chain, bookshops and stores stocking a mix of bestselling items. The company often launches experiments, learns from them and then moves on – sometimes folding the expertise into new projects or abandoning the idea entirely.

With no current plans to open its salon in additional locations, Amazon may consider the London branch as one of its signature tests.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg