PART 2, The Industry’s Feedback to B2B Moving Into A D2C Sales Strategy

Last week’s D2C piece cracked open something enormous in our industry — and if you missed it, I’ll link it here so this all makes sense in context.

But even if you didn’t read that first article, here’s what you need to know: This is possibly the biggest conversation (and the most “elephant in the room” moment) our industry has ever had.

And like all big conversations, it made people feel a little itchy. Uncomfortable, exposed - but also… incredibly progressive.

Because once a topic like this is out in the open, we can actually talk through it. We can chat our way through the nuance. We can disagree, agree, challenge, reflect — and still remain respectful adults running businesses within our industry.

And that’s exactly what happened.

The industry responded — loudly, honestly, and with a level of emotional intelligence that I genuinely admire.

So, with all of that in mind, here’s the feedback that came through from clinics, therapists, educators and business owners across the country.

1. “Don’t undercut the people who built you.”

This was the loudest, clearest sentiment.

“It’s disrespectful of brands to undercut their stockists — especially when those stockists built their brand from the pre-online era.” — @myescapeskinspa

Stockists aren’t opposed to D2C. They’re opposed to being blindsided.

Clinics asked for:

• notice before online sales

• clinic-only promotions

• margins that allow them to compete

• consistent pricing across e-comm and in-clinic

• treatment-only strengths or SKUs that remain professional-only

It’s not about limitation. It’s about loyalty.

2. “Make it win–win, not win–lose.”

Channel conflict (not D2C itself) is the issue.

“Brands offer prices salons can’t possibly match because wholesale margins don’t allow it.” — @expert_skin_therapist

“I dropped a brand because they had sales all the time… then wondered why I wasn’t placing orders.” — @jacintacurnowskin

Clinics want fairness baked into the model:

• wholesale discounts before public sales

• a salon supportive ecosystem

• salon directories as the minimum, not the sweetener

• D2C funnels that direct clients back into clinics

• stockists notified before product launches or promos

“Give us the same discount ahead of time so we can match your sale without losing margin.” — @heartspacebeauty

3. “Don’t leave therapists behind.”

Another strong theme: Therapists don’t want to be replaced by Google.

“If we have the same information the client finds online, we lose our point of difference.” — @aaashleighb

Clinics asked for:

• deeper, professional-level education

• industry updates before consumer launches

• training that differentiates the therapist from the consumer

• assets and content exclusive to stockists
  

Expertise should not be diluted or duplicated.

4. “Connection is the differentiator.”

This was a powerful and refreshing reframing:

“Salons have the relationship — not the online store.” — @servicequeapp

Connection drives:

• trust

• retention

• compliance

• actual results
  

D2C may win convenience. Therapists win connection — and connection wins every day of the week.

5. “Launch with us, not after us.”

This one stung for a lot of people.

“Stockists should never be finding out about new products on social media.” — @twistygiles640

A respectful launch hierarchy looks like:

1. Stockists

2. Professional network

3. General consumer channels

It’s professionalism — and relationship keeping strategy.

6. “Look after the people who look after you.”

This line summed up the entire sentiment:

“If brands already know their sales calendar, give us the same wholesale discount so we can match it and still make margin.” — @skinsecretsbykatelyn

The industry isn’t anti-D2C. The industry is anti being forgotten in the D2C model. What professionals are really saying is: “If you're going to grow — take us with you.”

Next week in Part 3, we’ll hear from another critical layer of the conversation:

the formulators and the brands.

Because to understand the future of “professional,” we need to hear from the people who build the products — and the people responsible for scaling them.