The way we consume beauty has changed drastically in the last decade. We allow TikTok to dictate our shopping habits, we look to AI to determine our perfect shade of foundation, and thanks to the Amazon Hair Salon in Spitalfields, London, you can use augmented reality to 'try on' hairstyles and colours before taking the plunge. The new age of beauty has also transformed the way we access beauty treatments. The digitalisation of beauty has given rise to platforms like Treatwell and Fresha which allow us to book last minute haircuts, manicures and massages with the touch of a button. Despite having the best in the beauty business on speed dial even the A-list aren't immune from making a last minute beauty booking.
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, actress Michelle Keeganposted an ad for Fresha, saying, 'Loved getting my beauty and wellness appointments done on @fresha 💖 Thank you to the amazing businesses I visited! 💅🏻'
In the 'Come With Me' style video, Keegan walks us through a day spent receiving all her essential beauty treatments booked through Fresha, from a modern massage at MASAJ, to a manicure at Eighty-8 Nail Studio and a blow dry at Bond. 'Thanks to Fresha my appointments are always perfectly organised... unlike me,' she admits at the end of the 30 second clip.
Keegan's video provides a rare glimpse into a day in the life of a certified beauty buff but it also made us want to know about the platform. You see, Fresha is rapidly making its mark on the beauty and wellness industry.
What is Fresha?
Fresha has been quietly simmering away since 2015, when it first launched on the scene with an aim to help business owners manage their calendars and the day-to-day operations, ergo helping brands to scale up. Today, it boasts a usage of 'over 100,000+ businesses and 450,000+ stylists and professionals worldwide, with 700 million+ appointments booked in 120+ countries,' according to the brand's website. And that's just the B2B side of the brand.
Its consumer-facing leg, which Keegan so effortlessly presents, provides a simple means of booking beauty and wellness appointments with professionals in your very own local community. The self-proclaimed '#1 destination for beauty and wellness bookings' allows customers to browse and book an array of services, from hair removal to injectables and dental care, with over 110,000 businesses and 450,000 professionals worldwide.
Its empowering digitalisation of the industry not only allows user-friendly navigation and accessibility of beauty and wellness services for customers, who can book treatments 24/7 at any time and price that suits them (with the help of handy and reliable client reviews, too), but is also propelling technological advancements in the sector as a whole. More than a beauty booking platform, the company is now defined as 'the world's largest beauty and wellness software', according to Forbes.
How is Fresha changing the beauty industry?
During its nine year lifespan, the London-based company has caught the attention of leading industry figureheads, many of whom have made a healthy investment to help Fresha realise its game-changing plans. So far, it has raised over $185 million in venture capital funding, including a $150 million Series C round in 2021 led by General Atlantic, which multimillion-dollar beauty brand founder Huda Kattan was involved with.
'I’ve witnessed first-hand the positive impact Fresha has had on beauty entrepreneurs,' Kattan says in her advisory role with the brand. 'The company is a force for good in the growing community of beauty professionals around the globe, who are increasingly adopting a self-employed approach. By making top business software accessible without any subscription fees, Fresha lets professionals focus on what they do best — offering great experiences for their customers.'
Outside of appointment bookings for customers, Fresha’s forward thinking all-in-one software enables the acceptance of online appointment bookings, optimising appointment bookings with real-time availability, processing of card payments and managing customer records, as well as automations for marketing, staffing, product inventory and accounting. Importantly, it also spotlights local businesses and fosters inclusivity, something that has been made apparent by Fresha's recent update which allows users to set their preferred language on the app and online. The advancements mean entrepreneurs are breaking business barriers and reaching a larger pool of customers.
And it looks like Fresha is just getting started on revolutionising the beauty and wellness world. As recently as this week, Fresha announced it has just secured a $31 million venture debt facility with J.P. Morgan which will aid its expansion into new markets and development of machine learning capabilities, including AI-powered robotics. Robots mixing your hair colour at the salon? Watch this space.
Main image: Instagram @fresha and @michkeegan
Sameeha Shaikh is Grazia UK's Beauty Writer, working across all categories to bring you insights on the latest trends, industry news and the products you need to know about, viral or not (most probably viral).