Dublin barbers at cutting-edge of tech

Sam's Barbers is run by brothers Sam and James Donnelly, fourth generation barbers who have recently taken over the reins of the business from their father, Stanley.

The history of Sam's Barbers spans over a century beginning with their great-grandfather in 1901, and Sam Donnelly says that each custodian of the business has put their own stamp on it.

“Each generation has evolved in different ways to make it their own,” says Sam. “It’s a traditional barbershop with a modern twist.”

The chain of six Dublin barber shops has a diverse staff of 25, including both men and women barbers, which the brothers say is not always the case in the industry.

“We want to put the community back into barbering,” says Sam. “We want people to feel more involved in the shop.”

The pair believe that the secret to their survival throughout the recession is down to looking after both price ranges and the market, with two styles of Sam’s barbers – the locals and centrals.

“We’ve got four barbershops in the suburbs – in Cabinteely, Blanchardstown village, Stoneybatter and Dorset Street – and they’re local shops offering a service at a local price,” says Sam.

“Sam’s centrals are the city centre locations on Lower Ormond Quay and Dame Lane, and they’re at the top of their game in the barbering scene in Ireland.”

“During the recession, our higher end market did take a bit of a hit but we still had our value-conscious haircuts which were as busy as ever,” adds James.

Sam says the downturn forced them to analyse their spending and look at ways to cut back, such as changing the credit card system in the shops to a different bank which has helped them to save thousands of euros.

“Now that things are improving, we’re still as savvy and we can start putting money back into the business and investing in it, by refitting the stores,” he says. “You tighten the belt, put the head down and plough along, but never slack on the quality.”

The brothers have modernised Sam’s Barbers with a focus on technology. “It’s really helped us to move forward into the modern age and make it really convenient,” says James.

Since introducing an online booking system two years ago, 93 per cent of their customers now choose the online method over phoning. There is an app for the barbers, along with high-speed internet and iPads in store, with further plans to introduce an online payment system next year.

“We’re utilising technology to help the revenue of the business, and that includes the retail end of it too,” says James.

Pomp and Co, a range of men's grooming products, which began as a sideline venture for the brothers but "stands on its own now", says Sam.

The tradition of creating hair products for use in store began with their grandfather, who made his own in the basement of his barber shop. Since it was established four years ago, Pomp and Co has grown considerably to export to more than 20 countries worldwide including Malaysia, Poland, and Norway.

The product range consists of a hair pomade, hair cream, a perfume and a beard and stubble balm.

The brothers cite social media as a large part of their business, and particularly Instagram which has helped to advertise their retail company to barber shops around the world.

“Social media has put us on the map for global export,” says Sam, adding that he never imagined it would play such an important role in the business.

The pair have just begun the process of refitting all the stores, starting with the flagship Sam’s Barbers on Ormond Quay in November.

They plan to refit the Dame Court store after Christmas, with ideas to style it as a 1930s speakeasy, the era James hails as “the golden age of barbering”.

The brothers say they would like to perfect the six Dublin locations over the next two years and would then consider setting up shop somewhere else in Ireland, hinting at Co Kerry.

“We want to get the shops we have right before we think about expanding but there is a possibility to grow outside of Dublin and maybe outside of Ireland,” says James. “We had some interest in Poland through a connection with exporting Pomp and Co, so we’re thinking about that too.”

The pair don’t rule out opening a few more shops but insist they wouldn’t like Sam’s Barbers to grow much larger.

“We’re not a huge chain, and we want to keep it real,” says Sam. “We don’t want to dilute what we have, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to Pomp and Co.”

“Barbering at the moment is very cool, and they’re popping up like coffee shops. But we were here before the trend, and we’ll be here after it. It’s not a fad for us, it’s a lifestyle.”

www.samsbarbers.com www.pomp.ie