(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

Feature:

A success in cat-vertising

            “When Jean-Marc Richer & Yves Pednault aquired Salon MOOV in September 2010, they were…the unlikeliest of pairings. Ex-oil worker Richer, 43, had recently returned home from Alberta, while Pednault, 49, was a lifelong hairstylist. The 2 were introduced that year at a bar & had quickly developed a rapport.

             .…Armed with their life savings, the pair walked into the salon…& offered to buy it. The owner…sold it to them 6 months later.

             .…Salon MOOV struggled to gain traction, until one day Richler’s girlfriend asked him to look after her cat while she went on vacation. Not wanting the cat to stay home alone, Richler decided to bring it to work.

            But this wasn’t a typical house cat. It was a Bengal, a hybrid breed that stems from crossing a domestic feline with an Asian leopard cat. The addition of this little jolt of jungle perched in the window changed Salon MOOV’s fortunes almost overnight. Suddenly, crowds of people were stopping to admire the cat.

Sensing an opportunity, Richer contacted a few breeders & bought a Bengal of his own before eventually becoming a breeder himself. Currently, there are 6 Bengal kittens in a designated space in front of the window with leopard print curtains to match…The kittens are for sale at a price of $1,200 each…

            According to the owners, revenues doubled during the year the Bengals debuted, & still maintain a healthy 20% annual growth. They also estimate that 80% of their business is a direct result of the Bengals.

            …Richler spends a typical day updating their Facebook page with images of the cats, new hairstyles, & artwork…Customers have the chance to interact with the cats & are encouraged to post their photos online as well

          ‘The atmosphere is very friendly, & the cats just reinforce all that. You see them in the window & it emulates the feeling that’s in here. It’s also nice to watch the reactions of everyone walking by on the street as they get drawn in by the cats,’ said Amelia Carland…who discovered the salon on Facebook…

          ‘How many people have ever seen baby Bengal cats, let alone in a hair salon?’ Richer asked… ‘We try to create an atmosphere that everyone wants to be in by offering a tri-concept of well-being: a coiffure, zoo therapy, & an art gallery'

            .…Richer let loose his favorite catch phrase, ‘Thank you for stopping by Salon MOOV. You’ve just been cat-vertised!’”

Josh Rubin

The Gazette, Montreal

August 27/2013