NAILS executive editor Beth Livesay paid a visit to one of four W Nail Bars located inside a Columbus, Ohio, DSW shoe store.

NAILS executive editor Beth Livesay paid a visit to one of four W Nail Bars located inside a Columbus, Ohio, DSW shoe store.

After a two-salon test near its Columbus, Ohio, headquarters, shoe retailer DSW is installing five more nail salons in other stores this year, with plans to ultimately launch salons in half of its more than 500 stores, according to a February 27 article in Ad Age.

According to the article, DSW chief executive officer Roger Rawlins hopes to attract millennial shoppers to the stores and provide an experience that can’t be found online. Rawlins reported that while millennial women make up about a quarter of the company’s customer base, they have accounted for half the patrons at the nail salons, and almost a quarter of the time, salon patrons buy a pair of shoes.

Full-service manicures start at $30 and pedicures are priced at $49 at the salons, which are run by W Nail Bar, also based in Columbus. Some salons will offer waxing and wine or other beverages.

“Everyone else is out there competing on price; we want to compete on experiences,” said Rawlins, echoing a familiar sentiment among salon owners.

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