GLASGOW’S RAINBOW ROOM INTERNATIONAL BUCHANAN STREET SALON SURPASSES £1 MILLION IN ANNUAL REVENUE
Rainbow Room International’s Buchanan Street salon has hit a record-breaking milestone, achieving more than £1 million in revenue during the last financial year, with continued growth.
The Buchanan Street salon is one of eleven salons within the Rainbow Room International (RRI) group, which is home to salons in Glasgow, East Kilbride, Ayr, Clarkston, Uddingston and Bearsden. The salon was the very first RRI salon to open in Glasgow in 1979, marking 47 years of success, and has played a pivotal role in the RRI brand. It’s where Directors Riccardo Corvi, Director at RRI Ayr, and Laura Leigh Kerr, Director of the RRI Howard Street Academy, began their journey, working their way up the ranks mentored by Owners Alan Stewart and Linda Stewart before becoming franchisees of their own RRI salons.
The Buchanan Street salon was the original venue for the Rainbow Room International Academy before it moved to Royal Exchange Square, and later, Howard Street. In 2003, outgrowing its initial space, the academy relocated to a larger 7,500-square-foot premises on the same street.
Wil Fleeson and Shannon Fleeson are Directors of the RRI Buchanan Street salon and took over the salon as their franchise in 2008. Wil previously worked at the Great Western Road salon, meanwhile was based at the Clarkston salon. Wil Fleeson worked his way up the RRI ranks, spending a decade as RRI’s Creative Director, working on projects throughout the UK and around the globe, educating both internally and internationally, and being part of the Artistic Team. Becoming a Director of the Buchanan Street salon was the next part of the progession and the next step in Wil and Shannon’s journey, and now they have built it into a sustainable, continually thriving salon business.
The strong, established team at RRI Buchanan Street has been pivotal to the salon’s growth. Every stylist is fully employed and trained through the RRI in-house academy. Shannon Fleeson, Co-Director of the salon, is paramount to its success and oversees everything from accounts and stock control to education and the flow of the day. The salon also has an Operations Director, Talia, who has worked in the salon for over 15 years and ensures everything runs seamlessly through the team. Everyone has very specific roles, which are crucial for keeping the day to day running of the business smoothly.
Wil and Shannon believe it’s their responsibility to provide their team with security, structure, and a clear pathway for progression. At the same time, flexibility is essential. Many of the stylists work part-time, balancing their careers with family life while still delivering exceptional performance. In fact, part-time staff Joy McQuillian and Pamela Wallace, have strengthened the Buchanan Street salon’s growth, working just 2.5 days per week and each generating over £125,000 in net revenue. This demonstrates that, with the right systems, education, and support, both lifestyle and productivity can thrive. Two stylists from the branch are RRI’s highest-earning stylists and have the greatest client retention rate, showcasing their commitment to delivering exceptional five-star customer service.
The Buchanan Street salon’s commitment to retention is evident in its client base. Over the last financial year, the salon welcomed more than 10,000 client visits and delivered 4,500 colour applications. This consistency feeds directly into the client experience, creating trust, strengthening relationships, and encouraging long-term loyalty. Some members of the team have been with the salon for over 30 years, and that stability underpins the salon’s continued growth.
Further setting the RRI Buchanan Street salon apart from other salons in the area is the addition of its trichology suite. Director, Wil Fleeson, is also the Director of Trichology Scotland and Root Cause Clinical. Wil noticed more and more clients were asking about hair loss and thinning hair, and he didn’t have the answers they needed. This led him to undertake the relevant training to become a Registered Consultant Trichologist before opening one of his clinics within the Buchanan Street salon, enabling him to provide clients with the appropriate course of treatment to support their hair loss concerns. This has allowed the salon to offer more specialised scalp care and hair loss solutions, as well as providing a safe, empathetic space for sensitive discussions, further highlighting the salon’s aim to provide clients with the utmost care and service possible.
In addition to an incredible team and outstanding client retention figures, the RRI brand itself plays a major role in the Buchanan Street salon’s success. Rainbow Room International is Scotland’s largest salon group. The group has won a multitude of awards over the years for its business acumen, colour work, and education, alongside praise for its first-class artistic team. Company owners, Alan and Linda Stewart, were also awarded an OBE in 2021 for services to hairdressing.
The RRI Artistic Team also builds the group’s reputation not only locally but worldwide, showcasing its exceptional skills in colour, cutting, and styling at the highest level and cementing its reputation as an industry leader. The creative imagery produced by the RRI Artistic Team features in magazine publications around the world and in the salon windows, attracting clients from across Scotland who are inspired by its artistry.
As Rainbow Room International’s flagship salon, Buchanan Street continues to evolve while remaining true to the values on which it was founded more than four decades ago. Reaching the £1 million revenue milestone during the last financial year marks another chapter in the salon’s history and reflects the strength of its team, the loyalty of its clients and its continued commitment to education, innovation, and exceptional client care.
Wil Fleeson, Director of Rainbow Room International Buchanan Street, said: “Reaching more than £1 million in revenue during the last financial year is something we’re incredibly proud of, but for us it’s about much more than the number. It’s a reflection of the incredible team we’ve built, the loyalty of our clients, and the systems and education that Rainbow Room International has invested in over many years. Creating a salon where our team can build long, successful careers while delivering an exceptional experience for every client has always been our priority, and this milestone shows what’s possible when everyone is working towards the same goal.”
