The Hair Repair Club has won the opportunity to offer life-changing hair replacement services in its first standalone store at Derbion this year, thanks to the return of our popular Hatch initiative.
Our unique competition offers small business owners the chance to take their brand to the next level and open a free-of-charge store within the centre. The potentially life-changing prize includes a store in Derbion for a period of six weeks, completely rent-free.
Following the competitive process, we’re delighted to announce that Derby-based hair replacement specialist, The Hair Repair Club, has won this year’s initiative. We sat down with Tom Walker, director and founder of the brand, to learn more about his business and journey so far, as well as what customers can expect from the new store.
Where did the idea of The Hair Repair Club come from?
I never imagined having to be worried about my own hair. But when I reached my early twenties, I noticed that my hair was thinning and it was affecting my confidence in my day-to-day life. I explored and tried every remedy that was on the market including the well-known tablets and powders, and whilst they work for some, they didn’t work for me.
So, after months of extensive research and thousands of hours of trials and errors, I fitted my first hair system back in 2015. It gave me a restored sense of confidence that made me think, “what about the thousands of other men out there suffering with this?”. That was many years ago, but that’s how The Hair Repair Club was born.
After thousands of successful fittings, of all shapes and styles, The Hair Repair Club continues to help those suffering from hair loss and male pattern baldness across the UK. Hair means more than most people think. And seeing our clients self-esteem change, quite literally, before our eyes, is the most rewarding thing about the whole process.
Why did you apply for Hatch?
I’m in my seventh year of working with men’s hair systems and The Hair Repair Club has been an established and leading business in the hair replacement sector for nearly four years. We’ve discovered a gap in the market and I truly believe our service and systems for those suffering from hair loss and male pattern baldness is the best in the country.
I’m hugely passionate about the business and the next step for The Hair Repair Club is to grow our physical shop presence in key cities and towns across the UK. I was born and raised in Derby, so to have our first standalone store in my home city is very exciting. Although we’re East Midlands-based at the moment, we have an international client base and also have a network of Salons and Training Academies across the country that produces the best non-surgical hair applicators.
We are looking to continue to grow the business both in the UK and across the world, and winning the Hatch competition is the first step towards this goal!
How has the experience of preparing your store at Derbion been so far?
It’s been a very busy few weeks! I have a clear vision for the look and feel of the store, so we’re currently working hard behind-the-scenes on the fit-out and to make the vision come true. Although its been busy, I’ve enjoyed all the hard work so far and look forward to officially opening the doors to our first standalone store soon!
What can customers expect when they visit The Hair Repair Club at Derbion?
One of our main business objectives is to reduce the stigma around hair transplants for men of all ages, and we hope opening a physical space in a shopping destination like Derbion will be a step towards helping to normalise men’s hair replacements.
Our store in the centre will also offer a non-judgemental safe space and men of all ages who are interested in learning more about our non-surgical hair systems are more than welcome to pop in at any time to talk to our friendly team to discover how we can help restore their confidence with our range of services.
The Hair Repair Club is set to open its doors at Derbion this autumn.