Amazon is opening a hair salon in London where customers can experience augmented reality (AR) and other technology, products and services in hair care and styling.

The Amazon Salon is set over two floors and more than 140m² on Brushfield Street in London’s Spitalfields. Itwill trial the latest industry technology, from AR hair consultations to point-and-learn technology.

Hair care and styling services at the salon will be provided by Elena Lavagni, owner of Neville Hair & Beauty, an independent salon based in London.

“We have designed this salon for customers to come and experience some of the best technology, hair care products and stylists in the industry,” said John Boumphrey, UK country manager for Amazon. “We want this unique venue to bring us one step closer to customers, and it will be a place where we can collaborate with the industry and test new technologies.”

At the salon, customers will be able to experiment with different virtual hair colours using AR technology, enjoy entertainment on Fire tablets at each styling station, and capture their new look in a dedicated creative area.

Showcasing a selection of professional hair care products, the salon will also test new point-and-learn technology, where customers can simply point at the product they are interested in on a display shelf and the relevant information, including brand videos and educational content, will appear on a display screen. To order the products, they can scan the relevant QR code on the shelf to visit the product detail page on Amazon’s web site and purchase, with delivery direct to their home.

Amazon Salon will initially be open to Amazon employees only, before it opens to bookings for the general public in the coming weeks. This will be an experiential venue where it will showcase new products and technology, and there are no plans to open any other Amazon Salon locations.

The salon is the latest initiative designed to support the professional beauty industry and follows the launch of the Amazon Professional Beauty Store on Amazon.co.uk. This store gives hair and beauty businesses convenient access to Amazon’s selection of more than ten thousand salon and spa products and supplies, from straighteners and clippers through to curlers and hair dryers. The store offers professionals benefits such as wholesale pricing and invoicing, no minimum order value and fast delivery.

Lavagni is the owner of the highly-regarded Neville Hair & Beauty Salon, which has been based in London for 20 years. With her team, she has provided hair services for Paris Fashion Week and the Cannes Film Festival, and is renowned for cutting-edge hair and beauty treatments. Amazon Salon will offer a full range of hairdressing services for adults and children, including cut and blow dry, full head highlights, balayage, texturiser treatments, and braids.

“I am delighted to be part of this project,” said Lavagni. “The salon combines classic hairdressing services with technology to deliver a completely unique experience for clients. Our creative team of stylists, whose flair for hair is as intrinsic as their love for technology, will put the client at the heart of everything they do. I feel proud to use our 40 years’ experience in the industry to help bring this salon to life.”

Amazon says it has taken steps to create a safe environment, including providing free face masks and sanitiser, taking temperature checks, and reducing the capacity of the salon. Separation screens will divide each styling station. Customers will also be required to wear face coverings and equipment will be sanitised after use.