Bumble and Bumble

A British hair colorist named Michael Gordon opened a small salon in New York in 1977 and spent 20 years refusing to retail his products outside professional channels. When he finally relented Estee Lauder acquired the brand for over $100 million. Gordon opened Bumble and Bumble on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 1977 and built it into one of New York's busiest editorial hair salons through the 1980s. He developed a line of professional styling products and sold them only through certified Bumble and Bumble salons. The salon only restriction continued for roughly two decades, which protected the brand's professional credibility even as the category moved toward mass retail. The extended exclusivity period served as founder delegation control. Most prestige hair care brands moved to retail aggressively once volume targets are set, which dilutes the professional association and forces price competition with mass brands.