newsbarbers jr.

Newsbarbers now has a ‘Junior’

The Philippine Star (Friday, July 23, 2010 – page B-14)

Barbershop operator Newsbarbers Co. is venturing into the mid-level and non-mall market with the launch of its first ever branch outside the mall called Newsbarbers Jr.

The first Newsbarbers Jr. is located inside UP Teachers Village in Quezon City along Maginhawa St. near the corner of Magiting St.

Terence Grana, Newsbarbers communications officer, said the company decided to go beyond the mall milieu to reach out to communities and its people who may have the time to go to the mall but still prefer a neighborhood haircut.

“The first and ideal place for a barbershop should be inside villages where people actually live or reside. You should be embraced first by the people in the village before you can serve outside,” Grana said.

He said choosing the UP Teachers Village area as launching pad for the Newsbarbers Jr. satisfies the company’s criteria of locating in thriving and middle-class communities.

“We’re happy to pick UP Teachers Village as our pilot for our Junior. And we hope they would welcome us into their homes,” Grana said.

He added that putting up medium-sized shops that are located in villages or communities was also part of the evolving commitment of Newsbarbers Co.

“We think it’s time to give back to our communities and this is our way of doing it,” he said.

Newsbarbers Jr. generally caters to upper low-end to middle-level market with services at affordable prices.

Grana said all Newsbarbers Jr. clients would be treated just like their mall-based customers.

“it’s a barbershop with a ‘mall attitude’ but with affordable prices,” he said.

He also said Newsbarbers Co. wants to re-introduce the barbershop concept in communities and do away with its dirty and shoddy image.

“We want to go back into that era that barbershops played an important role in communities like some sort of a repository of information, a people’s directory and a venue for free exchange of ideas and opinions,” Grana said.

He stressed that the only difference this time is that the shops will be spic and span with the barbers in crisp and clean uniforms.

Grana said the company hopes to open another Newsbarbers Jr. in the latter part of the year when a good location turns up.

Newsbarbers Co. currently operates branches in SM Fairview, SM Hypermart Pasig, SM Taytay, Ever Gotesco Commonwealth, and Circle C Mall Congressional. Newsbarbers Co. is led by active media practitioners dabbling in the service business.