New men's chain is no balls up

I have to admit to being a tad sceptical when I heard the brains behind Saks were launching a new men's salon brand called The Dog's (you fill in the gaps).

 "Who on Earth is a name like that going to appeal to?" I asked.

The answer is probably the market the creators want to target - lads aged 15-35 - and we're talking real lads here, not the type that would write about having treatments in Vegas.

All joking apart, it's a brave move and could prove a major kick up the arse (or the b******) for the men's hairdressing industry.

According to research by Habia and Redken, 15% of men in this age group still cut their hair at home - disturbing aye? But is it because they just can't find a salon environment that addresses them? Add to that the 62%that currently use traditional barbers (nothing wrong with that!)  and the potential for a contemporary salon aimed specifically at  real lads becomes even more apparent.

The imagery is very Cool Britania, with an unmistakable nod to the 60s - there's not an actual dog's testicle in sight.

Add to its already evident appeal the celebrity presence of franchisee numero uno, Anthony Hutton (he was the winner of Big Brother 6 - lovely Geordie lad) and it's on track to be a real winner.