$10,000 worth of products stolen from West Kelowna, B.C. hair salon

A West Kelowna, B.C., hair salon is cleaning up after a costly overnight break-in that left staff stunned and shelves nearly bare.

When employees arrived at New Image Hair Salon on Gossett Road Wednesday morning, they discovered the business had been ransacked — hair products stolen in bulk, and glass scattered across the floor.

“It was a shock,” said co-owner Sydney Koran. “I was at home getting ready for work, and all of a sudden I got six texts from my mom and sister.”

The thieves bypassed expensive styling tools and went straight for the salon’s inventory of professional hair products.

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“Some shampoo litres are $150. Even the small bottles can be $48. When you add it all up, it’s probably over $10,000 worth of product gone,” she said.

Koran and her team say it’s a painful loss — especially since they’ve spent years investing in their inventory.

“We purchased everything ourselves. You build up your inventory over time. It’s a lot to lose at once, and even harder to replenish,” she said.

The salon has operated from the same location for over 30 years, and this marks the first major theft they’ve experienced. But for neighbouring businesses, it’s become a troubling pattern.

Tom Nguyen, who runs LD Nails next door, says crime in the area has worsened.

“I don’t know what happened. Westbank is in a really bad time right now. Cops should be around more,” he said.

Nguyen says his salon has been broken into multiple times in recent years, usually through a side door. “They get inside and turn all the cameras off,” he said.

Back at New Image, it’s business as usual as staff do their best to move forward while an RCMP investigation is underway.

“I think our team is wonderful, and we all handled this great,” said Koran.

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