A Maryland hair stylist who started her own product line to help women with hair loss is now opening her first salon this summer, inside a Walmart in Clinton. The salon is part of the megastore's effort to support small businesses.
For years, DeJuan Burns, of Prince George’s County, has created free wigs for women living with hair loss due to cancer treatments, alopecia or other autoimmune diseases.
“I can't imagine how they are feeling at that time, so I just want to make them feel good about themselves,” Burns said.
Burns launched her own product line in 2021 and was selling it on Walmart’s website when the company offered her her own store inside the Clinton Walmart.
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"So I said, 'Yeah! Yes!'" Burns recalls, smiling.
Burns' new salon, AuSecours Salon Spa, is part of a Walmart initiative that offers services that are unique to the community where each Walmart store is located.
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to welcome a Black female, locally-owned business to our Clinton Store,” a statement from Walmart read. “Supporting small businesses has always been a priority for Walmart.”
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To support small businesses, some Walmart stores feature Black-owned salons, braid bars, barbershops and hair and wig shops.
The new salon will give Burns a larger space to build her clientele and grow her efforts to help others.
“I'm amazed at me being able to reach out and get to this level of being able to get into the big chains," Burns said. “It means a lot to me that I was chosen to be able to have the opportunity to do this. And hopefully they'll have others, other people that can bring their business also to Walmart, so I think it's a big deal.”
The salon is expected to open its doors around late July to early August, Burns says.
