With a year of covid around, most businesses have found ways of adapting and surviving the lockdown and its lifting. With new protocols of doing business and the social distancing norms, most businesses have revamped the way they operate.
Looking back, one of the hardest-hit sectors in the pandemic was the beauty parlours and salon industry. The announcement of lockdown meant the immediate shutting down of these beauty salons as they were also a part of non-essential services. When the lockdown was partially lifted and the businesses were allowed to continue operations, the fear due to the pandemic led to a decrease in the footfalls in the salons. The 500-billion-dollar global beauty industry with its annual rate of growth continuously pegged between 4% and 5%, is now expected to see a decline of 15%, as per BCG and McKinsey.
The salon industry
The salon and parlour industry is a business that involves physical contact to deliver most of its services. Haircut, facial services, waxing treatments, spa and massages involve physical contact and it is quite impossible to follow social distancing guidelines in this business.
An interactive survey with the owners of the salon services revealed that most of the customers of the salon industry have called to enquire about the hygiene conditions before visiting the parlour.
New ways of operating
Salons and parlours have levelled up their cleanliness and hygiene to match the safety protocols. Sanitisers, disposable towels, one-time use towels, temperature checks of employees and customers are some of the standard changes visible in the parlours and salons.
Along with this, salons are also making it a point not to crowd their working spaces with customers. They now insist their customers make prior appointments with the salons.
With all these safety protocols in line, the salon industry still has not fully bounced back. Customers are waiting to get vaccinated before visiting salons. Also, in the lockdown period, many people have learned some self-care routines through social media which is helping them survive without visiting the salons.
All the workspaces will be fully functional when proper distancing and tracing protocols are followed. Not only vaccination, but revolutionary tracing devices should be developed to put things back at pace.
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