From July 20th – September 20th 2020 EsteticaNetwork, in collaboration with Coty Inc, carried out a survey of around 2,000 mostly small- to medium-sized salons across 11 countries.
The survey was promoted across all our digital platforms in the following countries: Italy, UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, USA and Canada. The results offer a clear picture of how the hair industry has been changing as a result of the pandemic in these countries. It will be interesting to see if this data reflects what the impact will be of the 2nd wave, which is, of course, still in progress. In the meantime, here’s an overview of the results regarding the first lockdown, with details of the most significant responses.
During the lockdown, did you or your salon owner sell at-home colour kits to clients?
68.46% replied NO, defending the need to consider colour as an exclusively in-salon service.
17.39%, however, actually organized a home delivery service. 14.15% didn’t express a view.
Checking the data country-by-country, the most uptake seems to have been from salons in Germany, where 31% organized for home sales for customers. Home colour proved unpopular in France and the UK, at a mere 7%. In Italy, meanwhile, 23% of salons offered this type of service.
What are your views on the impact of Covid-19 and the reopening of the salons?
At the reopening of the salons after the first lockdown the predominant feeling was one of happiness at seeing customers again and being able to once more make them look and feel beautiful (47.29%). Salons owners did not forget, however, the great personal financial impact and the fear of infection (41.41%) for professionals and customers alike. 28.40% stated they were happy to be able to use their creativity again, while only 9.22% showed confidence and no worries. The Italian hairstylists seemed the most concerned about returning to work (35%), while covering financial costs were highest in the USA (50%), followed by France (36%).
To mitigate the impact of the crisis, what assistance do you expect to receive from manufacturing companies?
The survey clearly shows the need for salons to have support from major companies: 70.86% of the sample desired special discounts on orders, while more than half expected free training (59.48%). 35.69% were counting on deferred invoice payments, followed by the free distribution of personal protective equipment (33.90%).
How are social distancing measures affecting your business?
The majority registered a substantial and widespread decrease in salon footfall (64.31%) as a consequence of the reduction of workstations imposed by safety rules – an important consideration for 57.17%. A private appointment was confirmed as the only way to access the salon by 35.46%.
Around 28% of the respondents believe that the measures make customers anxious – as high as 42% in Mexico, but significantly lower for the Italians and French at just 17%. High number of customers opted for cheaper services in Mexico (38%), Brazil (30%) and Italy (26%), while customers were looking for quicker service in Germany (24%) and France (20%).
Did you update the price list after the reopening?
62.01% of the sample stuck at their pre-lockdown prices, while 22.97% increased them by very little, (up to 5%) probably to cover the cost of disposable kimonos & towels and enhanced personal protection and sanitation. 15.02% actually had to carry out a major refurbishment to be able to comply with the new COVID regulations.
The most ‘virtuous’ country was Australia where approximately 91% of the interviewed sample did not adjust their prices, then Switzerland (85%), followed by Spain (72%) and Italy (63%);
30% of UK salons and 44% of Germans saw an increase in prices of over 5%.
How are you using social media in the ‘new normal’?
The majority of the sample interviewed uses social media to stay in touch with their customers (64.39%), with a peak of around 80% in the UK. 50.81% of the salons interviewed use social media mainly as a showcase for attracting new customers and 28.65% as a tool to give advice. In France, however, a mere 11.27% use social media for this purpose.
