Hair clinics everywhere are struggling to meet the demand for hair commodities. With delivery delays stretching back for months, salons are wondering what they have to offer. If there's no hair to apply, what else can clients expect from us? The Hair Society discussion panel all agreed this is an awkward situation for our industry. Hair system clients cannot obtain new units as frequently, and we've exhausted all possible alternatives.
It is of no surprise that COVID-19 has drastically changed the way we live our lives and conduct our business. We are constantly adapting and reevaluating our strategies to provide quality service and products in a timely manner. That being said, the obstacles of dealing with international production and shipments during a pandemic has proven to be an immense uphill climb for vendors and hair replacement salons alike, not too mention the end user, the hair wearer.
At the beginning of 2020, a few salons were seeing increased revenue in comparison to 2019. One hair salon reported, "We were up 25%. And then we were shut down for six weeks.". The pandemic has not only made local impacts, but it also hit us all globally. It is important to remember the repercussions of covid-19 are happening worldwide, not just in our communities. From lockdowns to border closures, the coronavirus has disrupted the system of trade for goods and services in the hair industry around the globe.
It's safe to say that we are all beyond ready to finish the 2020 year. This year has brought new challenges and overwhelming changes. Soon, we will all close the door in 2020 and welcome the new year of 2021. What does that mean for your hair business? What does that mean for our industry?
As the covid-19 virus continues to spread, and cases are on the rise, salons, spas, and clinics everywhere are tackling many unanswered questions.
The Hair Society recently spent some time with David Schwartz [...]
Imagine going to the store to buy your usual dozen [...]
At the end of February, I started thinking about getting my hair cut and colored. It had been a while since my last visit as I tend to space them out for financial reasons. I hadn’t yet picked up the phone to make an appointment, and then a few weeks later, COVID-19 started to change the world in a very significant and personal way. Businesses were closing, our gym closed, the hair and nail salons closed, everyone was asked to shelter-in-place, and only essential businesses were allowed to remain open. I asked myself, why didn’t I make that appointment sooner? I could have easily just gone in and spent the money. But, like many others, I wanted to make my dollars stretch as far as possible. The world watched and waited to see what would happen next. The number of COVID-19 cases grew at alarming rates across the world. What we didn’t expect was the number of those who would die tragically because of this horrible virus. The world was plunged into a panic and situational depression of sorts.
When life and business get turned upside down, it's natural to go into "hunker down" mode. It's understandable to want to cut as many expenses as possible and anticipate the worst-case scenario. None of us should feel bad about these very valid (and sometimes practical) reactions. There are so many things out of our control at the moment. Recently, we reached out to over 119 salons across the US and in over 136 other countries in which we currently serve, including those in hair replacement, hair restoration, Trichology clinics, and salon that offer only salon services. What we very quickly found was that all of the data points to; marketing is NOT one of the things that you should be suspending right now. There are many reasons why marketing should continue and even accrue more of your resources.
The hair restoration and hair industry have been hit hard by the COVID-19 virus. After being considered a non-essential business by the powers that be, we have been mostly inoperative since mid-March/early April. Clients, on the other hand, are clamoring to get back in as soon as possible. Many are willing to adapt to whatever adjustments need to be made in order to get an appointment. Salon owners, stylists, and technicians have mixed feelings ranging from excited to scared and optimistic to apprehensive, and everything in between. It would be understandable to have any of these emotions as the prospect of re-opening looms in front of everyone.
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