Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Beauty Industry

When the coronavirus first hit in America, the government issued a lockdown that closed many businesses that were not considered "essential." Among these businesses were salons and spas. This led to many people cutting their hair at home or making homemade cosmetics products. While business was shutdown to the industry, it was also being impacted as many people shifted to "DIY" beauty services.

When the lockdown occurred, the salons were closed indefinitely. This made it hard for businesses to plan and book for clients. Kaylee Cooper, a stylist at Hats Off Hair Salon in Pittsburgh, PA, said, "when we first shut down, we kept rescheduling appointments for two weeks later because we didn't know how long it was to last." Cooper said that after rescheduling clients multiple times, they decided to cancel appointments until they could call them all at once with more information.

Since the reopening of salons, they still remain affected by the pandemic. Restrictions do not allow the businesses to operate as efficiently.

Rebecca Miller, owner of Beauty By Bec Studio Salon, said it makes the days longer because of taking one client at a time. Coronavirus restrictions only allow one guest per stylist rather than being able to perform services simultaneously. "A normal day pre-COVID, I'd work 9-5 and take between six and eight clients; now I can only take four in that time frame," Miller said, "I'm now working 12 hour shifts to get those people in."

Another restriction that is limiting efficiency is cleaning. "We are working at half-capacity and booking an extra 15 minutes per client to make sure the station is clean for the next client," said Cooper, "We are constantly cleaning highly-touched surfaces with Clorox wipes, Barbicide, or alcohol."

Product sales account for a portion of the income for salons. With salons closed for a portion of the time, consumer incomes decreasing, and less clientele, sales for cosmetic products have also decreased. The percentages below are negative. These show the decrease in cosmetic products in Germany, the UK, and the US (Handley, 2020).

Handley, L. (2020, August 20). DIY treatments and a digital pivot - here's how the beauty industry coped with the coronavirus. Retrieved November 02, 2020, from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/13/heres-how-the-beauty-industry-coped-with-the-coronavirus.html