Hair and beauty salons see 80pc spending rise
LOCKDOWN relief can best be seen in the country’s hair and beauty salons, with data revealing spending on a new do or treatment has increased by 80pc compared to the week when Covid-19 first hit Ireland.
Bank of Ireland analysis of spending data and debit card transaction shows how the country has been missing its hair and beauty salons and barbers.
The numbers reveal that in the first full week of phase three of the roadmap to reopen the country, when restrictions were eased allowing for businesses in the sector to reopen, there was a significant spike in spending. Debit card spending increased by 79pc for the sector in the week June 29 to July 5, compared with the final week of February.
Ireland had its first confirmed case of the virus on February 29, before going in to lockdown in mid-March.
Average daily spending by Bank of Ireland customers on hair and beauty appointments was €740,000, up from €410,000 before lockdown. The number of transactions in the sector increased by 55pc. Bank of Ireland business banking head of sectors June Butler said re-emerging from lockdown has brought a significant boost to the sector and retail businesses.
“The run-up to the weekend was the busiest period, as customers made hair and beauty appointments before visiting their local restaurant or pub for the first time. Consumers are clearly responding to several months without these services, and hopefully this support for these fantastic local businesses will continue through the summer.”
On average, customers were spending €63 per transaction in barbers, hair and beauty salons, a €9 rise compared with February.
“It’s great to see hair and beauty businesses re-emerging and having such a good first week back in business,” Butler added.
“Along with others in the retail sector they have had a torrid time, and their reaction has been incredible, with considerable adjustments to how they are doing business.”
Among those who feared the worst for her business during lockdown was Orla Boland. She and her business partner Norma-Jean O’Reilly opened their hair salon, The Room, in Sandymount Co Dublin, in February, just weeks before the country went in to lockdown. Before then the pair had been working in the industry for about 20 years but decided they wanted to commit to running their own business after finding an ideal premises above a beauty parlour.
“When we first went in to lockdown I was actually a little glad of the break,” Boland admitted.
“We had been really busy in the run up to lockdown and thankfully we have been busy beforehand as well, so never had time to breathe. It was like a little holiday at first thinking lockdown would be for a couple of weeks and we would be up and running again.
“The fact it went on a bit longer was worrying.”
However, lockdown also presented the pair with a new opportunity when the premises underneath their salon became available. They saw this as an opportunity to expand and moved downstairs.
“It’s really good because downstairs is much bigger. Reopening would have been harder for us upstairs because of the social distancing requirements and we probably would have had to scale things back.
“Instead we have been able to open at full-tilt and it has been very busy, working 11 hour days. Most people who are coming in are spending two or three hours in the chair because they have not been able to get their hair done for so long. There are a lot of cuts and colours, which take a bit of time and we are fully booked up.”
‘Most people who come in are spening two or three hours’