In a speech last night, the government warned that a second, tougher lockdown should be enforced in the UK as a safety measure against the spread of Covid-19. If the UK faces another lockdown, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned, the effects on the beauty sector would be hugely detrimental, especially as it has only since been reopened. less than three months.
Such was the harm to beauty businesses and employees during the 16-week lockdown earlier this year in which beauticians, nail technicians and hairdressers could not work, The telegraph launched the Why can’t I work campaign. It aimed to highlight the injustice that a sector fully prepared with PPE and extensive hygiene training has been unable to reopen – and without any government help in the meantime – while pubs, barbers, gyms and the restaurants were.
Even the current security measures in place in the UK, which reduce parties, weddings and office work, have proven to be detrimental to beauty businesses that depend on Christmas presentation and preparation.
“We expect the beauty industry to shrink by 30% as 54% of employees in our industry are self-employed and cannot benefit from furlough,” says Millie Kendall MBE of the British Beauty Council. “They won’t survive another lockdown. Beauty and salon retailers are already suffering in central London, Birmingham and Manchester. Salons in particular operate the same way as hotels, they have low occupancy with high rents and have to work longer hours, 7 days a week to earn the same money as before Covid, so all new restriction will be crippling.
According to a recent survey by the National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF), between August 20 and 31, it appears that despite reopening in early July, three out of four salons said business was down compared to the same period last year. While many had not yet made redundant, almost a third said they planned to reduce their workforce over the next three months and 44% could not guarantee job security, while 41% could not. couldn’t say if their business would survive until Christmas. Beauty staff have seen their hours reduced by 74%.
If the sector were to be closed for another six months, the results would be catastrophic. Every area of the beauty industry should prepare for another blow, from dentistry and facials to nails and hair.
Hair salons
“During the four to six months that salons were closed, it cost the salons a huge amount of money. We have been closed for the longest time, but have received the least government support as we have not received a VAT reduction like the hospitality industry,” says Luke Hersheson of Hershesons Hair Salons. “Since the reopening of the fairs, trade has dropped by 30 to 50% because people are simply not there, especially in the city centers.
He adds: “The announcement of new restrictions will make recovery increasingly difficult and based on my discussions with salon owners across the country, I expect to see a lot of salon closures from here. next year. Our blow-dry bars are down 80% from pre-lockdown as hair services are tied to going out to work and socialising. Without the fall in offices and the new curfew on pubs and restaurants, it’s bad for business unless there is an extension of business rate cuts. ”
Shai Greenberg of Gielly Green salons has started a petition asking the government to consider reopening the hair industry due to overwhelming customer demand and the fact that the sector is well prepared with PPE in place.
“A new lockdown will completely damage the business,” he confessed The telegraph. “While the government has been providing support, the majority of it has been in the form of loans which need to be repaid in just a few months, and a new lockdown will create an even bigger cash shortfall. Payments for rents will also make it impossible to retain all the workforce. I really hope the government will act sensibly.
nail technicians
London Grace is a stylish nail salon with multiple locations in London. It is heavily dependent on office footfall and as such has expressed concern over a stricter lockdown or possible extension.
“We are very concerned about further restrictions and tougher lockdown measures as it would be hard to imagine our business surviving another 6 months without revenue and without a substantial new financial support package from the government,” he said. a spokesperson told The Telegraph. “We have rent and bills to pay across our 10 stores and salaries to cover for our team of 100 employees, so we simply cannot afford to relive the scenario.”
Dental clinics
When the lockdown was first announced in March, dentistry was placed in the beauty sector and closed, with emergency cases redirected to A&E services or pop-up urgent care centres. The industry is still working on the backlog of more lockdown cases.
Dr Emma Laing spoke to The telegraph regarding the cost of the pandemic on dental clinics. “Figures showed that more than half of UK dental practices (52%) relied on business loans to get through the pandemic. The pandemic has cost so many practices so much, especially with the added costs of PPE. If many practices have to close, this will undoubtedly have a ripple effect on the dental health of nations in the long run.
Dr Richard Pollock of Chelsea Dental Clinic echoed his concerns. “Many people have come in reporting that they cannot access their own dentist or NHS dentistry and are in pain during lockdown, unable to get advice or help in most cases. The effects that another lockdown would have on dentistry would be immense and even more so on patients, as we are still dealing with the backlog of patients who have been affected by the cessation of their treatments: some patients have had to undergo extractions like they couldn’t. t have their root canals planned. People whose crowns or bridges have been removed would have to wait weeks or months and live with large holes in their mouths. This would be detrimental to their oral health as well as their mental health and social and mental well-being.
Facialists
Facialist Teresa Tarmey reopened in July after months of confinement and expressed concern to The telegraph about another.
“There is no way I will survive another lockdown. It’s absolutely impossible, which means I would lose processing business and my team. This doesn’t just affect me, as my team includes a full-time cleaner, florist, window cleaner, small window company, and maintenance person. I don’t see how other clinics would survive with the number of self-employed without help or the possibility of leave. It’s a thriving industry already upside down, not to mention the impact on the mental health of therapists.
Mobile beauticians
Fiona McIntosh runs Blow LTD, a booking beauty service that offers nail and hair care. “We have worked so hard to ensure that our hygiene protocols and PPE are up to standard to keep our customers safe, and we have hospital grade sanitation in place. Penalizing us now would be devastating,” she said. The telegraph. “I’m so worried about us – we’re a sector that employs a ton of working class women and freelancers, and most beauty businesses would even be lucky to emerge in six months if another lockdown happened. .”
Eyebrow specialists
Facials were the last of the beauty services to reopen after the latest lockdown, with eyebrow treatments on the list of banned services.
“Just as customers build trust and we start to rebuild our business, it would set us back and I’m not sure we can bounce back,” says Vanita Parti, founder of BBB London. “Without extending the leave, it would be economic suicide. With reasonable precautions in place, we should be able to run our businesses and be aware of the virus.
