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It feels like the only thing we have to look forward to at the moment is one of Boris Johnson’s update speeches, but his highly anticipated one this week finally gave Brits a glimmer of hope for the imminent return of normal life.
Addressing the nation, Boris laid out his lockdown exit plan – and it includes nail bars and hair salons reopening on April 12 in the United Kingdom. That’s just over six weeks away from now.
The last time that we could book in for any beauty treatment was just before Christmas last year – and that was only for those who were lucky enough to only be in tier two restriction areas.
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Those living in London and Manchester, along with other tier four regions, won’t have had access to any ”non-essential” services since November.
But with light at the end of the tunnel now, what will nail bars, hairdressers, and beauty salons look like when they do reopen in April?
Social distancing will be in place until at least June, and probably longer, so shops will have to reopen with some changes to how they would normally operate.
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Nail salons, for example, should have visors up between the client and the technician. Everyone should also always be wearing a mask, and hand washing before any treatment will be a must.
For hair salons, PPE must be worn by staff, and customers shouldn’t arrive early for their appointments as this causes queues. More space should also be given between the salon chairs, and bills must be paid by card, not cash.
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The beauty industry has really suffered due to Covid-19, with most being forced to remain shut or only partly operating for the best part of a year.
A campaign, Save Our Salons, has been started to lobby the UK government into slashing VAT rate to 5 per cent. It’s being spearheaded by top industry names like Nicky Clarke, Luke Hersheson and Hellen Ward.
The campaign comes after 62 per cent of salon owners reported to be “unsure” if their business will survive the latest round of closures without any further financial aid.
And almost a fifth of those asked – around 18 per cent – were “sure” they would close for good.
“Closures have meant a complete stop to any income,” says Nicky Clarke. “While the hospitality industry has undoubtedly also faced extreme difficulties, the government has been supporting them with a VAT reduction to 5 per cent for a number of months now and it’s something we feel deserves to be extended to the beauty industry, too.”
You can support your local or chosen beauty salon now by checking out their website and social media, as many are offering “priority lists” for customers who want to secure their slot now.
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