Beauty Industry in Eastern India Gears Up to Fight COVID19 Crisis
The effect of COVID 19 in the Salon Industry has been sudden and drastic in the Salon & Spa and the professional beauty industry in eastern Indian states. Kaushik Karmakar spoke to a few industry leaders to understand their current business perspectives and the way forward. Here’s a report:
The salon industry is one such sector which is totally dependent on the physical proximity of the customers and the service professionals on the floor, thereby making the COVID19 threat perception stronger. This is totally a manpower driven industry and financial leverage works absolutely in this context. At a time where disposable income spending was already seeing a downward trend, the complete lockdown due to the Coronavirus threat caught the entire industry in eastern India unawares and off guard.
The aftermath of the entire episode has created ripples of shock in the beauty fraternity, grappling desperately to manage cash flows, high rentals and pay staff salaries, thereby putting the focus on margins diluted. Apart from that, maintaining employee morale has taken a primary objective of the salon business owners.
The Way Forward – Steps for the future
Everybody we talked to, have underlined a few basic strategies for revival in the aftermath of COVID 19. These are –
a) Making sure that the staff stays at home safely and only spends allotted money on basic necessities for their survival,
b) Building awareness among the technical and administrative staff, about the importance of hygiene levels in the salon premises, stressing on sporadic cleanliness on the floor and ensuring the highest level of personal hygiene and on the importance of social distancing,
c) Taking a special drive on maintaining an optimum stock of consumables and product inventory for service and sales,
d) Using technology tools like webinars to improve the technical skill level in association with the brands,
e) Making provisions for access and use of necessary sanitization tools and apparatus by the floor personnel and outlining protocols
to ensure boosting customer confidence regarding their safety by working with limited manpower, revised appointment scheduling
activities, physical distancing in the salon premises, restricted services initially and using single-use materials,
f) Regular communication with existing clients propagating the necessity of hygiene and sanitization using technology tools, amongst customers to ensure safety for all and availability of best quality services at the salons.
Assimilated from information by –
– Raman Bhardwaj, Director AN John Salons
– Pankaj Killa, Director of HeadTurners Salon
– Utpal Mitra, Director, Be Bonnie Bodycare Pvt Ltd
– Kohinoor Mondal, Master Franchisee Eastern India of Jawed Habib Salons
– Daniel Jones, Director of Bridgette Jones Fashion Salons Pvt Ltd
– Sukirti Patnaik, Managing Director of Indulge Beautyscape Pvt Ltd