Beauty and hair salons sell more than £1m in gift vouchers during Covid-19 lockdown
Despite being closed since late March due to the coronavirus lockdown, UK beauty and hair salons are still generating revenue during this time – selling more than £1 million in gift vouchers in April which can be redeemed once non-essential businesses are allowed to reopen.
100,000 vouchers have been bought by supportive customers, purchasing them via salons’ website or social media channels, according to data from software provider Phorest, and during the first three weeks of April the average gift voucher sale was worth £69.
Phorest released its online voucher functionality to salons on April 1 to help them generate revenue during the coronavirus pandemic.
Image: Phorest
This follows data from analytics firm ContentSquare which revealed that UK sales of personal care products increased 53% in one week as the “lipstick effect” started to take hold during lockdown – where consumers spend money on small indulgences during economic downturns.
Beauty salons across the country have been launching all sorts of new services to clients during lockdown to keep their business afloat, from online consultations and virtual facial massage classes, to creating weekly masterclasses and special gift sets which can be sent out.
PB’s exclusive March 2020 Insider stats show the impact Covid-19 had on UK beauty salons, as well as revealing how owners are generating new revenue during this tough time.