How to boost your salon in the post-pandemic era?

Life has changed and also our health and care habits. Whatever your business plan for 2021 might be like, it’s worth stopping, observing, and rethinking it before putting on autopilot.

If there is any lesson to be learnt from this situation, it is the importance of making decisions without having all the information. However, observing and evaluating the results of studies that can be found on the Internet always helps to not have so much feeling of leaping into the void.

 The change in habits and consumption of ‘health & beauty’ products

The conclusions of an American study carried out by Vagaro , an app to find salons, spas and fitness centers on people’s behavior regarding their personal care in the post-pandemic era sound very interesting to us.

The study shows that North Americans want to look good to celebrate the post-pandemic and for this reason they are preparing for a resurgence, taking better care of themselves and feeding the desire to return or start with ‘health & beauty’ care and maintenance habits.

The Covid pandemic has hugely affected all routines, and of course, also those related to cosmetics and makeup; in short, to beauty. For many, covering their faces has been the perfect excuse to relax their habits and, for others, the opportunity to hide treatments.

In the case of the 2,000 respondents for this study, the confinement has meant that 46% have “got carried away”, abandoning the frequency and number of their aesthetic care such as makeup, facial cleansing or even daily grooming . Weight gain has also been evident in this “letting go”, with an average increase of 8 kilos.

However, the same study shows a “post-pandemic rebirth”, with 2/3 of the US population saying they want to see and feel their best when the restrictions come to an end.

According to this survey, many have already begun their post-pandemic transformation. Compared to before quarantine:

50% are taking better care of their skin by incorporating new care routines, adding specialized treatments and increasing their frequency.
57% of those surveyed are more aware of their hair health and are taking better care of it.
47% said they felt stronger and more motivated to resume new health and beauty habits now than when the pandemic began.

So what can we do to thrive in the post-Covid era?

The interest in taking care of oneself and improving one’s appearance and health exists. This does not need to be corroborated by any study.

It seems to us a good approach, as restrictions are lifted, for gyms, salons, barbershops and spas to have their business plan updated, with tools and technology to not only survive, but thrive in a world in which habits and the rules have changed.

It is time to watch, be brave and bet on your project. After the crisis generated by the coronavirus, society reinvents itself. New habits, new uses, new priorities. Volatile times are coming. Acting is going to be key and doing it with uncertainty is scary.

We share these tips that we find very revealing

– Predicting everything that can happen to your brand and your business is a titanic effort. Use 20% of the data to make 80% of the decisions, and measure all the time how your customers (actual and potential) behave.

– Establish 2 or 3 scenarios to anticipate the answers. Have a plan B and C prepared in case A cannot be carried out. Concepts such as the nomad barbering and the hairdressing salon at home are taking space within the ecosystem.

– Invest in your brand, in the image of your business. Work it both in its offline and online dimension. Now is the time to protect your purpose, your roadmap, your differential value.

* Respondents include more than 2,000 Americans as of March 2021.