Hairdressers in Bunhill were flooded with last-minute appointments before national lockdown began last week.
For Figaro London on Lever Street, the run up to lockdown was “manic.” Marketing Director Gabriella Ferenczi says: “The moment the news got out that the lockdown was coming, suddenly everyone wanted to have a haircut.”
In contrast to the “relatively quiet” past months —opening hours had recently been cut— the rush in demand encouraged the salon to extend its normal hours, with staff working long shifts.
Nearby hairdressers Shai Hairdressing and ESHK did the same, with staff at ESHK taking on “extra hours and days,” according to their Instagram page. Silvia Dimitri, a hairdresser at ESHK commented online: “It’s been the craziest 10 days of work…but I’m glad I could fit so many clients in.”
Although, as Ferenczi says, this last-minute boost “makes a bit of a difference,” a second lockdown —during the typically busy run up to Christmas— still poses a serious financial threat. “The business is not profitable – we are making a loss.”
Under the new national Coronavirus restrictions, hairdressers have been forced to close until 2 December.
Last month’s Office of National Statistics’ Business Impact of Coronavirus Survey showed that 75% of businesses in the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation sector were at risk of insolvency. Figaro, like many others, is struggling under the pandemic.
“Things have changed,” Ferenczi says. She highlights that large numbers of international clients and staff have left England, “close-contact” beauty services are suffering, and greater home working has meant that they have lost out on customers working in the area.
For now, Ferenczi says that staff welfare is the priority. The salon is using social media to maintain contact with customers, sharing light-hearted content and beauty tips. She comments: “We will try our best to survive and get through.”
Despite the financial ramifications of another lockdown, Ferenczi feels it was the right call. She says: “We want to play our part to help get the number of infections down. If that’s the price we have to pay, that’s it – we have to.”
