Retail that hasn’t moved to e-commerce has been suffering since before the COVID-19 virus changed the world’s landscape. The pandemic only hastened its demise with its virality, coupled with the global and nationwide lockdowns. When only essential shops were allowed to operate, many leisure and beauty salons were forced to shut their doors, some permanently.
For some, the shift to retail works out in their favor because of lower overheads and operating costs. Fashion brands and products can now run straight out of their warehouses, and showrooms are no longer necessary because the pandemic allowed for an acceleration in the rise of e-commerce. Logistics have improved as brands and companies scramble to meet an increase in demand. Anything that they can mail is being shipped out as quickly as possible, given new COVID restrictions and safety procedures.
But the same cannot be said for services. Theaters and entertainment centers were shut down at the beginning of the pandemic and are slowly starting to rebound after being some of the last businesses to reopen. This has affected large and small businesses that relied on people to show up and spend in their stores and venues.
Everything from gyms to hair salons has felt the pinch of the pandemic as doors remained shut with the rising cases. However, beauty and fitness have continued to be an essential and vast industry. Many owners thankfully found support in the form of beauty salon loans and other economic aid services.
When it comes to fitness, the pandemic was a huge turning point for fitness vloggers on Youtube, who have gained even more exposure and popularity during the lockdowns. However, it just isn’t possible to do your hair yourself unless you’re a trained professional. Some parents might attempt to cut their children’s hair or even their spouses,’ but very few would allow an untrained hairdresser to try and dye or chemically treat their hair.
Beauty bars have had to innovate during these challenging times. There have been notable successes following new implementations to combat the hardships of social distancing and standard operating procedures due to the pandemic. According to a report by Forbes, two women have managed to not only keep their beauty salons open but have helped it thrive amid COVID-19.
For one, it boiled down to communication, and for another, it was the crucial steps they took to restore order and continue serving their clients in new and creative ways.
The pandemic may have shaken up the world and the global economy, but that doesn’t mean that whatever wavers has to fall. With the appropriate approach, it is entirely viable to keep one’s business afloat. All one has to do is adapt to the changing times, diversity, and find solutions to retain revenue even when conventions fail.
