Hj insider survey: how you are planning to reopen post-lockdown in numbers

This month's HJ Insider Survey, sponsored by Disicide distributed by Hair Tools asked HJ's readers how you are planning to reopen post-lockdown. The survey includes insights on when you hope to reopen your hair business post-lockdown as well as how you plan to reopen safely. It also covers the systems and procedures you will be putting in place to keep you, your teams and your clients safe. Plus, we asked you to share how your business was performing pre-lockdown compared with last year.

HJ Insider: How You Are Planning to Reopen Post-Lockdown in Numbers

The majority of the respondents in this month's survey feel ready to reopen their business on or before the official date that has been provided by the UK Government, which is Saturday 4th July (90%). While 10% of those who took part said they will be ready to open after Saturday 4th July. There were a number of safety measures for when salons reopen that the majority of the respondents will be undertaking. The most popular safety measure is cleaning and wiping all surfaces and items of equipment between services with 96% of respondents saying they will be doing this post-lockdown. However, other popular measures included wearing PPE at all times and changing it between appointments (90%) and staggering appointment times (81%). Almost all of those who took part in the HJ Insider survey, sponsored by Disicide on how you are planning to reopen post-lockdown stated that they will be carrying out a formal risk assessment prior to reopening (96%). Plus, 99% of those who carried out the survey will either be conducting or organising a deep clean of the salon before the reopening date. Interestingly, the picture wasn't as clear cut when the respondents were asked if they are concerned about how they will protect the team and clients when doors reopen with 74% saying they are worried and 26% saying they are not. Most of the respondents within the survey (83%) have purchased personal protective equipment (PPE) for when salons reopen.  For the 17% who have not purchased PPE yet, most said they have it on order, however some said they are waiting for clearer guidelines before purchasing. Gloves were the most popular item of PPE being purchased by the respondents of this survey (91%), closely followed by hand sanitisers (89%) and face masks for the team (83%). Other key purchases include disinfectants (83%) and anti-bacterial wash (82%). The majority of respondents selected a number of answers for the question: 'What safety measures and protocols will you be taking for clients when salons reopen?' The most popular safety measure was telling a client not to attend the appointment if they or a member of their household is unwell or self-isolating (96%).

Salon business in March 2020 (pre-lockdown) in numbers

Every month, HJ Insider asks respondents to share how their business performed in a given month compared to the same month the previous year. The idea behind this benchmarking survey is to paint a picture of the UK hairdressing industry is performing year on year.

How did your salon appointment business in March 2020 (pre-lockdown) compare with the same dates in March 2019?

Better - 26% Same - 42% Worse - 32% The majority of respondents stated their salon appointment business performed the same in March (pre-lockdown) compared to the same dates in March 2019 (42%), however 32% said their appointments business performed worse this March compared to last March.  

How did your retail business in March 2020 (pre-lockdown) compare with the same dates in March 2019?

Better - 18% Same - 54% Worse 28% Interestingly, despite the coronavirus pandemic being on the horizon in early March, it would seem this did not encourage clients to stock up on retail products as most businesses (54%) sold the same amount of retail products just before lockdown as they did in March last year.

How did the number of unfilled salon appointments in March 2020 (pre-lockdown) compare with the same dates in March 2019?

More - 21% Same - 40% Less - 39% Similarly, the survey reveals there was no difference in the number of people bookingg booking appointments pre-lockdown compared to March last year with 40% of respondents having the same number of unfilled appointments and 39% benefitting from having less unfilled appointments.

How did the number of no-show appointments in March 2020 (pre-lockdown) compare with the same dates in March 2019?

More - 13% Same - 53% Less - 34% More than half of the respondents had the same number of no-show appointments in March 2020 compared with 2019 and just over a third (34%) had less no-shows this year compared with last year.

How were the majority of appointments booked in March 2020 (pre-lockdown)?

Phone - 61% Face to face - 22% Social media - 6% Salon software app - 5% Website - 2% Email - 1% Google My Business - 1% Other - 2% The telephone was the main way clients booked their appointments just before lockdown (61%). It will be interesting to see if this changes when salons reopen.

HJ Trends: What was the most popular salon service in March 2020?

1st - Colour 2nd - Cut 3rd - Blow-dries

HJ Trends: What was the most popular cutting service in March 2020?

1st - Layers 2nd - Trim/one-length 3rd - Bob

HJ Trends: What was the most popular colour service in March 2020?

1st - Highlights/babylights 2nd - Balayage 3rd - Root touch-up METHODOLOGY: HJ Insider is compiled from a monthly survey of HJ readers. The people who participated represent a cross-section of the industry and were polled by email, regarding business for March 2020 (pre-lockdown) compared to March 2019. The figures given represent the average score for each answer. This HJ Insider survey was sponsored by Disicide distributed by Hair Tools so everyone who filled out the survey was included in a prize draw with a chance of winning a bundle of Disicide's hospital-grade disinfectant, including: Click here for more information about how to plan for reopening your salon post-lockdown.