Hairdressers in Bunhill enjoyed a last-minute surge in appointments before the second national lockdown began.
For Figaro London, in Lever Street, the run up to lockdown was “manic”.
Marketing director Gabriella Ferenczi said: “The moment the news got out that the lockdown was coming, suddenly everyone wanted to have a haircut.”
When the first lockdown lifted in July, Gabriella said the salon “had to rectify all the home disasters – haircut fixes and colour fixes”.
She said customers had “learned the lesson from the first lockdown”, using the time to book an appointment and opting for safe, low-maintenance styles: “Nothing outrageous, nothing that they would not be able to maintain by themselves at home.”
With lockdown approaching, the salon extended its opening hours. Nearby businesses Shai Hairdressing and ESHK did the same.
Gabriella said the last-minute boost “makes a bit of a difference” but that lockdown in November — typically a busy time in the run-up to Christmas — still poses a serious financial threat.
“The business is not profitable – we are making a loss,” she said.
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Gabriella said the business has seen international clients leaving England and that an increase in home working means the salon has lost out on customers working in the area.
For now, she said staff welfare is the priority. The salon is using social media to maintain contact with customers, sharing light-hearted content and beauty tips.
“We will try our best to survive and get through,” she said.
Despite the financial ramifications of the second lockdown, she said she feels it was the right call.
“We want to play our part to help get the number of infections down,” she said. “If that’s the price we have to pay, that’s it – we have to.”
The current national lockdown in England is due to end on December 2, but the government has not yet announced what measures will then be in place.
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