Spending trends, whether due to COVID or inflation, have evolved over the past two years, according to research. Yet most beauty professionals (52.9 percent) who participated in the American Salon Business Sentiment Survey* said that inflation and/or stock market volatility are not causing a slowdown in spending from their clients at the salon. Those that did report a decrease in spending (47.1 percent) said they’re experiencing less frequent visits, a decline in add-on services, a delay in appointments and less spending on retail. And, of course, some clients have opted to take their hair routine into their own hands, coloring at home or embracing their grey.
On a similar note, when asked if clients are upgrading their salon services to new levels, such as add-on services, a large majority (69.4 percent) said no. Those who are seeing an uptick in services said they are mostly conditioning treatments (specifically bond-building treatments including Olaplex and K18), smoothing services and color upgrades.
As for any surprising client behavior over the past few months, there were three leading responses:
- Clients are booking standing appointments as far out as a year
- Clients are seeking low or bald haircuts to spend less on maintenance
- Clients are expressing more creativity and spontaneity, and especially a willingness to try new services
Check out our previous breakdowns from our survey, including a poll on hiring trends and business model changes:
Salons Seek Staff Amid Scarce Workforce
Majority of Salons Report Changes to Business Model
Research Shows a Recovering Beauty Industry
*The survey was conducted between May 23 and June 27, 2022. Of the 417 responses received, 57.55 percent were salon owners/managers, 23.02 percent were independent contractors, 6.25 percent were salon employees and 13.19 percent identified as “Other,” ranging from educators, retired salon owners and “working owners.”