It's not uncommon to drop $200 at any upscale salon in Birmingham for a cut, color and highlight. It's also not uncommon to drop $60 for a set of nails and $100 for a Swedish Massage.
Moving out into Taylor, prices drop by 30-50%, but salons are busy cutting, coloring, and clipping. Or are they?
During past recessions and downtimes, salons thrived. The thinking was that consumers would give up their vacations and "want" items, but never their "need" items such as salon visits . After all, they had to look good for interviews, hanging out with friends and family and for their own well-being.
But with $4 gas still around, the foreclosure mess to hang around at least until 2009 and inflation hitting a record .8% last month, consumers are different this time around.
In a recent Detroit News article, some salon owners were stating that business was bad and that they see their clients doing more color at home and waiting longer between appointments.
Luckily in conversations with salon owners I have had recently, most say business is good (what business can't be better?) and they are in good spirits.
The great thing about this "blogging" is that your opinion on what is going on is instant and can be read by all. So I am throwing out a couple of questions.
First, if you frequent a salon for hair, nail and/or spa services, are you maintaining or decreasing your appointments? And second, if you are a salon owner or professional, how do you see the business right now?
One good thing the News article did point out: people doing services at home usually come back to the salon when they find out it isn't so easy to look salon beautiful. And then again, that's why we are in business.
Happy Tuesday!
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