Beleaguered beauty industry cheers re-opening of business next week

The beauty industry is celebrating a “small victory” following the news that all personal care businesses will be allowed to re-open and start recouping vital trade when England formally exits lockdown on 2 December. 

Personal care and close contact services such as beauty, hair, nail, and tanning salons, spas and beauty services, will be allowed to open, in line with Covid-19 secure guidelines, in all three of the new Tiers set out by the government yesterday.

The tiered restrictions will last until the end of March with an announcement on the rules for specific areas to be made later this week by the health secretary.

Reacting to the news, the British Beauty Council said it was “delighted” that the industry would re-open in all Tiers and that Local Authorities would not have the power to override central government’s decision.

“Chief executive officer Millie Kendall said: “I am also delighted our transmission rates are so low that we are not deemed to be a risk. 

“There was no evidence to back up any decision to keep us closed so it is a small victory, I say small because so many businesses have suffered so much during the past nine months.

“Now we need to lobby government for longer term financial support via our ‘Chop The Vat' proposal.”

The #ChopTheVAT campaign is asking the UK government to cut the VAT for hair salons from 20% down to 5%, as it has done for the hospitality industry.