Hair and beauty spending to hit £6.46bn over next six months

Beauty therapists and hairdressers could be in-line for a sorely needed “post-pandemic boom” with Brits expected to spend £6.46bn on beauty and hair treatments over the next six months, a new study by Smart Energy GB predicts.

The “big summer of spending” comes amid an increased focus on sustainability, with recent months having seen a rise in the number of small businesses investing in sustainability-boosting tech and new green initiatives to keep bills in check and customers on-side, the company said.

In the last year, over half of small businesses have introduced upgrades to make their operations more sustainable, with 34% installing a smart meter, 28% reducing their plastic waste, 18% deciding to use more recyclable materials and 11% going entirely paperless.

British consumers were likely to welcome the developments, with 42% of Brits saying they would be “more likely” to visit a business that was doing its bit to be more sustainable, Smart Energy GB said.

Hair salon owner Ricardo Canadinhas, of Anna’s Salon in Fulham, London, is just one of many to have invested in more sustainable practices ahead of the easing of lockdown: “It was clear that updating our technology could make it easier and safer for our staff and customers as well as help us cope with the huge influx of people wanting to book at each re-opening,” he said.

“We upgraded to a cashless payment system with a touch screen that is easily wiped clean and launched a new mobile booking app which has really helped with scheduling appointments.

“Anna’s also became a member of the Green Salon Collective by changing many of our suppliers to ‘green’ suppliers including biodegradable towels and recyclable foil and non-plastic hair products.

“It’s very important for us to run a sustainable business and by moving to a smart meter we have been able to reduce our energy waste and know exactly what we are using without having to submit meter readings.

“This has allowed us to improve our energy use – decreasing our bills by £60 a month – but also the added benefit of being more sustainable has helped us attract new customers,” he added.

Smart Energy GB’s Fflur Lawton said: “The last 18 months have been incredibly tough for businesses but with the world starting to re-open, we’re all looking forward to the Great British Summer.

“Lots of businesses have been looking at ways they can optimise themselves and the experience of their customers, upgrading their booking and ordering and even the way they track their energy by using smart meters.”