Mohali: Salons reopen to snip away losses worth lakhs

MOHALI: A man gingerly walked into a salon. An attendant ushered him to a seat. Within seconds, a hairdresser wearing gloves and a mask got to his job, snipping and shaping the unruly mop of hair on his head while maintaining a distance. This was the new normal in salons and barber shops that could open for the first time here on Monday since the Narendra Modi-led government announced a national lockdown to stem the spread of novel coronavirus in the last week of March.
The last 55 days have been harsh for the beauty and grooming sector. Salon operators claimed they lost business between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 15 lakh. "It was a very bad phase for us. I lost business worth Rs 9 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. We were forced to pay the rent and salaries of employees despite no earnings. Now that we can operate, our losses may diminish," said Karim Khan, a barber-cum-salon owner. Guddu, another barber, said, "We were fed up of sitting at home without any work. We were paying rent of our premises. I am happy we can resume our business." But the happiness is unlikely to last as the recovery may take a while.
The customers were only a handful, although those who came were very vocal and enthusiastic. "The government should have not closed the salons. It should have allowed them to operate on alternate days. We need to pay weekly visits. During the lockdown, I tried my hand at styling but ended up spoiling my hair. I hope the government does not shut the salons again," said local resident Vandana Kathuria as she got her hair done at a beauty parlour. Another reason too existed for her excitement.
For the past month, she has not been able to put a selfie on her Facebook account. "Now, after a makeover, the first thing I will do is post a selfie on FB," she said.