How beauty salons and hairdressers are recording a 35% decline in business because people are not leaving the house from coronavirus
- COVID-19 restrictions caused many businesses to lose trade throughout 2020
- Claire Hudson said her beauty parlour in Sydney has lost 35 per cent of business
- Ms Hudson said she is optimistic for her trade to turn around after the pandemic
- Transport, accommodation, recreation and catering services have also suffered
- Home offices, DIY projects, bottleshops have all thrived during the June quarter
Hairdressers and beauty salons are among a swathe of businesses suffering at the hands of the coronavirus pandemic, with footfall dropping by a third and leaving thousands at risk of shutting their doors.
COVID-19 restrictions closed businesses in a range of industries including beauty, hospitality and entertainment in March, which lead retail services to drop 17.6 per cent in the June quarter.
Claire Hudson is the owner of the The Lash Studio beauty parlour in Sydney and has seen trade has fallen by 35 per cent since the coronavirus pandemic set in.
Ms Hudson noted salon services were left behind as customers became cooped up in isolation with widespread loss of income.
Claire Hudson (pictured) said her beauty parlour in Sydney has lost 35 per cent of business due to coronavirus
'People aren't going to functions – they are not even going into the office,' she told AFR. 'I guess when you are behind the Zoom screen things are a bit more pixelated.'
Beauty services in Victoria copped the brunt of coronavirus restrictions, with inner city Melbourne stores forced to close for a second time amid the second wave.
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Stage Four restrictions caused Gabi Boon's West Melbourne Hairmosphere salon to shut its doors for more than a month.
Mr Boon said his clients may be left looking a little disheveled.
'Hair still grows so it's going to be very messy for a lot of people,' he said.
Hairmosphere salon owner Gabi Boon (pictured centre) said his business took a hit in the June quarter
Australian Bureau of Statistics data found other losers in the pandemic have been transport, accommodation, recreation and catering services, who all recorded drops of more than 50 per cent in the June quarter.
But there have been some winners from COVID-19, particularly in the stay-at-home economy which grew in bounds.
Home offices and DIY projects caused household tools to grow by 29.8 per cent, while bottle shops recorded a 17.6 per cent increase in takeaway alcohol purchases.
Tech items and exercise equipment brought a 20.9 per cent jump in recreation and culture purchases, with businesses including Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi posting positive sales results.
Australia's first recession in almost three decades was confirmed on Wednesday, with the economy shrinking seven per cent in the June quarter.
Young Australians are expected to bear the brunt of the coronavirus recession and will likely struggle to find their feet for years to come.
Ms Hudson is optimistic for her trade to turn around and bring an increase to her business after the pandemic.
'We are hoping that when things open up properly again there will be a rush,' she said.
Mr Boon was forced to close his Hairmosphere salon (pictured) in Melbourne due to COVID-19 restrictions
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