Barber lockdown
For a long time people longed for the opening of the hairdressing salons. A survey by the WKO shows how important this “step towards normality” is.
The last opening steps made made it possible to go shopping again in Austria and to visit service providers close to the body. Many had longed for the hairdressers' openings for a long time. No wonder, then, that in the first few days after the easing, people stormed the hairdressing salons. A survey by the Austrian Chamber of Commerce shows how important this step was for the population. “The survey gives us a very clear picture: The Austrians have longed for the opening of the hairdressing salons, are happy about it and see them as an 'important step towards more normality'”, according to the statement by the federal hairdressing guild master Wolfgang Eder.
People aged 16 and over were surveyed between February 22nd and 24th – Corona-compliant, of course online. The survey showed that a quarter of Austrians visited a hairdressing salon in the first two weeks after it opened. In particular, the group of over 50s stood out here. 23 percent of those surveyed said they had made an appointment for the next few days. Here, too, it is especially those over 50 who urgently want to go to the hairdresser. Overall, 44 percent had their hair shortened during the period. Notable detail: men (54 percent) were apparently in a more hurry to cut their hair than women (35 percent). According to Eder, this is surprising, “but it shows the growing body and beauty awareness of men”.
Especially in times of the pandemic and especially the lockdowns, the tendency was to “let yourself go” and to linger in a cozy look. Therefore, the visit to the hairdresser also gave many a good feeling of being “made beautiful” again. “We see ourselves as a service provider in the sense of wellbeing and more than two thirds of those questioned confirmed in the survey that it was a good feeling to be 'made beautiful again'”, said Eder.
The majority of the population surveyed (75 percent) perceive the opening of hairdressers as an important step towards more normalcy. In addition, the entry tests ensure a feeling of security. The majority of respondents also support the need to submit a negative corona test. However, 43 percent say it is too much effort for them to do a corona test especially because of a visit to the hairdresser.
Therefore, a very clear two-thirds majority (68 percent) were in favor of free rapid tests directly at the hairdresser's. The federal guild master said that this was “a clear argument in favor of rapid tests directly at the hairdresser's on-site”. “Of course, reliability has to be guaranteed – that could be 'nose drill tests' under supervision or self-tests with an app solution as confirmation.” He also stated:
In addition, this would “help those salons that have large sales losses because the walk-in customers are missing”.
