pandemic
Two years of Corona: Hairdressing still hit hard
The hairdressing trade is still complaining about a drop in sales. Photo: Carsten Koall/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Like many industries, hairdressers have been struggling with the pandemic for two years. Customers are coming back to the salons, but less often than before. The industry association hopes for further help.
Even two years after the outbreak of the pandemic, hairdressers fear for their existence given the ongoing corona restrictions.
“We still have between 20 and 40 percent less sales,” said the President of the Central Association of the German Hairdressing Trade, Manuela Härtelt-Dören, the German Press Agency. Due to the requirement to keep a minimum distance of 1.5 meters, the salons could not be used to 100 percent. Since these regulations are uniform throughout Germany, there are no major regional differences. “Our craft has been hit hard,” said Härtelt-Dören.
After the first lockdown in spring 2020, the industry ramped up hygienic protective measures. “It continues to this day,” said Härtelt-Dören, who runs a business in Göttingen herself.
Fewer trainees
The labor market has remained stable. “Everything has been tried to keep the employees even during the pandemic.” However, a general shortage of workers already existed before the outbreak of the pandemic, said the entrepreneur. There are problems with the offspring. “Last year there were 10 to 20 percent fewer trainees in the first year,” said association chief executive Jörg Müller. According to the association, there are around 80,000 salons with 240,000 employees in Germany. The number remained constant during the crisis. Insolvencies are only expected in the years that follow the pandemic, said Müller.
According to the information, nothing has changed with regard to customers. “Customers continue to come to us, only the frequency of visits has decreased somewhat,” explains Härtelt-Dören. Customers often put up with long waiting times.
The master hairdresser appealed to politicians: “We need an extension of the relief measures.” This must be industry-specific so that companies in the hairdressing trade can be helped. In addition, “it would be great” if politicians lowered VAT or relieved training companies, for example. For the current year, she is now hoping for the end of the pandemic and the associated lifting of the restrictions.