The scissors strike, the hair falls like flies, the cuts are “refreshed” and “airy”, as they say in this hairdressing salon. Hair Home, in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Just like last-minute gifts, some wait until the last moment to cut their hair, with the clear objective of being the most beautiful for Christmas or New Year. “We had rotten end-of-year celebrations with the coronavirus in 2020 or 2021, so might as well have fun this year,” said Lucie, 53, in full color and determined to throw some in front of her nephews.
A mentality that particularly suits Julie, the hairdresser: “We’re getting a bit of a makeover in the last few weeks, even if it won’t be enough to save the year”. The show is full, normal at the end of December, “a period that is always very busy”. The place hasn’t regained pre-pandemic attendance, even though it’s in better shape than in 2021. Four people are having their hair pampered, which is already strong for a Thursday morning. But “it is far from sufficient or from being at the level of ten years ago. Someone call to reserve, there will be room. Ten years ago, it was complete,” continues Julie.
Purchasing power at the expense of aesthetics
Galloping inflation is causing an insoluble double problem for hairdressers. First, the explosion of energy costs, the segment of expenditure to have increased the most with food products. However, hairdressing salons “are very energy-intensive, use a lot of electrical equipment, hair dryers, clippers, light…”, notes Julie. Same observation with Patrick, hairdresser in Tête-à-tête (Perpignan): “We must dry people’s hair well after shampooing! And you can’t only work with scissors to save energy, don’t push. His bills have tripled in two months, and he wonders when the cost explosion will stop.
As a result, nearly one in two hair salons pass on inflation to their prices, notes Stéphanie Prat-Eymeric, federal hairdressing and aesthetics secretary for the Force Ouvrière union. Which brings us to the second problem in the equation: the purchasing power crisis affects all French people. So, when it comes to choosing between filling the fridge, heating the house or cutting their hair, the choice is quickly made for most of them. “With the crisis, aesthetics can be relegated to consumer choices,” confirms Pascale Hébel, strategic marketing consultant and consumer specialist.
Record business failures
A study, carried out by Ipsos for the E.Leclerc Observatory of New Consumptions* last spring, already showed that nearly a third of French people (32%) often or very often give up spending on beauty because of on a limited budget. This is particularly the case for Lucie, who stopped blonde locks in 2022 (apart from Christmas, therefore): “At some point, when prices increase and wages do not, you have to save money somewhere. And let’s say that between not having enough to eat or keeping my brown hair, it was quite easy to decide. »
Nearly 9,000 business failures had been recorded in France this summer, according to the statement collected by France Info from the firm Altares, a rate not seen in twenty-five years. The three sectors most affected were catering (150% more in summer 2022 compared to summer 2021, compared to 69% more on average for all companies combined), convenience stores (100%) and… salons. hairdressing and beauty (94%). Pascale Hébel: “There was already a decline in the sector before Covid-19. Women color themselves less, people cut their own hair more. The health and then economic crises have only made things worse.
Save Christmas
Certainly, in 2020 and 2021, the virus had limited large family gatherings. But this year, despite an epidemic resumption, the health crisis is no longer really experienced as a brake: barely 4% of those questioned intend to pay attention to health rules during the holidays, according to a NielsenIQ study. The fear of contamination has therefore almost disappeared, but it has considerably changed habits: the French in particular care less about their appearance since the advent of teleworking and life at home **. A situation experienced by François, 32, who is determined to keep his hair long to save 30 euros: “We only see each other as a family during the holidays, we are not going to take the trouble to make a nice gradient for the mother or the brother we see every month. »
Patrick, from Tête à tête, has the impression of being locked in an infernal circle: “With inflation, people go less far and see themselves in smaller groups, we fall back into the problem of 2020 and 2021”. There remains the hope of a Christmas miracle. “It will be the first” real “December 25 for three years, there may be a desire to take out the big game, whatever the economic situation”, estimates Pascale Hébel.
For Stéphanie Prat-Eymeric, gifts under the tree could also be a breath of fresh air for beauty: “In these difficult times, loved ones will treat themselves to a lot of well-being gifts, such as massages or sessions at the hairdresser, so that the other feels better. We see this in particular with spas, whose purchases via gift vouchers have increased. “News that would be welcome for hairdressers, breathes Lucie. “Clients, we only expect that,” she says, looking at our locks. It is true a little long, and just waiting to be cut.