Beauty business becomes bogged down in lockdown

Country’s beauty parlour business became bogged down when beauticians hope to bag bonus, save a portion from their salaries along with tips from customers crowding their saloons just before Eid-ul-Fitr.

Though dresses like punjabi, cap, atar for the gents while sari, salwar and salwar etc for the ladies, shoes and other accessories remain at the top of somebody's Eid shopping list, beauty parlour is the last door particularly the women knock at. No makeover or facial or pedicure or manicure no Eid — is common with a rich section of society. Long queues in the beauty shops before Eid is a signature feature but it has disappeared long ago with the lockdown imposed on March 26. When the beauticians were looking for pay off their loans and to save a portion of their income for future, they are jobless for last two months. They are forced to rack up house rents to provide for their families. Covid-19 pandemic situation has forced most of the big beauty parlours to shut down. Cashing in on the closure of big beauty shops, some small shops have sprouted in different city neighbourhoods. But all in vain. Nobody visits the shops in the localities as the business involves close human contact. Some make appointments before visiting the small saloons but they are few.

According to Bangladesh Beauty Parlours Association, there are beauty parlours 3 lakh shops employing over 10 lakh investors and employees. If pandemic situation persists further 80 percent beauticians will be rendered jobless.

Sanjida Abedin, who owns Roopkatha Beauty Parlour in the capital’s Banashree area, told the Business Post that she has shuttered down her shop. “I can neither lay off the employees because they are poor girls. I have to pay the house rent, salaries of the beauticians on my own. If government could spare us from house rent on executive order, we would have been benefitted.

Like Sanjida Abedin Nilu’s Beauty Parlour operator Nilufer Yeasmin has double whammy. In the last two months we kept the shop open only for two days. Those, who are coming to buy our service, are making phone call for booking first and we are serving them following the health guidelines to stem the coronavirus spread. But their number is really small. “We have paid the salaries last months, depleting our savings but we don’t know how long will we survive in this situation. If such pandemic condition continues, certainly we will have to seal the saloon shop,” Nilu said adding that government should give us stimulus package so that we can stage a comeback and start business afresh at least taking loans.

Lovas Spa & Beauty Solutions owner Sabina Yasmin said “I am struggling with parlour rent, staff salaries, electricity bills and security guards. That's why he closed my parlour.”

Mentioning that everyone's income is higher at this time than the whole year, she said: “The employees had high hopes that they would get salary and bonus during Eid-ul-Fitr. But everything came to a halt, stalling loan payments and other dues. I can’t guess what will happen next. We expect government will arrange grant or loan for beauty business and hope to make up the financial loss if interest rates on our current loans are reduced to 2 to 3 percent. We also hope the house rent will not be charged.” 

 Selina Khan, the owner of Angelina Beauty Parlour in Siddheswari, said, “I started this beauty parlour own my own money. No one has come since March when lockdown was imposed. At that time, I paid my employees and sent them on leave. I told them to rejoin the workplace when everything is normal.”Selina Khan has reopened the parlour two days ago on a limited scale and she has been serving customers for 4 hours a day in compliance with the health rules. She is serving the customers alone.“I have floated the business with my hard-earned money. I don’t want it shut down and seek government help earnestly to keep continue the small enterprise.”

While talking to the Business Post Beauty Service Owners Association President Kaniz Almas said “We hoped that we can restart within two months of lockdown. But didn’t guess the crisis will be so much protracted and we paid all of our workers in March and didn’t lay off any. In April and May we only gave them house rent and food allowance. Now I find survival a daunting task and challenging. We are trying to mobilise small funds to help struggling parlours.”

It is very heartening that government has announced stimulus package at 4 percent interest rate, but Kaniz Almas said, Bangladesh Bank is found to have been napping, doing nothing for the investors.

Professionals of this sector are selling off their equipment and switching to other sectors. We are trying to boost the morale of the investors so that they can sustain in such tough situation, Kaniz said adding that around 10 people are engaged in this industry and they need urgent help.       

/wi