Mansfield salons glad to back in business but some staff feeling 'disheartened' by restrictions

As shoppers thronged to the city centre, Mansfield hair and beauty salons welcomed the lifting of the lockdown though trade was ‘up and down’ and many clients are reportedly ‘still nervous.’ And the restrictions now mean that while staff are working the same hours as before, some even longer, they are actually seeing less clients.

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KH Hair Salon on Market Street, has seen a ‘doubling’ in business since the lockdown lifted on Wednesday with the Christmas trade.

Jane Fletcher said: “Even with the lockdown lifting, we see nervousness among some clients, understandably, as there is still a virus out there. November is usually a busy for us, but we lost that trade.

“Since reopening we’ve seen a doubling of trade, but it’s still very different to how things were. It’s been bizarre. We lost five months of trade since March. But we will get through it.”

Alexsa Beauty and Holistics on Ridge Drive has been trading for 19 years. Beauty therapist Imogen Smallman said: “We have not seen an increase in terms of clients, we are still only seeing people by appointment one at a time.”

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Definitions Hair Salon, trading on Chesterfield Road North, for the past 11 years, welcomed the lockdown lifting, but said trade had been ‘up and down.’

Owner Keeley Wilkes said: “Trade has been up and down. The restrictions meant we have not had people back to back as we usual, there has been no drinks, no magazines, no sitting and chatting in the waiting room. We don’t do drop ins and we have to stagger appointments and have fewer clients. They wait in their cars before coming in, and we ring or text them in.

“It’s a strain on the stylists, they are working harder, they have to thoroughly clean between clients. They are working the same or longer hours, but seeing fewer clients and earning less money. It’s disheartening for them.

"We were glad the lockdown was lifted, this time we’d planned ahead with our November clients list sorted for December. In the first lockdown people just cancelled no one knew what would happen. This time we got ahead of the game.”