Saving on beauty: why Russians refuse salon procedures
In Russia, the demand for beauty services is decreasing: Russians are increasingly abandoning regular trips to salons and reviewing their usual spending on self-care. According to representatives of the beauty industry, this is influenced by economic factors, changing consumer habits and the growing desire for financial stability, which can lead to structural changes in the market. For more information, see the Izvestia article.
Why Russians are cutting back on beauty expenses
The decrease in demand for beauty services is due to a combination of economic factors and changing consumer habits.
Sanctions, inflation and declining incomes are prompting many women to reconsider their cost structure, as a result of which procedures such as manicures, eyelash extensions and eyebrow correction are moving from a regular cost item to a secondary one, cosmetologist and head of the Laguna Vip clinic Ilona Totikova told Izvestia.
— People are increasingly choosing more affordable forms of self-care. For example, a hygienic manicure, which is faster and more cost-effective, which may indicate a long-term trend towards naturalness and avoiding unnecessary costs for cosmetic procedures.
According to Totikova, the COVID-19 pandemic has also influenced a change in consumer behavior, encouraging women to learn self-care skills and thereby reduce dependence on professional services.
The uneven crisis and the retreat of the masters into the shadows
The crisis in the beauty industry manifests itself in different ways: large salons tend to adapt while maintaining a basic clientele, while small studios and craftsmen face much more serious difficulties.
According to Totikova, against the background of declining demand for services and expected changes in the tax system, many representatives of the beauty industry may not be able to withstand the increased financial pressure, which can lead to a wave of bankruptcies.
The expert also noted a tendency for some craftsmen to move into the unofficial segment of the market, where services are offered without complying with all established norms and standards.
This allows you to retain customers, but creates risks for the quality and safety of procedures. Ilona Totikova notes that it is this factor that can change the structure of the market: the legal segment may shrink, and the "shadow" segment may grow.
Who refuses services and why it may become the norm
A new wave of abandonment of cosmetic procedures affects various age groups: both young women and older clients are cutting costs.
Some consumers replace salon visits with more accessible forms of leisure and digital services, while others choose self-care. The unifying factor is the desire for financial stability and reduction of unnecessary expenses.
According to the expert, such dynamics can be expressed both in the rejection of regular visits to salons, and in the transition to self-care, the skills of which were mastered during the pandemic.
Totikova noted that changes in consumer behavior can be both temporary and long-term: while maintaining a difficult economic situation, new habits can gain a foothold, which will have a noticeable impact on the development of the beauty industry.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
