Mumbai: Salons to charge more for services from May 1

Pic/Sameer Markande

Your salon expenses are set to go up from May 1, as the Salon and Beauty Parlour Association has decided to hike prices by up to 50 per cent in view of the losses incurred during the pandemic. Salons with skilled workers will hike the price by 50 per cent while those with unskilled workers, i.e. those without certification, will hike the price by 30 per cent, as per the union meeting on Monday.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns led to shutting down of a majority of industries, including salon and beauty parlours. In fact, workers across the state had staged protests, demanding that the government allow them to operate. Many small salons also had to close business as they could not afford rent and salary of workers.

A woman gets her hair done at a salon and spa in Khar in July 2019. File pic

"It was a really tough time for us. We were demanding standard operating procedures for us to start operation, but it came only when all industries started operating. However, we did not hike the price at that time as the customers too suffered during the pandemic," said Prakash Chavan, president of Salon, Beauty Parlour Workers Union.

He added, "Around 34 workers across the state committed suicide during pthe andemic. We are trying to move past the dark days and start afresh; and for that, we need financial support."

Priyanka More, president of the women workers wing of the association, said, "After unlocking in 2021, many women beauty parlour owners contacted us about price hikes, but we told them it was not the right time. But since inflation is on the rise with materials and premises getting costly, we had no option but to hike the prices."

"This industry employs thousands of women in the city, and the hike will bring some relief to them," she said. Though the hike is subject to the materials used, owners have been granted permission to increase it further as per the location and premium services offered. Santosh Mohite, who owns a 4-seater salon in Mankhurd, said, "Before the lockdown, even if I hiked the price by Rs 20, it would affect the customers. But now I have no option as the rent for the shop has increased by R2,000 in the past two years and I also need to pay my workers. This hike will give me some monetary relief."

April 19
Day the hike was approved