Weekend lockdown, odd-even criteria curtails profits of salons in Ludhiana

The shrunken incomes of the owners are impacting the salaries of the staff

Already reeling under losses due to low footfall, the odd-even criteria, in addition to the weekend lockdown, to open shops in Ludhiana has further slashed the incomes of salon/parlour owners.

Left with just three active days in a week as Tuesdays and Thursdays also witness few customers, the salon owners are now demanding relief from the government to save the collapsing beauty sector. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Left with just three active days in a week as Tuesdays and Thursdays also witness few customers, the salon owners are now demanding relief from the government to save the collapsing beauty sector.

The owner of Piazza beauty parlour on Mall road, Abhay Girdhar, said, “Most of the customers visit the salon on the weekend but the restrictions took that option away. Starting this week, the government even introduced the odd-even rule and we can only open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But these days are considered inauspicious.”

Jagjit Singh, the owner of Scissors Cut makeover studio in Model Town, Gol market, and owner of Venus Salons in Sarabha Nagar, Pardeep Kumar, said they were losing more customers due to the odd-even criteria as the customers were moving to other salons that are open on that day.”

The shrunken incomes of the owners are impacting the salaries of the staff. One of the staff members at a salon requesting anonymity said the owners had also reduced their salaries. “Earlier, we used to get a monthly salary, but now many salon parlour owners are paying salaries on a proportionate basis considering the number of days on which a salon is open,” they said.

Owner of Taurus Salon in Model Town extension, Monu, said, “We stand by the government and hard steps are required to stop the spread of disease. But the government should pay heed to the problems being faced by the sector.”