HAIRY SITUATION

By HOLLY SCHOENSTEIN

Valley salons are feeling the economic crunch

Customers are changing their spending habits at hair salons.

YOUNGSTOWN — Waiting a couple of weeks between haircuts or colorings may not seem like much of a sacrifice to those trying to save money.

But some hair service companies have been feeling the clinch of decreasing sales because of fewer appointments booked and fewer services and products sold.

Alice Hetmanski, co-owner of Studio 2000 Hair Designs, 3622 Belmont Ave., Liberty, said some customers have been waiting longer between appointments for routine services.

Hair coloring, highlighting and processing have been big money makers for the salon.

“People that would come in every three to four weeks come in every five to six weeks,” she said.

Fewer appointments have resulted in fewer sales of styling tools and products.

Some customers have been foregoing services they consider extras, such as massages and manicures.

Sales, in general, have slipped about 10 percent per month, said Studio 2000 co-owner Lisa Kavanagh.

“It’s not major, but we can tell. It’s gone down since a year ago,” Kavanagh said.

Sophie Lisko, a hairstylist at C&L Design Team Hair and Tanning Salon, 4120 Youngstown-Poland Road, Poland, said her wages have decreased by about 40 percent over the last few weeks because of a combination of factors, one of which has been fewer customers spending less money.

“There have been a lot less walk-ins, and people have been very cautious about when they walk in. We have a lot of really slow days now,” Lisko said.

Customers have spent less money on haircuts and colorings, sometimes opting to do their own.

“A lot of people are definitely holding onto their money more than they used to. To get people to get a color, it’s like pulling teeth,” she said.

Hairstylists at C&L Design work on commissions, which are 55 percent of each sale, and tips.

Although Lisko has been taking home less pay, she said customers have not adjusted how much they have paid in tips.

Some small, privately owned barbershops, including Joe’s Downtown Barber Shop, 17 N. Champion St., Youngstown, have been keeping busy.

Joe’s Downtown owner, Joe Bratek, said he has not noticed a decrease in customers or sales.

“I’m very happy here. It’s busy enough to make a living, and I love it,” he said.

But as customers continue to look for ways to further stretch the money in their battered wallets, some have been patronizing beauty schools, where services can be deeply discounted.

Ralph Delserone, president of Raphael’s School of Beauty Culture Inc., which has locations in Niles, Boardman, Alliance, Brunswick and North Olmsted, said customers come to the school’s salon because of the discounted prices.

When compared to retail prices at high-end salons, he said the school’s salon customers save at least 50 percent for hair services and at least 70 percent for skin care.

About 60 percent of the school’s salon patrons come for hair services.

“Normally, in the downturn of the economy, we have an upswing in sales as far as our student salon because the prices are cheaper and the quality is very similar to that of a regular salon,” Delserone said. “There has been a slight increase in sales, probably about 10 percent. About three to six months down the road, if the fuel prices stay at the same price, we’ll probably see more of an increase.”

hschoenstein@vindy.com