Insider Nails

BARBOUR

January was also a positive month for the nail sector, with 61% of respondents seeing a surge in nail treatment business and over a quarter (26%) reporting an improvement in retail sales compared to the previous year.

Educating clients about the safety advantages of professional gel-polish treatments versus DIY at-home attempts is paramount, especially as talk of contact allergies has popped up again recently in consumer media. Strategies favoured by salon owners and techs include personalised consultations (61%), posting informative content on social media (57%), and showcasing before-and-after visuals of treatments (39%).

To get some nail inspiration that will really show off your professional capabilities, check out our nail trends feature on page 67.

On the spot

How do you educate people about the safety advantages of professional gel polish manicures?

1. Personalised consultations to address safety concerns (61%)

2. Informative social media content (57%)

3. Before-and-after visuals of professional results (39%)

4. Posting articles on your business’s website (22%)

65% exclusively use products from one nail brand in their business

When deciding to stop providing services to a particular client, what was the main reason?

1. Persistent no-shows or frequent cancellations (55%)

2. Disruptive or disrespectful behaviour (25%)

3. Incompatibility with the business’s services (10%)

4. Unresolved payment issues (5%)

5. Client dissatisfaction despite efforts to fix (5%)

Month in numbers

How did nail treatment business in January 2024 compare with January 2023?

How did nail retail business in January 2024 compare with January 2023?

20 nail treatments performed on average per week in January

METHODOLOGY Insider is compiled from a monthly survey of spas and beauty salons. The people who participated represent a cross-section of the industry and were polled by email and social media from February 5 to February 13, regarding business for the month to January 31. Nail business for the Insider Nails page was calculated from data provided by salons that offer nail services among other treatments. The figures given represent the average score for each answer. Brands are ranked when mentioned by several respondents.