Beauty treatments are still in demand despite the economic roller coaster.
“Women are still working and they”™ve got to look good,” said Anne Marie Sheeley, owner of Salon Diva in White Plains. “Everyone”™s depressed about the economy and there”™s nothing like a haircut to make you feel better.”
At NTNY Hair & Tanning Salon in Briarcliff, co-owner Joe Pomposello has noticed clients are waiting longer between hair colorings; instead of getting their roots dyed every four weeks, “they”™re going to wait six weeks to stretch it out to save some money.”
“Your mortgage comes first and your electric bill comes first, but you”™ll always have your hair,” Pomposello said. “As long as ladies have hair on their head, they”™ll always want it dyed, and they”™ll always want it neat and put in place.”
Pomposello said the salon, which includes tanning beds and spa treatments, is prepared for a rough road ahead.
“Numbers are down,” Pomposello said. “I still think we”™ve got a way to go down before we start coming back up.”
The Ritz-Carlton Spa in White Plains will offer a new menu of six mini-services
starting in January, spa Director Christian Davies said.
Clients can combine any two of the shorter treatments, which are 25 minutes each and includes massages and facials, for $100.
“We are really trying to drum up business during the week and we thought this was an aggressive way to promote that although times are tough, there are opportunities,” Davies said.
The 10,000-square-foot salon and spa has 11 treatment rooms and is open seven days a week.Â
The Oasis Day Spa opened in Dobbs Ferry last week; Bruce Schoenberg, who co-owns it with his wife, Marti, said the spa will be offering specials that will drive traffic.
“What we offer here is wellness, the ability to feel good and take care of yourself and even in a down economy people need to do that, and people probably need to do it more,” Schoenberg said. “People have to make choices of what to do with available resources.
Hopefully customers will be willing to devote some of that disposable income to taking care of themselves.”
Oasis will offer a lunchtime delight package, which consists of a 30-minute massage and 30-minute facial for just under $100.
The spa will also have “grand opening specials” that include a $25 gift card with all $100 purchases and a $50 gift card with each $200 purchase.
Schoenberg said the spa”™s e-mail list will also offer special discounts and promotions.
“Like any other retailer right now in this environment, we are doing whatever we can to help the customer be able to keep it as part of their lifestyle.”
On Mondays, Salon Diva offers half-price hair cuts by junior stylists ”“ a popular service, especially recently.
“We also have two other junior stylists that are training, so we need models and people can get free haircuts and colors by volunteering to be part of a class,” Sheeley said.
Sheeley said customer service is key to staying in business in tough economic times.
“Your clients need to see the value in you, so that when they start crossing things
off their list, you”™re the last one they cross off,” Sheeley said. “You just have to be really valuable to people and you need to service them beyond their expectations.”
