Regular Nail Salon Passing Due to COVID-19
"Direct Touch... Concerns Over Face-to-Face Service"
Surge in Demand for Alternative Self-Nail Products
Sales Growth in H&B Stores and Online Malls
[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] "My only way to relieve stress is to go to the nail salon for nail care, but I haven't been able to go for almost a month due to infection concerns. I've bought a self-nail set and have been doing it alone at home to soothe my mind."
Jieun Kim (pseudonym), a woman in her 30s who used to visit her regular nail salon every Friday evening, stopped going to nail salons since the end of January when confirmed cases of COVID-19 surged. She judged that the risk of infection was high because it is a face-to-face care service involving close contact with the body. Instead, she purchased gel nail kits online and has been comforting herself at home.
As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Korea reached the 5,000s, more people are avoiding face-to-face care services such as massages and nail salons. The spread of professional-level devices due to the home care culture seems to have fueled concerns about infectious diseases.
According to the related industry on the 6th, health and beauty (H&B) store CJ Olive Young recorded a single-digit percentage increase in total nail product sales in February compared to the same period last year. In particular, gel nails increased by 30%, and nail appliances such as LED lamps saw about a 44% rise in sales. LED lamps are responsible for curing gel nails by hardening them with light.
At the retail specialty store Daiso, sales of self-nail products jumped 53% in January and February combined compared to the same period last year. Even compared to December 2019, the previous month, self-nail products increased by 24% in January alone. This trend is also strong online. According to Gmarket, nail care product sales in February grew by 16% compared to the same period last year. Nail dryers also increased by 11% during the same period.
In fact, online communities densely populated by women in their 20s and 30s have seen a surge in posts sharing concerns about nail salons. Since services are provided face-to-face for 30 minutes to up to 2 hours at a distance of less than 1 meter, there is vulnerability to COVID-19 spread through droplets (saliva or sweat). A, who has operated a nail salon near Sangsu-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul for 10 years, said, "Although it is a COVID-19 emergency, this is the first time customers have decreased this much," adding, "It dropped nearly 40% compared to the previous month, and as an ordinary citizen, I understand customers' concerns," expressing frustration.
A Daiso official said, "The growth of self-nail products this year can be attributed to efforts to develop new products that were not previously offered in line with the expanding self-nail market trend, combined with the impact of COVID-19," adding, "It seems that more people are choosing self-nail care instead of face-to-face nail salon services."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
