The salon hair care market has rebounded in both America and Canada after COVID-19-related downturns, but the latter had a much rougher road to recovery.
According to our research, North American sales dropped to an all-time low in 2020. But once the worst had passed in the United States, salons began to see a resurgence in business, with clients clearly wanting to return to their pre-pandemic salon regimens after an absence of almost a year. This was particularly true once COVID-19 vaccines became available and restrictions were lifted, at which point the majority of traditional salon services, such as hair coloring and treatments, experienced an upturn. In addition, post-pandemic, salons have continued to experience strong consumer trends toward natural and sustainable products, particularly among younger generations.
The uptick in the United States was further supported by the reopening of brick-and-mortar stores, with marketers focusing on boosting consumer experience within this channel. E-commerce has continued to play an important role in sales, reflecting strong demand for online shopping, which was driven by necessity and the ensuing convenience experienced by consumers during the lockdowns. Interestingly, brick-and-mortar stores witnessed a greater bounce-back in sales in 2021 — in many cases posting higher growth — compared to e-commerce, which slowed after 2020.
Meanwhile, the salon hair care market in Canada struggled during the year due to stricter COVID-19 restrictions in the country; the Ontario region, for example, remained locked down for almost six months in 2021.
In addition, as demand for hair care services rose in both countries, supply-chain chaos unfolded, with delayed shipments, increased transportation costs and commodity pricing, exhausted inventory levels, and labor shortages across the board. This subsequently led to an increase in the overall service charges in the hair care industry.
For a more in-depth understanding of how the salon hair care industry has rebounded, look for our upcoming Salon Hair Care Global Series: Market Analysis and Opportunities, with the database being released in April. The report, which includes editions for the United States and Canada in addition to 26 other country markets, provides a comprehensive analysis of the global professional hair care market, focusing on market size and growth, category performance, competitive and distribution landscape, key challenges, and an outlook to 2026. The report also covers channel sales at the brand level, as well as providing an update on important product segments for men and scalp care.
