COVID-19 pandemic measures massively disrupted the ability of U.S. and U.K. nail salons to perform services, but new research by Kline finds that the United Kingdom took a much bigger hit.
According to Kline, the United Kingdom experienced a decline of 60% in 2020, while the United States decreased by 30%. From March to May, both markets faced lockdowns; however, subsequent lockdowns were imposed in the United Kingdom throughout the rest of the year, and this is the primary factor for the U.K.’s dismal market performance.
Nail enhancements, the leading category in the U.S. professional nail care market in 2019, was the most adversely impacted during the pandemic. The root cause was the shutdown of salons, resulting in reduced footfall that hampered demand for these technical services. Still, demand for some technical products, such as gels and dipping powders, increased in the retail channel, mostly generated by consumers’ interest in creativity and trying out these services at home. Marketers came out in support and offered at-home removal kits that could be easily used by consumers to remove gels and nail enhancements and prevent a trip to salons. Care products and nail polishes performed better than the market, declining at more than 18% and 22%, respectively, as consumers gravitated toward the use of healthier alternatives and taking care of themselves during the pandemic.
In the United Kingdom, the nail enhancements category was hit the hardest as well although, as a small category, it did not have as great an impact as it did in the United States. Gels, the largest category in the United Kingdom, was the next worst hit, declining at 64%, with demand negatively impacted by the various bouts of salon closures and the social distancing measures put in place due to the pandemic. Care products was the best-performing category, with high demand through the retail channel.
Our soon-to-be-published Professional Nail Care: Global Market Analysis and Opportunities report covers the market performance of several categories including care products, gels, long-wear nail polishes, nail enhancements, and traditional nail polishes. The report will bring to light key trends, developments, and competitive forces across five markets – Brazil, France, Italy, India, and Japan – while offering a deep-dive analysis into Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
