Beauty has never been a serious business in Madurai till recently. But, with an increase in number of households upgrading to a high consumption lifestyle and more youth getting beauty conscious, there is an explosive growth in the beauty space of the city.
A number of premium salons have mushroomed in recent years, especially in localities such as K. K. Nagar, Anna Nagar and Bypass Road.
“The city is a great market for beauty services. In the past five years, we have seen a rise of 90 per cent in our membership,” says Sukanya Abhineet, proprietor of Vinita’s Beauty Salon, functioning since 1986.
She says that the beauty industry in the city has witnessed a sea change in recent years. “In the past, there were just local beauticians with their small and non-branded parlours catering to the beauty needs of clients. Now a number of branded salons have emerged, catering to the growing needs of clients to look more beautiful, she adds.
Salon owners say that beauty services are no longer the domain of affluent but are increasingly becoming affordable for the masses. A whole range of specialised services like haircut, colouring, spa, bridal makeover, among other things, are charged anywhere between Rs.120 and Rs.5,000. “Unlike in previous years, when only working women used to go to beauty parlours, now people from all strata and classes pamper themselves with beauty treatment,” says an employee of Naturals Family Salon, Bypass Road, which has seen both demand for its services and revenue rise in the past three years.
Beauty treatments are no longer deemed a privilege of women. Interestingly, men in Madurai too are realising the importance of appearance and are flocking to salons. “Male customers contribute to half of our business. If we have 10 clients a day, chances are that six of them will be men,” says N. Siddharth, franchise dealer of Chill Breeze unisex salon, Bypass Road.
He adds that earlier men were just concerned about their hairstyle but now they are also conscious about their skin and experimenting with services like facials, among other treatments.
Meanwhile, the emergence of organised players and their quick expansion, thanks to franchising, has given local hair dressing shops a run for their money.
“The number of clients at my salon has gone down by 15 per cent after the advent of premium salons. Nowadays, people look for hygiene and good ambience,” says B. Karthikeyan, owner of Clinton Salon in S.S. Colony.
The occupation, once specific to ‘Navidar’ community, is now being taken over up by members of all communities as the profession offers attractive pay package on a par with corporate companies. This is one of the major factors for traditional hair dressers getting out of business.
“Though hygiene plays a crucial role, good customer relationship is the key to survival in this fast-growing market,” Mr. Karthikeyan adds.
