Looking good: These beauty businesses are thriving in Covid-19 economy

Establishments such as salons are thriving amid pandemic, with some even gearing up to expand

Some beauty establishments here are not just surviving amid Covid-19 but thriving in the otherwise bleak economy.

The economic impact of the coronavirus has brought many businesses to their knees, but three brands The New Paper spoke to appear to be bucking the trend.

Mr Luke Yi, managing director of the sprawling Insta-worthy hair salon-cum-Korean-Western garden cafe Walking On Sunshine (WOS), said takings have been so encouraging, he is pumping in $2 million to branch out to three more locations at Bugis Junction, Ngee Ann City and Ion Orchard, on top of its existing flagship outlet at Orchard Central.

He is also looking to hire more workers for the new outlets. Currently, WOS has 55 staff. He said WOS saw an uptick of 30 per cent in business revenue after the circuit breaker, compared with pre-pandemic times.

The first expansion, which is slated to be ready by December, will have a similar hybrid concept, featuring a hair salon, flower shop and cafe.

Mr Yi added that having a strong online presence was one of its trade secrets, thanks to a 20-strong marketing team dedicated to running promotional campaigns on social media and its website.

He told TNP: "Singaporeans like our hybrid concept, so our new locations will feature hair salons that have unusual additions like an oyster bar and a cocktail bar, for example. We offer these experiences at a value-for-money price."

Expansion plans are also on the cards for beauty salon Peachy Skin Bar in Beach Road, which opened in September last year and provides bespoke facial treatments. Its founder Crystal Lee said it has been seeing business growth of more than 50 per cent since June, during phase two of Singapore's reopening.

It has also pivoted to new offerings, like its Peachy Fuzz Super Hair Removal treatment launched last month.

She said: "Beauty services such as hair removal have been popular. I thought the spike in business after the circuit breaker was a rebound effect, where people were just excited to go out again, but till now, it has been resilient."

As "more investors (are) showing interest and sales have been encouraging", its second outlet will open at The Seletar Mall in January, with hopes that the young brand can be more accessible to a wider pool of customers, said Ms Lee.

Meanwhile, medical aesthetics group Only Group - which has eight clinics and experienced a 10 per cent to 15 per cent increase in sales last month - will soon be allowing customers to enjoy on-demand treatments in their homes.

Tele-meetings over Zoom will be arranged to assess needs and a therapist will head to homes with the necessary portable machines.

Only Group chief executive officer Adren How said even though this new personal concierge service will only be launched next month, it has already been almost fully booked by regulars through word of mouth. He added: "People are still cautious (when it comes to) heading out, so we want to provide peace of mind, that their treatments can be done safely and conveniently at home."