The slowing economy has forced people to be more cost-conscious when they shop, driving down sales at luxury stores like Saks and securing WalMart’s place as the #1 retailer. That trend holds true for hair salons too, as women abandon high-priced hairstylists and frequent lower-priced neighborhood salons instead.
In Brooklyn and Harlem, inexpensive Dominican and African hair salons are opening everywhere. It has always been a well-known secret among black and Latin women that you could quickly drop in, without an appointment, at these neighborhood salons and get a nice $25 wash and set or pay $50 for cornrows. However, you usually had a main hairstylist, who worked out of a higher-end salon and charged more.
Now, with the unemployment rate at 6.1%, the quick-drop-in salon is the main salon. This change in roles has taken a serious bite out of high-end hairstylists’ pocket.
As celebrity hairstylist, Karen Bishop said, “My clients are going to Dominican and African hair salons that are cheaper. They will go for a $20 wash and set, and me for a full weave.”