Services that are slow during the summer

"Work in winter to support summer" is a familiar saying among hair salon owners. Observations show that during the recent hot weather, hair salons have seen very few customers. The reason given by salon owners is that during the hot season, women tend to braid or tie their hair up to stay cool, so there's no need for perms or straightening. Additionally, during the hot season, families often take their children swimming in the evenings to "cool off," so there's no inclination to go to hair salons. In the cooler months, women have a need for perms, straightening, and styling to wear their hair down, suitable for pairing with autumn and winter outfits.

Ms. Tran Thi Hoa, from Chau Cau ward (Phu Ly city), said: "Normally, during other seasons of the year, especially winter, my two daughters and I would go to the salon to get our hair washed, on average 2-3 times a week. However, since the summer started, my daughters and I always wear our hair in buns and frequently go to the swimming pool to exercise before quickly showering at home, so we no longer have the habit of going to the salon to get our hair washed like before."

Faced with sluggish business, many hair salons have had to reduce their staff to cut losses. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, owner of a hair salon on Tran Quang Khai Street (Phu Ly City), said: "Because the shop is slow during the summer months, there were times when I had to take on extra work at home during off-peak hours to 'kill' time and earn extra income. Moreover, my children can help me with the work during the summer break, thus reducing their time watching TV and using phones. Many days the shop is empty, and I sit waiting for customers for ages, which puts a lot of financial pressure on me to pay staff salaries and cover monthly electricity and water bills. However, if I cut all my staff, there will be no workers during the peak months of autumn and winter."

Items like teddy bears and insulated water bottles sell slowly during the hot season.

Not only are hair styling, dyeing, and shampooing services struggling, but during the summer months, spas, skincare salons, and dry cleaning shops also face difficulties due to a near-total lack of customers. In the summer, people are less likely to seek beauty treatments or skincare because after procedures, facial skin needs careful protection and shielding. This is difficult to achieve in the harsh summer heat. As for dry cleaning shops, the lack of customers in the summer is because families only use thin clothing and bedding during this time, making it easy to wash at home without needing to take them to a dry cleaning shop.

Ms. Duong Thuy Trang, owner of a laundry shop in Group 6, Le Hong Phong Ward (Phu Ly City), said: "The dry cleaning and ironing business is only profitable during the winter months due to the high demand for washing quilts, down jackets, vests, etc. My shop has to work at full capacity to fulfill customer orders on the same day. During other months of the year, especially the summer months, the shop has almost no customers. Occasionally, only a few customers come to have carpets, bed sheets, curtains cleaned, or buy laundry detergent and fabric softener."

Changes in people's lifestyles and eating habits during the hot season are partly responsible for the difficulties faced by street vendors selling processed foods and fast food, especially fried and grilled items with high oil content. Mr. Tran Van Tuan, owner of a grilled duck, chicken, and skewer stall in Le Hong Phong ward market, said: "I'm from Hanoi , and I've been renting a room here to run my grilled meat stall for 5-6 years. In other months of the year, I sell dozens of grilled ducks a day, not to mention skewers, but in the summer, I only work to keep customers coming back to my stall. Recently, on busy days, I've only sold 5-7 ducks, and the profit isn't enough to cover rent and processing costs. I've considered switching to another job temporarily during the peak hot months, but I'm afraid of losing my stall and regular customers, so I'm trying to keep going."

While the summer months are the "golden season" for businesses selling refrigeration equipment, beverages, soft drinks, tourism services, and sun protection products, it is currently a difficult time for many businesses selling winter goods, spas, and beauty services. To avoid losses due to high costs for rent and staff, many businesses are diversifying by offering additional goods and services to improve income, maintain operations, and wait for the autumn and winter seasons to see a surge in revenue.

Nguyen Oanh

Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/kinh-te/thuong-mai-dich-vu/nhung-dich-vu-e-am-trong-dip-he-166587.html