A number of hair salons in various parts of the country plan to put their prices up when restrictions are eased and they can once again offer services, according to a report by broadcaster DR, which spoke to a number of business owners in the profession.

The hairdressers told DR they planned to raise prices to make up for income lost during Denmark’s lockdown. Service sector businesses including hairdressers, gyms, massage parlours and cosmetic clinics have been forced to close by coronavirus restrictions since December and were also impacted during the original Spring 2020 lockdown.

“We will do it because we need to. It’s a long lockdown and it costs me a lot of money every month. My staff will have to work twice as fast when we start up again to make up for some of what we’ve lost,” one of the hairdressers, Marie Quist of House of Fashion in Aabenraa and Haderslev, said according to DR.

Although the government has cautiously begun lifting restrictions since the beginning of this month, the rules that have been eased are primarily those impacting schools and youth education, as well as limits for gathering in public.

An announcement regarding longer term plans for further reopening is expected to be made this week.

Wage compensation schemes aimed at supporting businesses cover some, but not all of the costs incurred by salon staff unable to work, meaning a price increase of 10-20 kroner is likely for many services once they are able to reopen.

“We will have to raise prices to get through this and to get some liquidity into the accounts as soon as possible,” Quist told DR.

A spokesperson for an interest organisation for independent hairdressing and cosmetics businesses backed the decision to raise prices.

“It’s natural because they have lost and are losing an extremely high amount of money at the moment because they are forced to close. But also because the restrictions there will be might also mean they cannot allow as many customers into their salon,” Connie Mikkelsen told DR.

Although a number of salons have chosen to raise prices, there is not a general trend indicating prices will go up across the board, she also noted.