Brits are expected to spend more than £3.1bn on hair and beauty appointments at Christmas
Brits are expected to spend more than £3.1 billion on hair and beauty appointments this festive season, despite rising living costs.
The research, compiled by the professional hair and beauty supplier, Capital Hair and Beauty, surveyed 2,000 consumers from across 49 UK towns and cities to learn more about the nation's spending intentions in the lead-up to Christmas 2022 in terms of hair and beauty bookings.
Lisburn residents look set to be the UK's biggest spenders according to the study, budgeting a substantial £171.50 on average for hair and beauty appointments this festive season.
Inhabitants of Belfast (£85.20), London (£83.90), Leicester (£80.20), and Warrington (£79.70) were also found to have budgeted the most for festive glow-ups.
Meanwhile, those in Swansea were discovered to have the smallest budgets, spending just £30.90 on these types of appointments.
The top 10 towns and cities with the highest planned budgets for festive "glow up" appointments are listed below:
- Lisburn £171.50
- Belfast £85.20
- London £83.90
- Leicester £80.20
- Warrington £79.70
- Portsmouth £74.30
- Oxford £74.20
- Northampton £69.20
- Glasgow £69.00
- Blackpool £66.60
Average spend
Overall, the data revealed that UK consumers plan to spend a combined total of £3.1billion* - the equivalent of £58.80 on average per person – on hair and beauty services in the lead-up to Christmas 2022.
Despite the cost-of-living rising, overall, Brits have no intention of cutting down on their beauty routine in the build-up to Christmas, with almost half (44%) planning to spend the same amount as in the previous year. A further quarter (23%) are expecting to spend more.
Sunderland boasted the highest number of residents who are planning to spend more than they had done in previous years (60%). This was followed by Peterborough (39%), Middlesbrough (35%), Edinburgh (33%), and Kingston upon Hull (31%).
However, in Newport, more than half (57%) of consumers admitted they'll be spending less on hair and beauty appointments during the 2022 festive period, than they have in recent years.
Booking ahead
In general, a third of Brits have planned well ahead for their treatments, booking Christmas pamper appointments in October (35%). One in nine (11%) Brits had even done so as early as September. Meanwhile, 4%, the equivalent of 2.1 million UK adults, had made sure to secure their hair and beauty sessions even earlier in July.
Despite this, a quarter of UK consumers (24%) admit to booking in late, claiming they won't be trying to secure their Christmas appointments until December.
So, what services are the nation booking for in the lead-up to Christmas? Almost half of UK adults (47%) will be opting for a wash, cut, and blow dry, while just over a third (36%) will be getting a trim.
A quarter of UK women (25%) will be treating themselves to a gel or acrylic manicure this December too. However, it's not just ladies who are focusing on their nail care this Christmas, as 1.2 million (5%) UK men shared they will also be booking in for a manicure ahead of the festivities.
Samantha Shamplina-Burkwood, Marketing Manager at Capital Hair and Beauty commented on the findings: “It's great to see that as we approach the Christmas season, we're still prioritising looking and feeling our best and booking in with our favourite hair and beauty professionals.
"We found that a large number of Brits are getting their appointments booked early this year, however, for those of us that like to leave it to the last minute it's important to remember to be flexible with the times and days we ask at our salons for to increase the chances of us getting booked in before Christmas or any festive events we're heading to this year.”
