Shropshire hair salon's 'pay what you can' offer amid cost of living crisis

Hair Quarterz based on Oswestry's Bailey Street is inviting customers to take advantage of a innovative offer intended to beat the January blues.

Set up by Kelly Smout 10 years ago the salon is offer a 'pay what you can' session later this month.

From 10am to 1pm on Friday, January 19, the salon is inviting people to book in or turn up for a standard 15-minute hair cut.

Those taking up the offer can then pay what they can into a bucket on the way out – sparing any potential awkwardness handing money over at the till.

Mother of four boys Kelly, who is 36, and also employs Jessica Roberts and Alisha Lock at the salon, said she had decided to bring in the offer after December had proved a tough month for the business – and for customers who were struggling to find the money to keep on top of their mop.

She said: "Very simply I have done it to try and get as many people in as we can. We have noticed, like many, since Covid it has been very hard to come back to how it was.

"This Christmas was one of the worst Christmasses we have had for late cancellations and bookings.

"Normally at Christmas we are very busy, we are on the flow and what you make at Christmas helps you through January and February, and this year it didn't happen.

"The feedback we had was people could just not afford it.

"With everything going up luxury services are the sort of things you do cut back on – and we get it, me and Jess have children, we get what it is like and everything has been going up in cost."

Kelly said the idea was to offer people who could not afford it, a cut that would 'tide them over until they can afford it or they get themselves through that sticky patch'.

She added that for people who are struggling a hair cut can help with self esteem, and also give people the chance to either sit and chat for 15 minutes – or sit in silence instead.

She said: "Having a hair cut can make you feel better, if you are going for a job interview or something it can help massively too."

Kelly said there would be no judgement and that people would just be able to chuck what they can afford into the bucket.

She said: "It is very informal. We will finish their hair and we will leave a bucket on the side and they can put what they want in that bucket and we move on to the next person – there is none of that awkwardness when you get to the till."

Kelly said they had received some bookings so far – but were still not booked out.

She said: "We have had quite a few bookings but I think people are – not embarrassed, but they are unsure of what it is – if there is a minimum payment – and there absolutely is not."

For information look for 'Hair quaterz LTD Oswestry' on Facebook, or visit hairquarterz.co.uk