With over 250 respondents, the Professional Beauty nail survey conducted in January 2012 revealed some interesting findings for the types of business and services offered, with the majority of nail technicians surveyed saying they offer additional non-nail beauty services and acrylic nails are their most popular nail type.
We had respondents from all over Australia, with NSW, Victoria and Queensland being the main states. 58 per cent of respondents are salon owners, with mobile technicians the second largest group of respondents at 24 per cent. Just 13 per cent of respondents are technicians employed by a salon and, the smallest group of respondents, at five per cent, are renting a chair in a salon. With most of those surveyed being salon owners, it is interesting to get their insight into the nail industry.
The majority of respondents offer additional beauty services (80 per cent) with just one fifth of respondents (20 per cent) doing nail services alone. Though specialising in one beauty service as is often desirable, offering additional services can be beneficial in this competitive industry.
Acrylic nails came out top as the most popular service at 47 per cent, with gel nails not far behind at 36 per cent. The more specialised service of custom-designed nails is offered in fewer salons and has less demand (14 per cent). Last but not least, nail foils are used least by our nail respondents – which is insightful given the speed at which they can be applied and the intricate designs on offer. However, nail foils are not only a relatively new trend, but something many women can do themselves, while acrylic and custom-designed nails require more time and skill. It was revealing to see nearly all respondents specialised in just one type of nail.
Virtually all respondents sell nail products and more than one type too. 79 per cent sell hand and nail treatments and 60 per cent sell nail polishes. Just 21 per cent of respondents say they sell nail tools.