Wigan salon that launched days before lockdown can finally open for good

A salon owner has been overwhelmed by the support of her customers as the long closure of non-essential businesses comes to an end.

Beau Beauty and Hair was launched in Manchester Road, Ince, by Stacey Edwards last November.

But the enterprise was only able to open for three days before the national lockdown was enforced late last year. Since then, Tier 4 restrictions and the third national lockdown have kept its doors closed.

But the doors have finally reopened this week, and Stacey’s services have been back in demand, with customers eagerly booking in to return to the relatively-unused premises.

“It’s crazy, but fingers crossed we are on the right path now,” Stacey said.

“I was quite emotional. It was so hard in the beginning, but a lot of clients have been messaging and asking if they can book in. It feels amazing, because we were only open for a short amount of time, but they’re all returning to me. I just feel a bit overwhelmed at the moment.”

Stacey said: “I opened on November 3. I was open for three days before we got put in lockdown.

“We reopened on December 3 and then Greater Manchester got put into Tier 4 on the 30th, and we’ve not been open since!

“It was a big risk, with everything that was going on.

“I’d been working in another salon but then the lockdown hit, and unfortunately they couldn’t keep me on.

“I knew that was the time to start looking for a salon and that’s when I found this place on Manchester Road.”

Stacey got the keys to the venue last summer and spent several weeks getting the place in shape for

customers.

“It was a shell. There was a wall in it that we knocked down completely.

“We redesigned the whole place.

“Once you get a vision, it was nice to see it all coming alive. Then I just went out posting, and set up my social media accounts.

“I obviously couldn’t take any clients from the last place I was working, so I’ve really had to start from scratch.”