Nail salon prices raise today as 'thousands' of workers join forces

According to The Nail Tech Org (NTO), ‘thousands’ of nail technicians from across the UK are banning together to collectively raise their prices in an effort to receive fair wages.

National Nail Tech Price Increase Day was organised by the NTO to see its members receive a "fair wage" and move towards  "sustainable businesses".

To ensure that salons have an understanding of their business costs so that price lists are fair and profitable, the organisation is dishing out a free Pricing Masterclass.

Amy Guy, founder of the NTO, told Sky News that she came up with the idea after conducting surveys of NTO members at the beginning of the year on their income and profits. She uncovered that members were making "just under £7 an hour after business costs". This is below the minimum living wage of £11.44.

Guy said: "We want to create a shift so the industry becomes sustainable so we can keep working for years to come. The job of a nail tech isn't easy, costs are rising all around us and the costs of products and tools are also rising along with utility, rent and those things.

"It's so important that as business owners we're aware of our costs. The biggest problem in the nail tech industry for a long time has been pricing, but a lot of prices aren't realistic for business owners.

"I get no one really wants to pay more for a service, but this is about making sure nail techs aren't making less than minimum wage. I don't think people would be happy getting their nails done, knowing the technician wasn't making minimum wage. That's what this is about." She said the technicians who had implemented a price rise already, had received a supportive response.

However, Lauren Pritchard, owner of The Beauty Bar in Birmingham, said that she has already lost some clients after announcing her price increase of £2-3 per service. She added: "It's us coming together to encourage each other rather than pitching us against each other by undercutting prices."