ONLINE beauty and wellness platform Parlon aims to give the industry a boost after being severely hit by the pandemic via online services, according to its leading official.
Claire Ongcangco, Parlon CEO and founder, told members of the press in a recent webinar that they are harnessing the powers of digital technology not only to help the industry but also help its displaced workers earn a living again.
According to 2020 statistics from the Philippine Statistics Authority, there are 38,803 establishments engaged in personal services for wellness in the Philippines, as compared to 2019 statistics which showed 41,270 establishments. The number of employees of establishments in the industry also drastically went down from 151,665 in 2019 to 143,239 in 2020. These statistics show the negative impact of the pandemic to personal care services.
From appointments to payments, booking salon and wellness services has become contactless and convenient with Parlon, according to Ongcangco. Furthermore, she said it’s now possible to discover, book and buy beauty services in less than a minute. She pointed out that customers can also download the Parlon app, available for iOS and soon for Android. To manage all the bookings and transactions, salons and wellness centers are equipped with a Merchant Partner Hub, an easy-to-use software specially designed and developed by Parlon.
“We are offering a wonderful beauty and wellness lifestyle and not just an app or a web site. It has always been our mission to revolutionize the beauty and wellness services industry,” Ongcangco said.
“Now that lockdown restrictions are easing up, we’d like to take this as an opportunity to help salons regain the glory they lost in the past year, and also provide a beautiful, easy-to-use platform that will make self-care services accessible to all Filipinos,” Ongcangco added.
It also launched the first Parlon Beauty Festival, an online beauty event featuring over 150 deals from popular salons and wellness centers nationwide. Opened November 20, the festyival is ongoing until January 8, 2022 to help the industry bounce back after almost two years of strict lockdown restrictions amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Parlon Beauty Festival is one of the many plans we had to put on hold because of the pandemic. So, we’re very excited to finally make this happen before we close out the year,” Ongcangco said.
She said 30 salons and wellness centers including global brands Browhaus, Strip, and Blo, as well as celebrity favorites Emphasis Salon, Creations by Lourd Ramos, The Secret Lounge, The Color Bar, Bellezza Aesthetics and Marqed Salon are participating in the festival. Homegrown beauty salons and wellness centers in Pampanga, Pangasinan, Bacolod, and Cebu are also participating.
Moreover, she said exclusive deals and discounts on several services are available at beautyfestival.parlon.ph. Those who are planning to get a year-end makeover or a well-deserved pamper time can get up to 60-percent off and save as much as P15,000.
“This is just the beginning for Parlon. As cashless transactions accelerated during the pandemic, adding more payment method options is important for us. We highly value the security of your transactions and that your experience in booking and buying salon and wellness services is seamless and fun,” said Miko Cornejo, Parlon CTO and founder.
Durig the lockdown, Parlon also launched Behind The Chair, a collection of stories about salon owners and their experiences during the pandemic. All stories are published at Glow-Getter (glowgetter.parlon.ph), Parlon’s official online magazine.