The second phase of provincial plans for reopening Saskatchewan launched May 19.
The day marked a return to serving customers for an extended list of businesses.
Among those businesses re-opening was K.d. studio & Spa. Owner Kristy Procyshen said her customers were more than happy to be able to once again have their hair cut, or coloured.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e (customers) been just fantastic,鈥� she said, adding most of her customers are long time clients. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e just happy to be in the chair.鈥�
Procyshen said most regular customers have their hair cut every four to six weeks, and for some it has been three months with the eight-week closure.
While customers are being asked to wear masks in the chair, an in-store policy, not a provincial guideline, Procyshen said people seem to accept it without complaint.
鈥淎fter they take off the mask they walk out with a smile on their face,鈥� she said.
Procyshen said she and her staff do have to wear mask, and apron, which does take some getting used to, but she understands the need at present to be safe. That is why they are asking customers to wear a mask.
鈥淚t鈥檚 for our protection,鈥� she said, adding 鈥渨e have to go home to our families ... We鈥檙e just keeping everybody safe.鈥�
As for the gear they must wear, 鈥渋t鈥檚 definitely different. It鈥檚 taking some getting used to,鈥� said Procyshen, adding they are having to take breaks, going as far as to step outside for just a break, 鈥渁nd a deep breath and to get some fresh air.鈥�
Mark Smith owner of K.W, Men鈥檚 Wear said business is starting to return to something closer to normal.
鈥淚t started off pretty slow,鈥� but as it became better known they were open customers returned.
While Smith noted his business has lost out on a couple of key sales areas; weddings and graduations, in the first week casual sales were good thanks to the nice weather last week.
As for weddings, Smith estimated 70 per cent have been postponed for the summer. It is losses like that which hurt, he said.
鈥淭he loss of sales (for two months) we鈥檒l never get back,鈥� he offered.
In-store, Smith said they have altered things somewhat, with hand sanitizer stations, a reduction in accessible dressing room, and clothes that are tried on set aside for 72-hours before being returned to the sales racks.
At Epic Audio Video Unlimited Carman Parsons said they are getting back to normal fairly quickly, adding the nature of their business means the store is rarely crowded.
And, Parsons noted he has been doing some emergency curbside sales. He said while television sales may not have been deemed an essential service when in home isolation and the TV sets breaks down, a new one is rather important.
Sales of second TVs to parents with children home were also part of the demand.
It was the same last week as the doors re-opened.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 kind of what we saw,鈥� said Parsons, adding home entertainment centres, or a sound system on the ATV are going to be more important as many people stay closer to home this summer.
