Last year, I made a decision that caused a few raised eyebrows in the beauty world.
We closed Mooeys on Christmas Eve.
Yes… one of the busiest days of the year.
Yes… the day many salons rely on.
And yes… quite a few of my salon owner friends thought I’d completely lost the plot.
But here’s the thing — it felt right.
Since having children, I’ve realised something quite magical.
Christmas Day is lovely, of course… but Christmas Eve is where the real magic lives. The excitement. The anticipation. The cosy chaos. The memories that stick. It’s my personal favourite day of the festive period.
And yet there I was, at home with my children, soaking it all in… while my Moos were working flat out on one of the busiest days of the year. That didn’t sit right with me.
A Business Decision Led by People
Mooeys is a business and I’ll never shy away from that. We’re a fully employed salon group, we’re retail-led, and we need to be open when the public want (and need) our services. But we’re also built on people.
Our teams work incredibly hard, especially in the run-up to Christmas. Long days, packed diaries, endless energy, festive cheer even when they’re exhausted. They give everything.
So last year, I asked myself: Is it really unreasonable to give them Christmas Eve back?
From a business perspective, it felt risky. From a human perspective, it felt necessary.
The Question Wasn’t “Should We?” — It Was “How Do We?”
When the idea first came to me, I didn’t make the decision alone.
I spoke to the teams. I spoke to the salon managers. I spoke to the people actually running the diaries day to day.
And I asked one simple question:
How do we make this work without losing our highest revenue day and without disappointing our clients?
And honestly… the answer came from the team themselves.
A Brilliant, Simple Solution
What if — instead of working Christmas Eve — the team picked up an extra shift in the two weeks leading up to Christmas?
That way:
- We don’t lose revenue
- Clients still get their appointments
- Diaries stay full
- And the hours balance out
Some therapists picked up an extra day. Some salons opened on the Sunday before Christmas. Some adjusted rotas creatively.
And guess what? It worked.
The revenue stayed.
The clients were looked after.
And the Moos got to spend Christmas Eve at home with their families, something almost unheard of in the beauty industry.
Not Perfect — But Progress
Now, I want to be honest, this doesn’t work perfectly for every salon.
For example, our Winchester salon is based in a shopping centre, so they’re tied to centre opening hours. They can’t fully close — but they do have a shorter day and we do everything we can to accommodate.
It’s not about perfection, but it’s about intention.
The Three Questions I Always Ask
When I make any big business decision, I ask myself three things:
- Is it good for the business?
- Is it good for the client?
- Is it good for the team?
Ideally, I want to say yes to all three, and in this case, I honestly think we did.
Clients still got their appointments, the business still performed, and the team felt seen, valued and trusted.
There Is More Than One Way to Run a Business
I completely understand why some businesses stay open on Sundays, bank holidays and Christmas Eve. The demand is there — why wouldn’t you?
But as the leader of this company, I don’t believe that’s the only way.
I believe that when you focus on people — truly focus on them — the business can be just as successful… if not more so.
Happy teams stay longer.
Engaged teams care more.
And teams who feel respected give that energy straight back to clients.
Small Wins Matter
We can’t please our teams with every decision we make, and we shouldn’t try to. We are a business, after all, and it has to be run efficiently and responsibly.
But decisions like this, they feel like small wins.
They say:
“We see you.”
“We appreciate you.”
“And your life outside of work matters to us too.”
And for me, that’s what Mooeys is all about.
This Christmas Eve, our Moos will be at home — making memories, feeling festive, and hopefully starting their celebrations with a little less stress and a lot more love.
And honestly, that feels like the right kind of magic. ✨🐮💛
