During the coronavirus lockdowns people got used to letting their hair grow long or cutting it themselves.

But staff at Oxford Market Barbers in the Covered Market are staying positive.

The shop was given a modern makeover in 2020 just before the pandemic struck.

Manager Louise Marler said the new look has been welcomed by customers and added that her staff experienced a busy August.

She added: “Sometimes August can be a quiet month but it has actually been quite busy this month.

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“The market itself has been busy with lots of English tourists on staycation.

“Of course you can make an appointment but a lot of our trade is walk-ins.

“Perhaps during lockdown people got out of the habit of having their hair cut so often but I’m glad to say we are busy.

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“Quite a few of our customers are students, so that will also give us a boost when the students start coming back for the new academic year.

“They might not need a haircut straight away but it won’t be long before they are all turning up.”

Oxford Market Barbers was bought by new owners just before the coronavirus pandemic.

The Covered Market business was known to some shoppers for its Oxford United memorabilia but was given a radical makeover.

Half of the shop was covered with material relating to the Yellows but this was removed to allow for more space.

More than £100,000 was spent on securing and refurbishing a unit that has been in the market for almost half a century.

Staff placed additional emphasis on the business’s social media pages including Instagram, to boost its online presence, in addition to the smart new look.

The refurbishment had the added benefit of making the shop less enclosed and more ‘Covid-safe’.

It even enabled the installation of two waiting areas to keep customers as socially distanced as possible.

Ms Marler, who lives with her family in Oxford, is one of four barbers working for the owner.

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She added: “We wear masks as a matter of course and customers are given the option of whether they want to wear masks or not when they are having their hair cut - the vast majority of customers still wear them.”

Ms Marler added that Oxford Market Barbers was open seven days a week, 8am to 5.30pm from Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 5pm on Sunday.

“We get lots of customers coming back, lots of customers returning, which is what we want to see,” she added.

“I would like to see a little bit more of a mix in the Covered Market - there are lots of food outlets - I personally would like to see more shops. It’s definitely a special place and I would like more local shoppers to use it.”