More competition than ever before for barbering and beauty businesses, says the NHBF

The Local Data Company’s latest Leisure and Retail report revealed that more barbers and beauty businesses opened in 2016 than ever before, overtaking tearooms, coffee shops and take-aways in popularity.

Types of businesses opening sites

Source: LDC 2016

With barbering, beauty, nail salons and hair and beauty salons occupying 4 out of the 10 top slots, the hair and beauty industry combined saw the highest number of new businesses opening in Great Britain.

Businesses closing sites

By contrast, the greatest number of closures were suffered by banks, convenience stores, women’s clothing, pubs, fashion shops, newsagents and Post Office services.  In terms of location, secondary retail precincts and standalone retail locations suffered the highest number of closures, followed by town centre locations. 

The report also revealed that for every 125 new shop openings in 2016, 130 closed across Great Britain, with a reported total of 45,986 openings and 47,626 closures.

The NHBF’s CEO, Hilary Hall comments: “ Not only does the LDC report unveil the explosive growth in the number of new barbering, beauty and hairdressing businesses, which opened in record numbers in 2016, it also provides concrete proof that salons and barbershops are facing ever-increasing competition. If they are to survive in such a tough marketplace, business owners will need to work harder than ever before on their brand and client experience to differentiate their business from the many others out there."