Record number of hair and beauty businesses opened in 2016

More beauty and hair businesses opened in Great Britain last year than ever before, overtaking tea rooms, coffee shops and takeaways in popularity, according to new research by the Local Data Company (LDC).

Barbers, beauty salons and nail salons occupied four of the top 10 slots for new openings last year, with the hair and beauty industry combined seeing the highest number of new businesses in Great Britain, the research found.

The top 10 net openings of stores by classification across Great Britain in 2016:

However, the surge will mean more competition for those who work in the hair and beauty sectors, as Hilary Hall, chief executive of salon trade association the National Hairdressers’ Federation (NHF), explains: “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.”

The greatest number of closures last year were 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 closes, followed by town centres.

Researchers also discovered 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 full Retail and Leisure Report Summary can be downloaded here.