Karen Thompson, owner of beauty salon group Beauty Secrets, is celebrating 40 years in business with a series of events across her five beauty salons in the South of England – and has outlined bold plans for the future of her beauty business.
Each salon has hosted special events to honour long-serving beauty therapists and loyal clients. “Some of our team have been with us for over 20 years,” said Thompson. “We’ve been celebrating them, as well as holding parties in each branch for VIP clients, who have shared their memories and stories,” she said.
To mark the milestone, Beauty Secrets partnered with Slow Ageing Essentials, the skincare brand founded by David Lieber, who originally brought Decléor to the UK, to create a bespoke signature facial treatment to celebrate the salons’ 40th anniversary.
Looking ahead, Thompson plans to launch a Beauty Secrets Academy – a "finishing school" style training initiative aimed at giving beauty students real-world, salon-ready experience.
The programme, set to start in early 2026, will see students attend one of the salons one day a week for six weeks.
This builds on Beauty Secreats' current collaborations with local colleges, where her team provides free upskilling sessions in beauty treatments such as massage and HD Brows.
Thompson is also set to officially launch a mentoring programme for fellow salon owners this year.
Drawing on her extensive background in business and people management, she will offer both one-to-one and group mentoring sessions, helping beauty business owners strengthen their leadership and salon management skills.
“I don’t want to be a business consultant, I just want to give other owners someone to talk to, to share ideas and advice,” she said.
"I want to help owners who don’t have someone to bounce ideas off. I have a background in managing people, and I can guide them in setting up the right systems and culture to retain their teams."
Her senior management team, many of whom have decades of experience within the Beauty Secrets brand, will also contribute to the mentoring programme, sharing practical strategies for growing and sustaining a successful beauty salon business.
Thompson is also transforming Beauty Secrets salons into community-focused spaces as a strategic way to attract new clients and diversify the business’s customer base. Each salon now hosts regular community events aimed at engaging people who may not typically visit a beauty salon. From wellness talks and self-care workshops to seasonal activities like Christmas wreath-making.
“We’ve been around for 40 years and people know us, so it’s about making the salons community spaces for them while also attracting new groups,” said Thompson.
