Revealed: the most popular beauty businesses in the UK

The most popular beauty trades across the UK have been revealed in a new report by business experts – with nail salons taking the top spot.

The research looked at which type of beauty businesses were the most common across the UK by analysing the number of salons in 20 of the biggest cities, and was carried out by Money.co.uk Business.

London was the best city to open any beauty business, due in part to the fact the city has the highest household disposable income, at £31,094 per person, meaning people have more money to spend on beauty treatments.

Outside of London, Coventry ranked highest for opening a waxing salon, skincare clinic and hair salon. 

Bristol ranked the highest for opening a hair salon, nail salon and a lash technician business when excluding London, while Wolverhampton was the best city to set up a make-up artist business.

The most common beauty businesses in the UK

According to Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures, the number of businesses offering “hairdressing and other beauty services” has steadily increased over recent years, reaching an impressive 49,295 in 2023.

These businesses cover various sectors within the beauty industry, including skincare, haircare, makeup, lash services, nail services, and more. 

It’s a dynamic industry that appeals to many – but where are the best cities to own such a business, based on demand, competition and disposable income?

Where is the best place to open a nail salon?

1.       London

Regarding nail salons, London came out on top. As is the case across each section of the rankings, London has the highest gross disposable household income (GDHI), at £31,094 per person, meaning people have more money to spend on beauty treatments.

But it also scored well for every other factor, with a low density of salons given its population size, low average review scores, but high search demand.

2.       Bristol

Bristol comes in second, again having the highest number of searches, with over 7,000 per 100,000 people. The city in the South West also has a high disposable income of £21,084, leaving Bristolians with more income to spend on services such as nail treatments.

3.       Coventry

While Coventry’s disposable income is lower, at £17,175, it takes third place due to the relatively low reviews of its existing nail salons, scoring 4.68 on average.

It also has a relatively low number of nail salons, 11 per 100,000 people, so there’s plenty of opportunity for new nail entrepreneurs.

Where is the best place to start a lash business?

1.       London

London takes the top spot again regarding the best cities for lash technicians. As well as its high disposable income, London has just six lash techs per 100,000 people, meaning competition is low. It also has 479 searches per 100,000 for lash techs.

2.       Bristol

As with nail salons, Bristol is the second-best city for those looking to become a lash technician. Bristol has 703 searches for lash techs per 100,000 people, more than any city besides Birmingham. It also has a high disposable income and fewer competing salons (10 per 100,000 people).

3.       Birmingham

The UK’s second-biggest city comes in third place for lash techs. It had the most demand for lash services, with 778 searches per 100,000 people. Lash techs will face less competition here too, with seven lash businesses per 100,000 people.

Where is the best place to start a make-up artist business?

1.       London

For make-up artists, London is again the top city, mainly due to the city’s high disposable income and large population, which means that the number of make-up artists per 100,000 people is the lowest.

2.       Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton ranks second for make-up artists, with a lower disposable income at £16,008 per person, but its low review score (4.3) and make-up artists per 100,000 people (two) mean it is a market with high potential.

3.       Coventry

Wolverhampton’s West Midlands neighbour Coventry comes in third place for make-up artists. Like Wolverhampton, its disposable income may be lower, but its appeal lies in the lower competition.

Which city is the best place to open a waxing salon?

1.       London

London leads the ranking again for waxing; as well as its high disposable income, it scores well for each factor. In particular, there are just four waxing salons per 100,000 people in the capital, suggesting low competition.

2.       Coventry

Coventry ranks second for potential waxing salons, with customers in Coventry relatively dissatisfied with their current options, scoring them 4.66. Coventry also has lots of searches for waxing salons and low competition.

3.       Sheffield

Completing the top three for waxing salons is Sheffield. Like Coventry, the Steel City also has low review scores for its waxing salons, suggesting a good opportunity for high-quality ones to open. It also has low competition, with just five salons per 100,000 people