Beauty and hair salons generate £7bn for the UK economy

Beauty and hairdressing businesses are generating £7bn for the UK economy, research by the National Hairdressers’ Federation (NHF) has revealed.

Comprising more than 40,000 small businesses in the UK, employing nearly three million people, the beauty industry is contributing a huge amount to the country’s economy and workforce.

“These new figures highlight the vital contribution hairdressing, barbering and beauty makes to the UK economy and to high streets up and down the country,” said NHF president Paul Curry.

Some 56% of workers in the beauty industry are self-employed, higher than in hairdressing and barbering, where the figure stands at 44%.

66% of hairdressing, beauty salons and barber shops turn over less than £99,000 per year and 93% employ fewer than 10 people, the NHF statistics showed. A quarter are located in London and the South East, 

The industry is also a hotbed for entrepreneurs, with beauty salons the eighth most popular category of independent start-up in the country. It is also extremely popular with the younger generation, with more than half the workforce made up of people aged 16 to 34.

The figures form part of the new NHF 2015 Industry Statistics for Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty guide.