Hayes in Greater London has been revealed as the town with the most newly opened beauty businesses in the last year, according to new research.

Ripe Hair & Beauty Insurance analysed Companies House data between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 to reveal the most popular UK towns to open a beauty business.

It found that, per capita, more hair and beauty businesses were formed in Hayes than any other town or city in the UK – at a rate of more than two new company registrations per 1,000 residents.

Waterlooville in Hampshire was the highest ranked hair and beauty hotspot outside Greater London, with 35 new hair and beauty businesses formed in the last 12 months – equating to one per 1,000 residents.

In total, the number of hair and beauty service businesses formed across the UK increased by 11% year-on-year, from 13,745 to 15,245 over the same period.

These range from freelance hairstylists to beauty salons, nail bars and barbers – read our top tips on setting up a beauty salon.

Essex was found to be the most entrepreneurial hair and beauty county in the list, with Grays, Colchester, and Harlow all making the top 15.

John Woosey, founder of Ripe Hair & Beauty Insurance, commented, “Overall, we know that the face of the UK high street is changing. As the era of large department stores and banks comes to a close, it’s encouraging to see entrepreneurial hair and beauty businesses take their place.”

Have you noticed more beauty businesses opening in your town? Let us know in the comments…   

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