Nature of the trade

Operating practices

Hairdressing salons are commonly situated in town and city centres, suburban areas and in village or rural locations. According to the Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority (HABIA), 42% of British salons surveyed in 2000* were located in town and city centres, 34% occupied suburban locations and the remaining 18% were situated in rural areas (6% did not reply). Central sites in major towns and cities are usually occupied by larger, upmarket salons.

Some hairdressers have no premises and visit customers in their home or workplace; these are known as freelances or mobilers. Others operate from in-store concessions. In some instances, a salon might rent a chair to an independent stylist.

Salons vary in size, from spacious upmarket outlets to very small corner shops. Separate parts of the outlet are usually set aside for styling chairs, backwash chairs (for shampooing), dryers, reception and a waiting area. Additional space might be used for storage, staff facilities and laundry equipment. Considerable attention is often given to salon decor, which might be changed regularly to reflect the latest fashions. Some salons hold a franchise and are designed to project a certain corporate image.

Research suggests that a 'typical' salon provides work for three operatives and a working proprietor. Around 95% of salon owners cut hair in addition to managing the business. Staff are often female (over 59% of employees within the hairdressing and beauty sectors were female in 2001, although this is down considerably from over 70% in 1998) and may be employed on a full or a part time basis. The workforce might include trainees, partly qualified operatives and experienced stylists, as well as a receptionist and, in larger outlets, a manager. In some instances, staff are paid commission on top of a basic wage. Most salons keep an appointment book to organise each stylist's working day. This and other aspects of record keeping are computerised in some (usually larger) salons.

Hairdressing training is based around practical experience and many salons give in-house tuition to both new students and experienced stylists. This might include after-hours sessions, model nights, special demonstrations and day-release to a local college.

The hairdressing industry is represented by a number of trade associations (see Further information: Trade associations). Qualified hairdressers may register with the Hairdressing Council on a voluntary basis; over 15,000 are currently registered.

* latest figures available