BRITISH
BARBERING
BARBERING IS BOOMING
In recent years, the UKs barbering
industry has witnessed a surge in
popularity, and our 2017 report can
confirm that it’s showing no signs of
stopping.
The rise in barbershops has brought
increasing levels of confidence to those
working in the industry. Just under three
quarters (73%) of barbering professionals
have reported higher levels of optimism
compared to a year ago. A huge 89%
also told us that 2016 was a positive year
for business, representing one of the
highest results across the hair and beauty
industry as a whole.
BRITISH
BARBERING
“We’ve seen a definite increase in how frequently men are visiting
barbershops, and have noticed a rise in vintage and nineties looks,
which are a little dryer and less slick, trending recently. Alongside
the traditional shaves and cuts, there’s also been a rise in interest
in additional treatments, particularly barber face packs.”
MIKE TAYLOR,
THE GREAT BRITISH BARBERING
ACADEMY
PRICING AND FREQUENCY
INCREASES cut costs just £9. The beard trim was
found to be the cheapest treatment,
costing an average of £5.
Since 2014, treatment and service prices
have risen, and the UK’s men have also
upped the regularity of their visits to all
hair and beauty businesses. In the past
year alone, there’s been a 9% increase in
the amount of money men spend each
year on haircuts, shaves and hair removal.
This has risen from £711 to £779. When it comes to visit frequency,
barbershop customers leave less time
between haircuts compared to the
industry average, from just 2.9 weeks
for a clipper cut to 3.5 weeks for a
wash, cut and fin ish.
Across the hair, beauty and barbering
industry as a whole, the average cost for
a men’s haircut is £14, while the average
price for a shave is around £13. Men have
been found to leave around 4 weeks and
3.6 weeks, respectively, between these
treatments.
Our findings also indicate that as it
stands, the most expensive treatments
average at £14 for a wash cut and finish,
cut throat shave or a hot towel shave. A
wet shave comes in at £12, and a clipper
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ADDED EXTRAS IN STORE AT
BARBERSHOPS
Barbershops are now offering more than
just traditional services like shaves and
haircuts. The increasing demand for male
treatments has opened up some lucrative
opportunities to diversify, and many
barbers are now reaping the benefits
of offering additional services to their
discerning male customers; 38% of you
offer eyebrow shaping, 23% offer facials,
22% offer facial waxing and 20% even
offer massage.
From a business standpoint, our findings
show that two in five barbers have seen
an increase in business turnover over the
past year, and more than a third (34%)
now have an annual turnover of more than
£25,000 a year.
KEY GROWTH PRIORITIES
Many barbers are investing for the
future, with equipment ranking as the
biggest focus, followed by resourcing
new services to meet the increasing
demand for male grooming treatments. In
addition, 87% of you are putting time and
money into social media to showcase your
business and its work.
AVERAGE UK BARBER FREQUENCY
FREQUENCY (WEEKS)
A STRONG GROWTH
TRAJECTORY
2017
Wash, cut and finish 3.5
Beard trim 2.8
Wet shave 3
Re-style 5.8
Cut throat shave 2.5
Clipper cut 2.8
Dry cut 3.5
Hot towel shave 3.1
Wet cut 3.5
There are also product conversion
opportunities out there yet to be fully
capitalised on. On average, men spend
£8.80 on products after a visit to
their barber. With more men looking
to establish their grooming regime at
home, based on expert advice, upselling
presents a chance for barbers to add
value to their service, as well as boost
their bottom lines. Our report also finds
that fewer men (8.2%) are willing to buy
their hair and beauty products online
compared to women (18.2%), emphasising
the strong opportunity barbers have
to provide their clients with the right
products while they’re in the chair.
COMPETITION REMAINS FIERCE
Barbers are building in confidence,
with 58% seeing more customers come
through their doors. However customer
loyalty remains highly sought after, and
competition remains a key challenge to
consider in 2017.
Customer loyalty has been revealed as
the biggest obstacle for many barbers,
as almost half (47%) finding it harder to
come by than it was a year ago. When
it comes to the competition, barbers
have identified their biggest threat as
being other businesses, with 64% finding
competition from other businesses has
increased over the past year, which is
almost 20% higher than the industry
average. Two thirds also worry about
direct competitors, whilst a third are
specifically concerned about the
competition coming from bigger chains.
With high levels of competition looking
set to feature strongly in 2017, staying
ahead of the curve has never been more
important. When it comes to achieving
client loyalty, our findings show that men
continue to prioritise value for money
above all else, although the relationship
they have with their barber follows as a
close second. Staying one step ahead by
tailoring your offers for your customers,
and harnessing the influence of social
media to promote these offers, could pay
dividends for your business.
Whilst our findings show that barbers
are investing in social media for their
business, almost half (49%) are still not
using key platforms such as Instagram
to do so. This highlights a clear
opportunity for those looking to build
business reputation and awareness, as
well as cement a stronger relationship
with clientele.
“The barbering industry continues
to go from strength to strength
as more men take better care of
themselves. Haircuts, beard trims
and shaves are now an essential
part of men’s regular regimes, but
they are also buying more products
to take care of themselves at home
– creating a growing opportunity
for barbers who play their cards
right.”
NICK GIBBENS
MARKETING AND PR MANAGER
THE BLUEBEARDS REVENGE
AVERAGE UK BARBER PRICES IN £
BARBER PRICES 2017
Wash, cut and finish 13.70
Beard trim 5.00
Wet shave 12.30
Re-style 12.50
Cut throat shave 13.80
Clipper cut 9.00
Dry cut 10.20
Hot towel shave 14.10
Wet cut 12.30
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