Hair Care Services Industry Overview

Excerpt from Hair Care Services Report

Companies in this industry operate hair salons and barbershops that provide shampoo, haircuts, beard trimming, and hair coloring and styling services. Major companies include Regis, Ratner Companies, Premier Salons, and Sport Clips in the US; TBC Group in Japan; and Frisör Klier in Germany.

Competitive Landscape

Demand is partly driven by demographics and partly by population growth. The profitability of individual companies depends on technical expertise and marketing skills. Big companies have few advantages over small ones, which is why the industry remains fragmented. Small companies can compete successfully through technical superiority or favorable location. The industry is highly fragmented: the 50 largest companies generate about 15 percent of revenue.

Products, Operations & Technology

Major products are hair cutting, hair coloring, nail care, skin care, and merchandise sales. A typical salon offers haircutting and styling, coloring, shampooing, and permanents. Some salons also offer nail care, facial treatments, makeup, bikini waxing, massage, tanning, and other types of spa treatments, but the lower volume of demand for such specialty services often makes them uneconomical. Sales of hair care products are an important revenue source for many salons, providing from 5 to 15 percent of revenue. Gross margins are higher for hair care products than for services.