Salon owner raises concerns over high street beauty industry's future
Claire Blackwood highlights the challenges faced by salons due to rising costs and industry shifts
A beauty salon owner from Chippenham has spoken out about the challenges facing high street businesses in the hair and beauty sector.
Claire Blackwood, who owns Park Lane Beauty, has expressed concerns about the mounting pressures of rising costs and the growing trend of self-employment within the industry.
She believes that salons play a vital role, not just in providing beauty services, but also as essential hubs for social interaction.
Claire believes that rising costs, a growing number of people working for themselves, and lack of opportunities for new staff, is stifling the industry.
She's calling for a support in the form of business rates relief and VAT reductions, to ease some of the pressure on employers.
A hub for social interaction
Claire insists salons are more than just a place for skin or nail treatments, telling us that they offer vital opportunities for women to socialise.
Claire said she has many elderly clients, and that “sometimes I’m the only person they will speak to all day or even all week".
She said: "It's somewhere for women to come and be listened to and have a sense of community. It's like a man going to the pub after work."
Claire told us the connection with her clients goes beyond that, and they become friends as a result of the social activity her business facilitates.
"We do become a community. It's brilliant for them and for us," she said.
Impact of rising costs and the shift to self-employment
Claire explained that an increasing number of professionals in the beauty industry are opting for self-employment rather than taking positions in salons. While she understands their choice to avoid overheads such as business rates, VAT, and employee-related costs like pensions and National Insurance, the shift poses significant challenges.
“As a business owner, I have to compete with those offering similar services while operating on a different tax model. This makes it hard to grow and has serious repercussions for the future of salons on the high street,” Claire said.
Claire also highlighted concerns over the decline of apprenticeship opportunities in the beauty sector. She noted predictions suggesting that apprenticeships may disappear from the industry entirely by next year, affecting young people’s ability to gain hands-on experience.
“It’s predicted that by 2030, only 3% of the beauty industry will consist of employment roles. This is a massive problem, especially for those training now — they might come out of college and find themselves with nowhere to go.”
A call for government support
Claire argued that government intervention is needed to support this labour-intensive industry. Although some relief has been offered to sectors like hospitality, she feels that hair and beauty businesses are often overlooked.
“We bring people to the high street – they come for treatments and visit coffee shops or other stores nearby. If salons disappear, it’ll impact entire town centres,” Claire said.
She also emphasised the need for changes to the VAT structure, which places a significant financial burden on salons. “The 20% VAT rate on our turnover is crippling. That relief could help fund apprenticeships and sustain employed business models. But for years, our sector just hasn’t been prioritised, and that has to change.”
Claire hopes that action will be taken to ensure that high street salons like hers can continue to serve their communities and support the wider economy.
Local MP backing calls for help
MP for Chippenham, Calne, Corsham, Lyneham and Royal Wootton Bassett, Sarah Gibson, is backing Claire's calls.
Ms Gibson believes a targeted policy intervention is needed to level the playing field between employed and self-employed salon models.
This in turn would protect apprenticeships and boost ties between colleges and business owners.
Ms Gibson said: “The high street can’t survive on shopping alone. If we lose beauty and hair salons, we don’t just lose jobs. We lose skills, standards, and the everyday human connections that make communities work.”