- Published
After 22 years running a salon, Marcus Perkins says he is increasingly worried about the future of the hair and beauty industry.
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he → publish → industry
Rising costs are making it harder for businesses to employ staff and invest in apprenticeships, he says, while more salons are turning to self-employed models to survive.
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salons → rise → models
"Seeing salons close on the high street is very scary," he said.
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he → see → street
Luckily it hasn't happened yet but who knows what the future holds?"
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future → happen → what
Perkins is among more than 2,000 salon owners who have signed an open letter calling on the Chancellor John Healey to cut VAT on hair and beauty services from 20% to 10% in this week's Budget.
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who → sign → Budget
The letter is backed by the British Hair Consortium (BHC), which argues rising business costs are placing increasing pressure on traditional salon employers.
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costs → back → employers
However, the industry has also seen growing numbers of stylists move into self-employed arrangements, with hairdressers often renting a chair within a salon rather than being directly employed.
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hairdressers → see → salon
A Treasury spokesperson said hair and beauty businesses played an important role in supporting jobs, apprenticeships and thriving high streets.
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businesses → say → jobs
They added that the sector had benefited from reforms to business rates.
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sector → add → rates
Salon owners say they have also been affected by increases in wage, pension and National Insurance (NI) costs.
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they → say → costs
The government's changes to employers' NI contributions and increases to the minimum wage have been defended by ministers as part of wider efforts to improve pay, support public services and drive economic growth.
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changes → defend → growth
The BHC said a reduction in VAT would help businesses take on more staff, invest in training and keep more salons trading on the high street.
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salons → say → street
Perkins believed it would make a significant difference.
"
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it → believe → difference
We can grow the business and employ more people," he said.
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he → grow → people
The salon owner runs M&M Spa in Quarry Bank, near Brierley Hill, where he says he has trained more than a dozen young people over the past two decades.
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he → run → decades
Among them is 21-year-old stylist Trearna Hart, who said many of her peers had struggled to establish careers after leaving college.
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many → say → college
She said she was fortunate to find an employer willing to invest in her development.
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she → say → development
This year alone, Perkins said he had spent about £2,000 on courses and travel costs to support her training.
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he → say → training
"It's upsetting really," he said.
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he → say → ?
"We help people, we train, we nurture, we mentor.
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we → help → people
We help the next generation because if we don't help the next generation, what happens to our future?"
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what → help → future
The BHC claimed apprenticeship numbers had fallen sharply and warned the trend could worsen if pressures on employer-run salons continued.
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pressures → claim → salons
Perkins believes businesses that employ and train staff are increasingly competing against models centred on self-employed workers.
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that → believe → workers
He argues that creates an "unlevel playing field" because traditional salons often shoulder the costs of training future hairdressers.
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salons → argue → hairdressers
Hart said the number of salons disappearing from high streets was a concern.
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number → say → streets
"At the rate it's going we're not going to have many salons left open and there's no-one going to be able to do hair," she said.
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she → go → hair
The challenges facing the sector are also worrying some customers.
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challenges → face → customers
Research from the British Beauty Council highlighted the role hair and beauty businesses play in supporting local high streets, encouraging spending and providing opportunities for social connection.
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businesses → highlight → connection
Dorothy Senior has visited M&M for hair and beauty treatments for the past 20 years.
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Senior → visit → years
She said the salon was about much more than appearances.
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salon → say → appearances
"Every time I come in I go home feeling so much better," she said.
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she → come → ?
"It isn't just having nails and hair done, it's the whole package."
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it → have → ?
The Aporia
