87
10%
Market Overview
London has 87 hair salons competing for a metro population of roughly 420,000 — a moderate density that gives individual salons room to breathe but still means customers have plenty of options within a short drive. The most striking number here is website adoption: only 9 salons, or 10% of the market, have a website. That's a significant gap. In a city where 78 salons are essentially invisible to anyone searching online, the ones with a digital presence — Wabi Sabi Hair Artistry, Wright Hair & Co., Chatters, and others — are capturing demand almost by default.
London's commercial corridors are busy. There are 285 restaurants, 118 cafés, and 330 fast food spots within the area, which signals high foot traffic and a consumer base that's already out spending money in neighbourhoods. For salons, that's a built-in audience — but only if customers can find you.
The competitive picture is split. Chains like Chatters occupy the mass-market, high-visibility end. Independent shops like Five Star Barber Shop, Brass Anchors Barbershop, and CB Stylez carve out niches by reputation and walk-in traffic. The middle ground — salons without websites, without much of a digital footprint — is where most of the market sits, and where the biggest opportunity exists for owners willing to invest in basic online visibility.
What Customers in London Care About
Can I find them online?
With only 10% of London salons having a website, most customers rely on Google Maps pins, Instagram pages, or word of mouth — so any salon that actually shows up in search results with hours, pricing, and photos is already ahead of 90% of competitors.
Student-friendly pricing matters
Western University and Fanshawe College bring tens of thousands of students to London who need affordable, no-fuss haircuts — and many will choose proximity to campus or a good price over a polished brand experience.
Walk-in convenience or easy booking
With 87 salons spread across the city, customers know they have options nearby, so salons that either accommodate walk-ins or make booking painless win the impulse decision.
A neighbourhood feel, not a factory
Many London salon-goers prefer a spot where the stylist knows their name and their usual cut — the kind of regular relationship that shops like Brass Anchors Barbershop and Oxford Barber are built on.
Parking that doesn't eat 20 minutes
London is a car-dependent city, and customers choosing between two similar salons will almost always pick the one with easy parking over the one on a congested downtown street.
Hair Salons operating in London
A sample of real hair salons in this area. Want ratings, reviews, and exactly where you rank against them? Run a free report on your business.
| Business | Type |
|---|---|
| Gentleman's Barber | Hairdresser |
| First Choice Haircutters | Hairdresser |
| New Hair Unisex | Hairdresser |
| Kuts Klips & Kurls | Hairdresser |
| Wabi Sabi Hair Artistry | Hairdresser |
| Wright Hair & Co. | Hairdresser |
| Ferro | Hairdresser |
| La Fée Verte Coiffeurs | Hairdresser |
| Chatters | Hairdresser |
| Universal Hair Studio | Hairdresser |
| Chic | Hairdresser |
| Oxford Barber | Hairdresser |
Business listings from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Tips for Hair Salons Owners in London
Get a website — you're already beating 90% of your market
Only 9 of London's 87 salons have a website. A basic site with your services, pricing, hours, and a booking link puts you in a category that most of your competitors haven't even entered. This is the single highest-ROI move a London salon owner can make right now.
Tap the Western and Fanshawe crowd
London's two major post-secondary institutions generate consistent demand for haircuts every fall and January. Offer a student discount, post near campus, or run a back-to-school promotion — it's a reliable customer pipeline that many salons ignore.
Use your food-district neighbours for traffic
With 285 restaurants and 118 cafés nearby, London's commercial areas draw people who are already out running errands and spending money. Make sure your signage is visible, your Google Maps listing is accurate, and your hours overlap with peak lunch and weekend shopping times.
Competition Snapshot
London's 87 salons create moderate competition — busy enough that customers have real choice, but not so saturated that a new entrant can't carve out space. The market is split between a handful of established names with websites and the vast majority operating with little to no digital presence. Chains like Chatters own the high-visibility, high-volume segment. The independent and barber-shop end — places like Wabi Sabi, Oxford Barber, and Five Star — compete on personality and reputation. The most underserved gap is the mid-market salon that's locally rooted but professionally marketed online. Standing out in London doesn't require reinventing anything — it requires showing up where 90% of your competitors aren't.
Other Industries in London
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