71
4%
71 hair salons operate across Swansea — a sizeable number for a city of roughly 240,000 people. The market is active but not extreme; there's enough demand to support multiple salons, yet competition for clients is real, particularly on high streets and in suburban centres like Uplands, Mumbles, and the city centre.
The most striking finding is the digital gap. Only 3 of these 71 salons — roughly 4% — have a publicly listed website. That leaves 68 salons effectively invisible to anyone searching online before booking. The three with an online presence — Gentlemens Choice, Murphy's, and Andrew Price — are already ahead of most of the field simply by being findable. For the rest, the immediate competition isn't the salon next door. It's not showing up in search results at all.
Swansea's hospitality scene adds further context: 135 restaurants, 124 cafés, 141 fast food outlets, and 133 pubs sit within the same area. That volume of foot traffic creates natural opportunity for walk-in trade, especially for salons positioned near eating and drinking spots.
The overall picture is a crowded local market with remarkably low digital visibility. There are plenty of salons, but very few are making it easy for new customers to discover them online.
Can I find you online
With only 3 out of 71 salons in Swansea having a website, most customers can't check services, prices, or opening hours without phoning up or walking past — and many will simply choose whoever appears first in a Google search.
Walk-in or book ahead
Without online booking systems in place at most local salons, customers want to know whether they can walk in off the street or if they need to ring up — and how long they'll be waiting if they do.
What's it going to cost
Swansea has a large student population alongside working families, and with very few salons publishing price lists online, customers want clear costs before they sit in the chair — not a surprise at the till.
Easy to get to
Whether it's finding parking near the city centre, catching a bus from Brynmill or Sketty, or walking from Uplands, practical access matters — and salons near Swansea's restaurant and pub clusters benefit from passing trade.
Open when I need you
With 38 bars and 133 pubs in the area, Swansea has a busy evening economy, and many customers — particularly students and shift workers — look for salons offering Sunday or late-afternoon slots rather than standard nine-to-five hours.
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 |
|---|---|
| iSalon | Hairdresser |
| Hair Zone | Hairdresser |
| Killay Barber Shop | Hairdresser |
| Jordans | Hairdresser |
| Vanity Hair | Hairdresser |
| Heads Together | Hairdresser |
| Jim The Trim | Hairdresser |
| Dude's & Co | Hairdresser |
| Joshua's | Hairdresser |
| Gemma Davies | Hairdresser |
| ROCO Mumbles | Hairdresser |
| Bro Blades | Hairdresser |
Business listings from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Get a website — even a basic one
96% of hair salons in Swansea have no publicly listed website. A simple one-page site with your services, prices, address, and opening hours would put you ahead of 68 competitors overnight. It doesn't need to be fancy — it just needs to exist and be accurate.
Position yourself near the footfall
Swansea has 135 restaurants, 124 cafés, and 133 pubs creating heavy foot traffic in certain areas. Salons near these clusters benefit from walk-ins and visibility. If you're tucked away from the main routes, invest in signage and make sure your Google Business listing is up to date so people can find you.
Make pricing visible and simple
With almost no local salons publishing prices online, there's a clear gap. Listing your prices — even just on social media or a Google Business profile — removes a barrier for new customers comparing options. Transparency builds trust before someone even walks through the door.
Swansea's hair salon market is busy without being saturated. At 71 salons for a city of 240,000, there's competition, but the real story is how few of these businesses are visible online. Only 3 have websites — meaning the majority are competing for the same pool of walk-ins and word-of-mouth referrals. The bars, cafés, and restaurants nearby generate consistent foot traffic, which benefits salons in the right locations. Standing out in Swansea doesn't require something radical. A basic web presence, clear pricing, and a Google Business listing would put you ahead of roughly 95% of local competitors. The opportunity gap is wide — but it won't stay that way forever.
See your exact rank against nearby competitors, what customers say about them, and where you can win.