The hair and beauty industry are calling for the Government to extend business rates support to salons and barbershops, following a potential U-turn on planned increases for pubs.
After sustained lobbying from the hospitality sector, ministers are expected to soften or delay forthcoming rises in business rates for pubs. However, no equivalent relief has been announced for the hair and beauty industry, despite growing pressure on independent, premises-based businesses.
The potential U-turn comes after months of campaigning from the hospitality sector, including reports that more than 1000 pubs banned Labour MPs in protest.
In late December, the Salon Employers Association launched a similar initiative, calling on members to ban MPs from salons until meaningful action was taken to support the industry.
The Government’s move to support pubs has now prompted a response from the National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF), with Sam Silver, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the NHBF commenting: “The hair and beauty sector contributes £9 billion to the UK economy and employs over 275,000 people, yet we’re being completely overlooked in discussions about business rates relief.
“Our independent salons, barbershops and clinics face exactly the same challenges as pubs with soaring business rates, rising labour costs, and premises-based operations on the highstreet.
“But unlike pubs, we’re also battling a VAT threshold that’s preventing business growth and costing the Treasury.
“If the Government is serious about supporting high street businesses and economic growth, they need to extend this relief to all independent, premises-based retailers including the hair and beauty sector that serves communities across the country every single day.”
Industry bodies have repeatedly warned that rising business rates, combined with increases to the National Living Wage, energy costs and supply pressures, are putting many salons at risk. Sector leaders say any relief offered to pubs should be applied consistently across all comparable high street businesses.
As the Government prepares to outline its next steps on rates relief, the hair and beauty industry is urging ministers to recognise the sector as an essential part of the high street economy – and to ensure it is not excluded from measures designed to support business growth and local communities.
