Hairdressing industry calls for a clamp down on illegal trading

Leading industry organisations have hit out at a reported rising number of cut-price barbershops trading below the radar, avoiding tax and other legal liabilities in order to charge unfeasibly low prices. Said Hilary Hall, CEO, National Hairdressers’ Federation: “Our barber members are reporting an increase in barbershops offering cuts and shaves for unrealistically low prices. Reputable barbershops and salons invest in training their staff, they pay their staff at the national minimum wage or above, they don’t work cash in hand, they pay their taxes, VAT, insurance and music licence costs, as well as business rates and rents. We know that it simply isn’t economical to charge these kinds of prices without cutting corners. “We are currently working with the Low Pay Commission on the National Minimum Wage. With NHF’s support, our members are fully aware of the rules and how to apply them in their business. We will encourage the Low Pay Commission to work with HMRC to investigate the cut-price establishments and stamp out non-compliance so that everyone is competing on a level playing field.” “However, our members are realistic in their response to cheap prices and the increasing trend towards discounting – they up their game and offer their clients quality and great customer service, which keeps them coming back. “The public needs to be warned: you get what you pay for and if you want a professional service don’t go to the back-street boys and girls.” Mike Taylor, director, British Barbers’ Association, said: “This is one of the main complaints we get. I know of shops charging as little as £3 a haircut. Most barbers work on a 50% self-employed split so how can you work for £1.50 a cut? There will be little or no quality in this cut. All this is doing is bringing down the standard of barbering in the UK and it needs to be stopped. The British Barbers’ Association wants to implement a law where someone would need consent from their local council to open a hairdressing salon or barbershop, so that not every empty shop on the high street becomes a hairdressers or barbers. “The public should also be aware that in the UK many people operate without any formal training and they are legally allowed to trade. We are working alongside the Hairdressing Council to try to create a system to stop this.” Said Sally Styles, CEO of the Hairdressing Council: “Cut-price barbers are opening everywhere and this is not illegal – anyone can open a barbers and practise on the public. The Hairdressing Council promotes standards and professionalism and it is difficult to accept how the same professional standards, health and safety measures and staff training demanded by the professional barbershops in our industry, can be adhered to by those shops with such extreme cut prices. “The Hairdressing Council believes barber businesses that are run in a professional way with investments in staff training are suffering because of these cut-price shops. Furthermore the perception and professionalism of the barbering industry as a whole is being damaged and devalued by the lack of regulations in the UK. Industry support for the campaign for registration of barbers is paramount if there is any chance of stopping these poor practice tactics.”