Cancellations are costing hair and beauty businesses almost 7% of their revenue each month, on average, according to research compiled by booking platform Fresha.
To understand how widespread cancellations really are, and the problems they pose to beauty businesses, Fresha surveyed UK salon, wellness, and grooming businesses, with their findings revealing the true cost of cancellations.
How Common Are No-Shows for Salons?
According to the research, 8% of businesses say they never experience cancellations or no-shows. For everyone else, it’s a regular part of the job:
- 30% are dealing with them one-to-two times a week
- 14% face cancellations three or more times a week
- 3% deal with no-shows or cancellations more than five times each week
This comes at a time, according to the National Hair & Beauty Federation, that nearly half (45%) of UK salons are just breaking even, with one in six (15%) making a small loss each month.
Fresha also asked clients whether they consider the impact of their cancellations – with almost 1 in 3 (29%) sharing that they have never thought about it. However, 42% revealed that they do consider the impact cancelling may have on the business.
Life happens, children get sick, meetings overrun, trains are cancelled, and budgets tighten at the last minute. But should late notice be the norm?
Only 37% of clients give more than 24 hours’ notice when cancelling an appointment with a beauty salon.
The Financial Impact of Cancellations on the Hair and Beauty Sector
For most beauty and wellness businesses, cancellations do far more than disrupt a diary. They directly undermine financial stability. Across all owners:
- 56% agree that cancellations cause them to lose significant income
- 51% say cancellations make it difficult to pay business expenses
- 50% say they make it harder to pay personal bills, rent or day-to-day costs
In the Midlands, 67% of owners say cancellations make it difficult to pay their personal bills, compared with 48% in London and the South East and 43% in the North.
How Cancellation Impact Small Salons
Just under a third of small hair and beauty businesses (29%) lose between 5% and 10%. A further 1 in 6 (15%) say cancellations wipe out between 11% and 20% of their income, and 1% lose more than 20%.
The research also revealed that micro-salons (2 to 10 employees) are more likely to report losing between 5% and 10% of their revenue.
A 5-10% loss can mean the difference between breaking even and falling behind. For a salon turning over £10,000 a month, that’s £500-£1,000 gone, and at 20%, £2,000.
Cancellations Cost Mid-Career Business Owners More Than Anyone Else
Business owners aged 35-44 are hit particularly hard, with an average revenue loss of 8% each month, double the 4% average loss reported by owners aged 45 and over.
That means a mid-career salon owner turning over £12,000 a month could lose £960 to no-shows and late cancellations alone, compared with around £480 for an older owner on the same income.
What Can Beauty Businesses Do to Protect Against No-Shows and Cancellations?
Annabelle Taurua, beauty expert at Fresha, has commented on the findings, “For salon owners, a late cancellation or no-show isn’t just a minor inconvenience – it can mean a loss of earnings that can’t be recovered, adding a level of stress and uncertainty to the day.
“Repeated no-shows can also take a real toll on salon owners' mental health by increasing anxiety and burnout in an industry that already involves long hours and emotional labour. In some extreme cases, this could even cause salons to go out of business.”
Tips to help protect your beauty business against cancellations:
- Clear cancellation policies that explain what happens if someone cancels late
- Put in place deposits or pre-payments to secure bookings
- Create waitlists to help fill last-minute gaps so other customers can fill cancellations
- Send reminders so fewer clients forget altogether, either on the day or the day before
- Use a booking platform like Fresha. With its built-in online booking, automated reminders, secure payments, and flexible cancellation settings, owners can design a booking journey that suits their reality
