How to Choose the Best Spot for Your Next Barber Shop.
10 December 2025
Found this useful? Share it with another barber
10 December 2025
Found this useful? Share it with another barber
You can be the best barber in town. Doesn't matter if no one can find you.
Location is everything. Get it wrong and you're fighting uphill from day one.
Get it right? Walk-ins, regulars, and a shop that stays busy.
This guide explains exactly how to choose a profitable barber shop location in the UK.
Choosing the best location for a barber shop is one of the most important decisions a shop owner will make. Whether you're opening your first barbershop or moving to a new area, location affects walk-ins, pricing power, and long-term profitability.
At Barber Insights, we analyse UK postcode-level data on population, competition, and barber shop density to understand which areas support successful shops.
Most barber shops in the UK are small, independent businesses. Under five staff, usually.
And here's the thing — more barber shops are opening every year. Across England and Wales, registered hair and beauty businesses grew from 37,657 in 2018 to 45,250 in 2025. That's a 20% increase in seven years. Choosing the right area is easier when you understand local competition levels — something we track across UK cities using barber density data.
That's good news for demand. Bad news for competition.
In many UK towns, high street visibility still drives the majority of walk-in barber traffic. A great barber tucked away in a back street can be completely invisible to the people who'd love them.
Let's be honest — even a proper skilled barber can struggle if the shop's somewhere no one walks past.
Busy streets, shopping areas, near bus stops or train stations — that's where walk-ins come from.
Can people see your shop from the road? Can they spot the signage? If not, you're invisible.
Being near a gym, café, or office block helps too. Their footfall becomes your footfall.
Think about your ideal client. Students? Office workers? Families? Young lads wanting skin fades?
Pick an area that matches. A premium shop in a student area might struggle. A budget shop in an area with higher disposable income might feel out of place.
Also think: residential vs commuter zones. Residential means regulars. Commuter areas mean more one-off visits but high volume.
Count the barbers nearby.
If there's 15 within a 5-minute walk, it's oversaturated. You'll be fighting for clients from day one.
But no barbers at all? That's not always great either — might mean low demand.
Areas with high barber density can quickly become saturated — something we looked at in detail in our UK hair and beauty density report.
Can people get there easily? Bus, train, car?
Is there parking nearby? If clients have to circle for 10 minutes, they'll book someone else next time.
Higher footfall usually means higher rent. Make sure the numbers work.
Is the space big enough? Enough room for chairs, a waiting area, wash stations?
Check local council licensing rules too. Some local authorities have specific requirements for commercial premises.
There's no single answer — but there are patterns.
Across many UK cities, areas with higher population density but fewer existing barber shops tend to support stronger long-term growth. Underserved commuter towns — places with solid local spending and limited supply — have seen some of the fastest growth in the country over the last seven years.
In city centres, the formula is different. You need visibility, footfall, and a point of difference. On a town centre high street with 10 other shops, you're competing on reputation and experience from day one.
Residential areas reward consistency. If you're good, word spreads. Regulars come back. The shop fills up without spending a penny on ads.
Looking at a specific city? We've broken down the best areas to open a barbershop in Bristol — including which postcodes have the strongest demand and least competition.
Know your ideal client — age, style, spending habits, what they want from a barber.
Scout the area — visit at different times. Morning, lunch, evening. Get a feel for the footfall.
Map the competition — who's already there? What are they charging? What's their vibe?
Do the maths — can the area support another barber? What's your realistic weekly take?
Check the practical stuff — rent, lease terms, parking, transport links, signage options.
Match it to your brand — premium barber? Go somewhere with higher disposable income. High-volume shop? Commuter areas work well.
Test if you can — pop-up, chair rent, short-term lease. Try before you commit.
Barber shops are still growing. Salons are declining.
Demand is solid. But so is competition.
That makes location even more important. A talented barber in a dead spot will struggle.
The UK high street isn't dead — but it's changed. Shops that understand their local area, their footfall, and their competition are doing well. Those that don't are fighting for scraps.
Is high street always best for a barber shop?
Not always. High streets offer visibility and walk-in traffic, but come with higher rent and more competition. A secondary street with strong residential footfall can outperform a high street if the rent makes the numbers work. We broke this down properly in does high street location matter for barbers?
How many barber shops are too many in one area?
A useful rule: check how many shops exist within a 5–10 minute walk. More than 6–8 in a small area and you're likely in a saturated market. Use the free Barber Insights postcode checker to see exactly how many are registered near any postcode.
Should a barber shop be in a residential or city centre location?
Depends on your model. City centre means higher footfall but higher rent and more one-off clients. Residential means regulars — slower to build, but lower overheads and stronger loyalty once you're established. Both can work. Match the model to the location.
Does competition matter that much?
Yes. But not in the way most people think. A bit of competition proves demand exists. Too much and you're splitting a fixed pool of clients. The sweet spot is an area with proven demand and a gap you can fill — whether that's a specific service, a better booking experience, or just a better shop.
A great barber in a terrible location will struggle.
A decent barber in a solid, visible, high-footfall spot? That shop will be busy.
Before you sign anything — walk the area. Count the competition. Check the footfall.
Get the location right, and you've already done half the work.
💈 Want to see what you're up against?
Run a free postcode check and see how competitive your area really is.