Talent Coming Back
In 2008, I worked as a floor manager in the largest premium hair salon in London - The Aveda Institute, Covent Garden.
Over 80 stylists, almost 20 spa therapists, an academy servicing the whole of Europe upstairs, and a team of 10 running the front of house led by me. A call centre team of five or six worked alongside us.
All the staff came from over 20 countries. It was a melting pot of cultures, all centred around one thing - care.
Over 500 clients came through a week. The majority were female: businesswomen, West End stars, tourists, and generational clientele.
It was nuts.
When the Global Financial Crisis hit, the business hurt. But not as much as most. Operating in the premium echelon protects a business from the worst dips and corrections a market can throw at you.
But the best bit was, of course, the crew.
We all took our work seriously, and the smallest of details always mattered. Under pressure, we problem-solved, hurried, supported, and talked our way through all sorts of awkward and difficult challenges.
Almost 20 years later, in the much smaller market of Australia, that salon seems worlds away.
Over the past decade, the typical suburban salon has become almost extinct.
The ATO reports that approximately 70% of hairdressing and barber businesses are registered as sole traders. The 'Independent Salon' (owner-operators working from home) has sprung up and taken over the industry.
Suppliers have had to lower their standards and supply these businesses (or suffer unacceptable negative growth). And many ex-salon owners have had enough of the huge overheads, risks, and constant battles in the face of unending inflation hitting them from all angles.
So, the salon is a dying institution of our retail landscape. Or, is it?
The Snap Back
Operational isolation is hurting the independent movement.
71% of independent operators identify loneliness as their single biggest business challenge (SaCSA / AHC Industry Report 2026).
They are experiencing the same inflationary pressures as traditional salons, except they are doing it completely alone.
Even though independents generally charge less, customers are starting to get fed up with poor communication (often no phone), a lack of amenities and treatments, limited flexibility and schedules, and little to no technical or personalised services.
In short, customers have to work around the operator, not the other way around. And they are fed up with it.
Put it all together, and stylists as well as consumers are trending back to the traditional salon.
The metrics that drove the trend are now working against it.
Why This Matters Beyond The Salon Floor
In a WFH-Teams-AI-Flexible working environment, it is hard for us to get our heads around what is driving and motivating talent to work where they work and do good work while they are there.
The salon industry is telling us something loud and clear: Connection means more than money.
Talented people want security. This comes in the form of a good wedge (i.e. decent pay). But this is not what makes them stick around.
When talking to some salon owners at a recent event I delivered a keynote speech, they shared with me that their salon is a place where clients and staff have multiple conversations with each other across the floor the whole time.
They share, listen, laugh, and chat through the highs, lows, and daily adventures of each other's lives. The hairstyle at the end is important, but honestly, they can get that anywhere.
They all go there to congregate. To connect as a community.
This satisfies a human need more powerful than most - loneliness, after all, is the worst punishment you can allocate to any human. Julianne Holt-Lunstad's landmark 2015 meta-analysis showed that social isolation reduces life expectancy by nearly 30% - the health equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day (PMC Meta-Analysis, 2010).
For those struggling to get staff back in the office more regularly, this is your ticket to create a shift. Not mandating or penalising those not playing ball.
For those struggling to recruit or re-hire staff, this is your biggest opportunity. And most likely your biggest competitive advantage.
For those struggling to engage your top talent, this is your low-cost, quick-win solution. And one that will have a long tail.
Investing in community connection for your team and stakeholders alike may be the highest-impact strategy you can invest in at a time when digital solutions are dominating the landscape.
