Britain's First 'Men-Only' Barber Chain

The male grooming market is booming. It’s worth at least $3.5 billion in the US - and in the UK latest figures show that increasingly image conscious men are happy to spend over £770 million a year on their hair alone.

[ClickPress, Wed May 18 2005] The male grooming market is booming. It’s worth at least $3.5 billion in the US - and in the UK latest figures show that increasingly image conscious men are happy to spend over £770 million a year on their hair alone.

These were figures that millionaire hairdresser Sue Whitehead couldn’t resist.

Now this 56 year old rags-to-riches businesswoman has decided to franchise her highly profitable Wimbledon-based Jacks of London brand as Britain’s first men–only barber shop chain.

Jacks, is a barber shop with a difference, and with its middle of the road pricing structure, attracts thousands of regular customers including TV celebrities and premiership football stars.

She says: “Gone are the days when men couldn’t even be bothered with deodorants.

Now image is everything. I read recently that 14% of Botox injections, 15% of liposuction and eyelid surgery and almost a quarter of all nose job operations are now performed on men – and according to Datamonitor, the average British male’s daily grooming regime is now 3.1 hours – which significantly outstrips the average woman’s grooming time of 2.5 hours daily.”

She adds: “It’s a grooming revolution. We are undergoing a sea change in the way men think about their appearance. Women are more independent and therefore more choosy – and men have to go the extra mile to attract partners.”

Men might be getting more vain but according to Sue – and backed up by her 14-barber strong, £750,000 turnover flagship outlet next to Wimbledon station – they don’t much like unisex salons and prefer a males–only environment.

Whitehead set about creating a seven days a week male oasis, a comfort zone complete with giant, state of the art plasma TVs, MP3 music stations, free beer – and even a unique ‘QueueWatch’ webcam which shows online customers at a glance how long the wait for a haircut will be in her ‘No appointments’ barber shop.

Now she’s striving to turn Jacks into the Starbucks of male grooming.
She explains: “It’s about differentiation. You don’t just buy an ordinary coffee at Starbucks, you buy a handcrafted beverage. We operate along the same lines. Our customers don’t just get a haircut, they get a lifestyle experience. It’s more of an event than a haircut. We’ve taken the boredom out of barbering.”

A Jacks branch opens soon in Kingston upon Thames and Whitehead plans to launch a minimum of three more outlets this year – and up to 20 nationwide within the next 5 years.

A franchise will cost between £80,000 -£100,000, depending on salon size and location, but each outlet is predicted to realise around £100,000 of operating profit per year after three years.
And Whitehead, who started as a hairdresser 40 years ago, is not restricting franchise offers to experienced hairdressers.
“An ideal franchisee will be an energetic individual with at least £40,000 of liquid capital a good business brain and a determination to succeed. But hair styling experience isn’t vital. We offer a 100% support package which includes comprehensive barber training programmes for the franchisee’s staff, carried out at our Wimbledon HQ.”

Top UK franchise expert David Tonchin, who helped mastermind the Dyno-Rod franchise, believes Whitehead could be on to a winner with the Jacks brand.

He says: “Sue is a courageous and determined woman who has proved herself adept at being successful in the male arena. Jacks is no ordinary barber’s shop. It’s a very exciting concept. The UK industry has grown by a massive 560% since 1998 – and it’s all because men are now taking far more interest in themselves and their appearance than ever before.
Research shows that 82% of men in the UK regard their hair as important when it comes to dating and employment prospects – but guys don’t necessarily like dolly birds cutting their hair. Many say they feel intimidated in unisex salons.”

He adds: “It’s a well-known fact that franchises are far less likely to fail than business start-ups. This is because the franchisor has already made all the big mistakes in the past and corrected them – and of course it’s in the franchisor’s interest to ensure that franchisees are successful.
Jacks franchisees getting in now will reap the benefits of an industry that’s poised to see dramatic growth in coming years”.
Jacks of London: www.jacksoflondon.co.uk

Ends

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