HAER Collection

INTRODUCTION

HAER COLLECTIVE is a salon concept envisioned and brought to life by founder Simon Stuart. Degree educated (BA hons Fashion Design) and with 38 years of experience in the hairdressing industry, Simon’s career encompasses a wide range of expertise, including women’s and men’s hairstyling, salon management, and skills development through education and training.

Simon has also excelled in training management, curriculum design, and leading education and training teams. Prior to launching HAER COLLECTIVE, he served as Operations Director for an independent hairdressing training provider, overseeing government-funded programs such as apprenticeships, traineeships, advanced learner loans, and adult education budgets to benefit learners and businesses.

SECTOR OVERVIEW

The pandemic of 2020 had a significant negative impact on the hair and beauty sector. Like hospitality, it was one of the most heavily restricted industries. After a prolonged period of uncertainty, marked by rising costs, inflation, and diminished consumer confidence, the UK hair and beauty industry is regaining strength as self-care becomes an increasingly important priority for consumers heading into 2025.

The industry is predominantly made up of small, micro-businesses. Following the pandemic, 95% of businesses in the sector employ fewer than ten people, and 67% employ fewer than five. Additionally, 60.5% of professionals in the hair and beauty sector are self-employed. However, the industry has seen a decline in its workforce, with numbers dropping by about 7%. Apprenticeships have also declined, reflecting the challenges in attracting new talent. According to the NHBF’s September 2024 industry survey, 46% of salons and barbers reported making a profit, while 41% broke even.

Although the number of salons on the high street is falling, self-employed hairdressers and beauty therapists are on the rise. Salons that employ staff are facing particularly tough conditions, with rising wage costs being highlighted as the most significant challenge.

Despite these concerning industry statistics, consumer spending tells a different story. Women who visit salons regularly spend an average of £1,000 per month on hair, nails, beauty, and aesthetic treatments. In the final quarter of 2023 alone, consumers spent £2 billion on hairdressers and personal grooming services. This disconnect between industry challenges and consumer behaviour suggests that there is still strong demand for hair and beauty services, making it an opportune time for HAER COLLECTIVE to enter the market.

CONCEPT

SALON CONCEPT

HAER COLLECTIVE salon concept focuses on delivering a high-end service and a quality experience when visiting the salon, offering quality in environment and surrounding, partners expertise, customer service, choice and advice during and in between visits. Through embracing self-employment, HAER COLLECTIVE is mindful of the legal complexities surrounding employment and self-employment, as highlighted by recent high-profile court cases where salons have faced challenges.

HAER COLLECTIVE will offer a great working environment and space to collaborate with self-employed ‘Partners’ who will bring high end expertise and skills to their clients and the salon on a mutual understanding aligned to the brand’s values and commitment to excellence in the sector. Partnership will be formalised through Service Level Agreements (SLAs), treating partners (specialising in hair, beauty, and nails) as concessions within the premises. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) will reflect the salon’s concept and standards without imposing employment terms or conditions.

Additional to operating as self-employed partners, partners will have the opportunity to contribute to HAER COLLECTIVE training and education programs, should they choose. (Educators: Ambassadors)

While participation in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) cannot be mandated as part of SLA, it will be offered to Partners as a means of enhancing skills to benefit both HAER COLLECTIVE brand and clients of the Partners.

EDUCATION CONCEPT

For those engaging with HAER COLLECTIVE training and education initiatives as Ambassadors, a separate SLA will apply. They will be skilled professionals who can demonstrate their occupational expertise and ability to deliver and transfer skills to learners. Partners who wish to collaborate in education and training may be working in the salon or with other salons. HAER COLLECTIVE will welcome both accredited trainers as well as those seeking to advance their training qualifications who may be in collaboration with external institutions.

HAER COLLECTIVE Education aims to address the long-standing issues that have plagued the hair and beauty sector for over a decade due to declining skill levels and an influx of self-employed stylists and therapists, many of which may initially have been trained through low-quality government or private programs that prioritised profit over high quality skills development.

LOCATION

HAER COLLECTIVE salon is situated in a prominent retail position in the town centre of Horwich on the junction of the two main roads. There is a high volume of footfall offering passing trade, complimenting the opportunity to develop the business through reputation and word of mouth to a wider area.

Horwich is a major industrial town and hosts numerous new build developments currently underway. There are an abundance of large industrial units, shops, complimentary businesses, primary and secondary schools and residential housing. There is opportunity for HAER COLLECTIVE to grow and develop as the town does also.

The neighbouring towns of Rivington, Adlington and Blackrod are within walking distance of the business with link roads and public transport connecting the towns of Bolton and Chorley. The M61 motorway linked to the M60 and the M6 is just a 2-minute drive away offering wider scope of travel from Lancashire and wider Greater Manchester.

There are other salons and Barbers within location offering healthy competition however, the concept that the salon offers is not rivalled. The geographic position of HAER COLLECTIVE salon offers various sites for free car parking to sustain the ambition of a far wider catchment beyond its local positioning.

SITE & OPERATIONS

The salon site is a medium to large business offering opportunity to deliver services and training.

The ground floor consists of 7 cutting stations, 3 backwashes, fitted kitchen with laundry facilities and a ground floor WC. There is space for a Nail technician within the floor plan. The salon shadows the junction location of the building in an L shape giving a large shop frontage for exposure and promotion.

The second floor comprises of 2 Beauty rooms with massage facility, A shower and spray tan self-contained space, a corridor area for display of retail products and a large space for up to 8 people for training facilities or events/ wedding hair facility.

The Salon is fully fitted and equipped including Wi-Fi and the existing business phone number used for previous clients of over 30 years.

HR protocols and Health & Safety Management shall be the operational management of the business owner, qualified and experienced to establish and manage both functions.

SALON & EDUCATION OBLIGATION TO CLIENTS AND SERVICE USERS.

When you visit HAER COLLECTIVE one of our highly skilled Partners will share an in-depth consultation with you. We want to understand what you want to achieve with your hair, your lifestyle, your choice of how to maintain your style and how you manage your hair at home. We want to work with your style in between visits, not just during your appointment.

We can show you our work or you can search styles/colours prior or during your consultation through our social media profiles. We are also happy for you to share and use images of hair styles you may like, using our professional knowledge and understanding, we can make proposals on how to tailor styles and product to make the most of your hair, colouring, style and features.

HAER COLLECTIVE are hairdressing and colour specialists. We recommend techniques and colour placement to bring out the features of your hair style, we select product tones and shades to suit your natural colouring. Products and techniques are available to suit your lifestyle, personality, your commitment to hair maintenance and budget.

Every time you visit HAER COLLECTIVE we will spend time to find out if you are happy with your hair and how you managed your style in between salon visits. We are always available to make recommendations and suggestions for your maintenance regime or to suggest changes to your hair to meet your needs. We are with you at your appointment and between salon visits.

HAER COLLECTIVE, established in 2025, is committed to providing clients with the stability and continuity that reflect the standards and innovation for which British hairdressing is celebrated worldwide. With over 35 years of experience as a Hair Stylist, Educator in both men’s and women’s hairdressing, Training Manager of an Educational Team, and former Director of a renowned hairdressing training provider in Manchester, HAER COLLECTIVE’s founder is dedicated to honouring and advancing the excellence of British hairdressing for both men and ladies.

” Today, I am as passionate about this industry as I was when I started as an apprentice in Bramhall, Stockport in 1987. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with some of the most influential people in the field. I have been inspired and trained by hair stylists from Vidal Sassoon to some of the most fantastic independent salons. I have learned from some of the best independent hair stylists, educators and salons in the country, I have also been inspired by some of the best innovators/ educators of renowned hairdressing brands such as Redken, Wella, L’oreal, Paul Mitchell, Aveda and Matrix to name a few. I am forever grateful for their inspiration and guidance as I commit to continue my learning. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of collaborating and learning with some of the best salons in the Northwest of England.

It is this passion and experience that I now bring to HAER COLLECTIVE, both for today and the years ahead. Why HAER COLLECTIVE? The name comes from the old English word for ‘hair,’ and I chose it to honour the long-standing legacy of British hairdressing, which has shaped and inspired the craft the world over. I am committed to building a HAER Partners team that upholds the classic, contemporary, and innovative values of British hairdressing, delivering exceptional services through our commercial team and training courses.”

OUR SERVICES FOR CLIENTS

HAER COLLECTIVE Hairdressing offers a wide range of contemporary and classic hair services for clients across the region and beyond. For services delivered by highly skilled and dedicated stylists, our team is committed to our continuous development, regularly updating our techniques and product knowledge to deliver the best services for our clients and professionals wishing to learn and develop for themselves and salons.

OUR SERVICES FOR EDUCATION

Education and experience are the essential tools all salons should have access too. Salons that grow and remain prominent in the industry invest time and money into sessions that may be online, delivered in the salon or off site.

Through HAER COLLECTIVE I wish to offer solutions to support salons of any size or ambition. From short day sessions delivered on our site or in your salon, from beginners to hair stylists who want to understand a technique, I want to be able to offer those opportunities as accessible as possible. Look to our training offers or make a request to see if I cannot make that connection through partnership/ networks.

Be it a client or learner, you can trust that every visit is focused entirely on you, ensuring a premium, personalised experience.

Hairdressing is its own community, stronger together.