The hairdressing market in Italy

The hairdressing market includes the entire range of professional services aimed at cutting, grooming, coloring, and styling hair for female, male, and children's customers. It includes activities carried out by beauty salons, barbers, hair stylists, home hairdressers, franchises and specialized centers, as well as the entire sector of cosmetic products and professional hairdressing tools. This market represents an essential component of the beauty industry, with a strong link to fashion, cultural trends, and the quality of the experience offered to the customer.

Globally, the hairdressing market was valued at $122.38 billion in 2024 and will reach $187.81 billion in 2032 (+53.4%), with an average annual growth rate of between +5% and +6%. In Europe, the segment of hair care products and styling tools will grow from $2.65 billion in 2024 to $3.39 billion in 2030 (+27.9%). In Italy, the value of the hairdressing market alone will grow from 841.6 million in 2024 to 1,357.93 million in 2030 (+61.3%), with constant annual increases between +7.4% and +8.3%. Considering the entire personal care services sector, turnover will increase from 5.8 billion in 2017 to 7.23 billion in 2024 (+24.6%), despite a sharp decline in 2020 (-17.7%) and a subsequent recovery between 2021 and 2022 (+13.9%).

In 2024, there are 137,730 active enterprises in the hairdressing and beauty treatment sector (+7.3% compared to 2017), with an absolute predominance of sole proprietors and self-employed entrepreneurs (82.7%). There are about 272,728 employees, up +4.1% from 2020. The majority of salons have 1-2 people (58.9%), and 70.4% are unisex. The market also shows an innovative component with the use of artificial intelligence in services such as cutting simulations, visual recognition, and personalized advice. The value chain starts from professional training, includes the supply of products and equipment (e.g., L'Oréal, Takara Belmont), to physical and digital distribution.

Price analysis shows wide territorial variations. In Milan, the full service can exceed €120 (crease: €27.5, cut: €39.6, color: €53.3), while in Naples it costs less than half that (crease: €11.2, cut: €13.25, color: €27.5). The consumer price index grew by +10.8 percent for men/children and +14.1 percent for women between 2018 and 2024. There is also a significant segment of home hairdressing, with rates from €5 to €70 depending on the service.

Product distribution dynamics show a prevalence of representatives (32.2% in 2024), followed by combined channels (24.2%), wholesalers (16.7%) and direct brands (15.9%). E-commerce is growing strongly, up from 4.9% to 6.6% (+34.7%). Key players include Trilab (€8.39M), Hair Medical Device (€6.77M), Redcoil (€4.51M, owner of the "I Love Riccio" brand) and Bartorelli Hair Couture (€0.92M). Italian hair product exports in 2024 reached €229.54M to the U.S. and €157.29M to France, while imports, dominated by France (€112.72M), confirm a strong trade interconnection.