Barbers!

[Jomoore]

I live in a medium sized, working class suburb of Leeds, and until 2-3 yrs ago had a couple of men's' hairdressers which were only really busy on a Saturday.  One has since closed.  However, during that same period, along, or just off, the main street no fewer than eight new men's barber shops have opened.
They are all characterised by a couple of things; they are run by men of middle eastern appearance, they are classily decorated (lots of mirrors, chrome and down lights etc), and most importantly, they rarely have a customer in them.  In fact in half of them I've never ever seen a customer.
I was prompted to write this by the fact that within the same half mile long stretch, the finishing touches are today being made to a ninth!
So has some astute business man come along, saw that there were eight shops not doing very well, and decided to open another to join them?   
Anyone got any idea what's going on?

[StingRay]

I live in a medium sized, working class suburb of Leeds, and until 2-3 yrs ago had a couple of men's' hairdressers which were only really busy on a Saturday.  One has since closed.  However, during that same period, along, or just off, the main street no fewer than eight new men's barber shops have opened.
They are all characterised by a couple of things; they are run by men of middle eastern appearance, they are classily decorated (lots of mirrors, chrome and down lights etc), and most importantly, they rarely have a customer in them.  In fact in half of them I've never ever seen a customer.
I was prompted to write this by the fact that within the same half mile long stretch, the finishing touches are today being made to a ninth!
So has some astute business man come along, saw that there were eight shops not doing very well, and decided to open another to join them?   
Anyone got any idea what's going on?

Money laundering springs to mind! 

[badsin]

Money laundering springs to mind! 

Similar in Derby and many other town's and cities
. Often discussed on talk radio. Cash business, easy to get up to no good.

[Spunky34]

Could be money laundering for sure.  I've also noticed a lot of barbers popping up recently.  In the past it has been the case with nail bars, homeopathic medicine shops, even sweet shops.  All of them could plausibly be argued to be handling large quantities of cash but you look at the sheer numbers and just think "there aren't enough customers to keep all these going"

[radioman33]

All over the place, same types sitting on their phones doing nothing or smoking outside.

[mr.bluesky]

Yeah, I've noticed a lot of Turkish barbers have opened in my home city. 

[Blackpool Rock]

Try going in one and asking for a hair cut, if they say they don't know how then you know it's a front, probably end up coming out with a bag of weed or something 

Hairdressers always complain they don't make much money and the over heads of a shop in itself must be quite high unless they get some sort of grant or help on a new business start up 

[Jonestown]

After the Great Depression in 1928 the business that bounced back fastest was hairdressing so it clearly has something going for it, but as from the above posts and general observation, we are all going to have to have two or three haircuts a week to keep these boys in business. If they reduced the cost of a wet shave to the two or three pounds you pay in Istanbul fish docks I’d gladly boost their business.

[Josey Wales]

But lots of hairdressers closing recently according to this report
External Link/Members Only
"Two-fifths of salon owners say they are anxious about the future, with almost a quarter struggling to pay their energy costs and one in five having to ask family and friends for financial help, according to a survey by the comparison site Uswitch.

Independently owned hairdressers and beauty salons were by far the hardest hit by rising energy bills and the consumer spending squeeze among independent retailers last year – with a net 624 closing, according to the Local Data Company. The next worst affected category – newsagents – saw only a net 225 shut."

[Jumping Jack Flash]

There’s a load around by me too, four within a mile.

I use one for a haircut and beard trim and they’re bloody good and competitively priced.

I did wonder if they were franchises but nothing found on a google search.

[Punterperson1971]

It’s not just barber shops takeaways spring up and also estate agents as well

[Pillowtalk]

I've been visiting a Turkish barbers for several years now and must say the skill of the barber, the quality of haircut and the customer service is far better than any I've ever received in a 'British' barbers' shop. It's not cheap but I have no hesitation in recommending. I've also noticed there are Turkish barbers opening almost everywhere - maybe 6-8 in the place I live, and Turkish restaurants too, but I like Turkish food....

My police office chum does says there are suspicions of money laundering against quite of few of these businesses...

[Punterperson1971]

[quote author=Pillowtalk link=topic=373624.msg3825365#msg3825365 date=16819188691


My police office chum does says there are suspicions of money laundering against quite of few of these businesses...
[/quote]

In my area of Walsall there’s a glut of takeaways,every other shop is one then you’ve  also got a load of Romanian and polish grocery shops either opposite each other or a few shops away,and in some areas of Birmingham every other shop is a hijab shop or a Islamic furniture store or a fabric or dress shop,so how do these type of shops actually survive there’s not enough custom to keep shops in business

[standardpostage]

No need to be scruffy or starve, where I live    A small northern town.

Lots of men's barbers, women's hairdresser's, nail bars, vaping shops, betting shops, charity shops and takeaways.

We also have a free food bank, and a cheap community shop, run by a local church 

And have the obligatory 1001 pot holes 

[Punterperson1971]

No need to be scruffy or starve, where I live    A small northern town.

Lots of men's barbers, women's hairdresser's, nail bars, vaping shops, betting shops, charity shops and takeaways.

We also have a free food bank, and a cheap community shop, run by a local church 

And have the obligatory 1001 pot holes 

That’s another thing as well I know of 3/4 betting shops in one area of Birmingham a few shops apart from each other

[Doc Holliday]

External Link/Members Only

[Jomoore]

Thanks for all the ideas guys. Yes, they do seem to be the latest version of the carwashes of the 90's.

[JontyR]

Also the days of pitching up and waiting for things are long since gone. Folks make appointments. The Saturday morning waiting around was a phenomenon. As was Dennis or Melvyn having a fag reading the Daily Star when you pitched up for a short back and sides on a Tuesday at 2.30.

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Still around 13 - 14 quid for a cut for pensioners like me in Cambridghe:)..

[Squire Haggard]

Still around 13 - 14 quid for a cut for pensioners like me in Cambridghe:)..

If you go to Stirling there's probably several barbers that will do it for under a tenner. 2 or 3 years ago, I think that the lowest price that I saw there was £6 for pensioners. Well worth the journey of a few hundred miles.

[mr.bluesky]

If you go to Stirling there's probably several barbers that will do it for under a tenner. 2 or 3 years ago, I think that the lowest price that I saw there was £6 for pensioners. Well worth the journey of a few hundred miles.

A tenner for oaps at the barbers I go to ( I've got a few more years to wait  though)

[DastardlyDick]

Thanks for all the ideas guys. Yes, they do seem to be the latest version of the carwashes of the 90's.

If the car washes are like the one Madam Becky started off in back in the day, I'm all for it!😂
There must be money in car washes, Tesco's took over all the independent ones they'd allowed to operate in their car parks.
Back on topic, what's the difference between a Turkish Barber and a British one?

[badsin]

Back on topic, what's the difference between a Turkish Barber and a British one?

Joke?
I don't know, what is the difference between a Turkish barber and a British one?

[standardpostage]

Turkish barbers, do hot towel shaves, beard trimming, nasal hair waxing, eye brow trimming, and, one of the ones in my town, also does botox injections.

I think, they just do more "stuff".

[standardpostage]

Still around 13 - 14 quid for a cut for pensioners like me in Cambridghe:)..

More hair on my eyebrows, than my head.
So I do my own, with an electric razor.
Have not been to a barbers / hairdressers for about 30 years.

[Jumping Jack Flash]

There’s also the point that loads of younger guys get their hair cut at least once a week. Add to that a beard and eyebrow trim then you can see why there are so Turkish barber shops. Male grooming is a huge industry compared with what it was even 10 years ago.

[mr.bluesky]

Back on topic, what's the difference between a Turkish Barber and a British one?

About 2101miles or or approximately 1825 nautical miles sorry I thought you said what's the distance between a Turkish Barber and a British one 

[catweazle]

I used to use a local "traditional" barbers.  One day I went and there was a handwritten note on the door saying "closed until  2.30". As it was only 11.00, I wasn't going to hang around for 3 hours,  so I tried the new Turkish barber just round the corner. 

They were busy, and I had a 20 minute wait. However  an excellent cut, eyebrow, nasal hair and beard trim - all for £11, where the old barber charged £8. Will keep using the Turkish one in future.

[Convince Me]

I call them clip joints

[Punterperson1971]

The Turkish barber in my town(not far from a well reviewed sp btw)is always full and the barbers are always well dressed in waist coats and trousers tbf they look smart.

[ulstersubbie]

More hair on my eyebrows, than my head.
So I do my own, with an electric razor.

Same here, a number one every other week does the trick!

[Blackpool Rock]

I call them clip joints

[Blackpool Rock]

Guy at work said he went to a Turkish barber about 5 or 6 years ago and got a really good cut, at the end the guy started going over his face with something that was like dental floss which i think was to remove any small bits of hair that had fallen on his face / skin then started burning / singeing his long ear hair etc

He said it was a really good service and when he came out he didn't have that itchy feeling from bits of hair down the back of his neck that you normally get because the barber hasn't put a towel around you properly etc