A hared beauty salon in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — Shared beauty salons, a new concept in which a handful of hairdressers work as independent businesses at a single beauty salon, are enjoying rising popularity.
Unlike existing beauty salons where the owner hires some hairdressers, a shared beauty salon refers to a shared service in which an owner operates a beauty salon and leases space and facilities to independent hairdressers
Under the current enforcement regulation of the Public Health Control Act, shared beauty salons have been prohibited.
However, since the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy started applying a regulatory sandbox in August 2020, it became possible to operate shared beauty salons and interest in this type of business is steadily growing.
Hairdressers can operate autonomously by renting space in return for paying a deposit and monthly rental fees.
The concept of the shared beauty salon has emerged in the midst of an increase in business startup costs resulting from the enlargement and corporatization of the beauty salon industry and the invigoration of new operational culture that is centered on hairdressers rather than beauty salons.
By using the shared beauty salons, hairdressers can open their own salons at a lower cost and their customers can enjoy customized services.
“Thus far, hairdressers tended to work at large beauty salons simply to build their careers despite the fact that they cannot receive most of the revenues they create,” an industry official said.
“Shared beauty salons are a great alternative for those who have a dream of opening their own salon.”
Shared beauty salons are drawing attraction as a new business model using the concept of ‘sharing economy.’
However, given that the country still has many regulations restricting the growth of the sharing economy, it has been pointed out that regulations should be loosened more actively to cultivate new industries.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
