The Surge of Barbershops on Britain’s Declining High Streets

In a small Welsh town named Porth, nestled in the Rhondda Valley, a striking transformation of the local high street is underway. Once home to a mix of shops, the street is now dominated by a growing number of barbershops. With 13 such establishments already in operation, and plans for a 14th underway, the surge of Turkish and Kurdish-style barbers is sparking debate among residents and town councils across Britain.

Between 2018 and today, Britain has witnessed a 50 per cent increase in the number of barbershops, with more than 750 opening in the past year alone. This trend is particularly evident in Porth, where local shopkeepers are voicing frustration as their once-varied high street is overtaken by salons. “There’s just been more and more barbers opening,” says Bijar Adam, owner of Yusif’s Barbers. Originally from Iraq, Adam now finds himself struggling in a saturated market, despite seven years of running his shop successfully.

Porth’s residents have raised concerns about granting licences for additional barbershops. A recent planning committee decision to approve another salon on Hannah Street met resistance from 34 letters of objection. Complaints ranged from fears of oversaturation to allegations of potential links to organised crime, reflective of wider national investigations. The National Crime Agency has conducted raids across the UK, citing suspicions that cash-only Turkish-style barbershops may be linked to money laundering activities. While there is no evidence of such issues in Porth, the growing unease highlights this as a national talking point.

The economic forces behind the rise of barber shops stem from broader shifts in Britain’s shopping habits. Online shopping and post-industrial decline have battered high streets like Porth’s. Storefronts sit vacant, with landlords favouring tenants who can pay higher rents or take up unwanted space. In many cases, Turkish-style barbers are willing to meet these demands, offering rents above asking prices, according to local estate agents.

Porth is not alone in witnessing the effects of this transformation. Nearby Blackwood has also seen its high street dominated by salons, with territorial tensions leading to violent incidents earlier this year. The shopfront strategy has stoked debates about the state of Britain’s high streets, with political figures capitalising on the issue. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has repeatedly highlighted the expansion of Turkish barber shops as symbolic of wider economic problems. This criticism resonates with communities where shrinking job markets exacerbate low spending power and reduced retail options.

For many, the barbershop boom represents a symptom of systemic neglect. With only 46 jobs available for every 100 working-age residents in South Wales, as reported by Sheffield Hallam University, local economies are struggling to recover from the industrial decline of the 1980s. Promises of regeneration from successive governments failed to take root, leaving local business owners and high street shopkeepers to navigate the fallout of a stagnant economy. For Adam, the pursuit of a more stable future means leaving barbering altogether. “I’m giving it up… I want a decent job in IT,” he says, encapsulating the frustrations of many in towns like Porth.

As councils grapple with the challenge of reviving dying high streets, balancing short-term commercial interests with the need for vibrant, varied retail spaces will prove central to restoring local pride and economic viability.

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