Booming Creative Businesses in Indonesia: Barbershop (Hair Salon)
One of the businesses in Indonesia that thrive on the back of the large population and urbanization is the barbershop (hair salon). This is an example of a creative industry that is booming as demand is (in theory) omnipresent. Therefore, barbershops have mushroomed across the bigger cities, particularly in residential areas. For the richer segments of society there are expensive hair salons and stylists in the luxurious malls, while for the "ordinary" person there are plenty of cheaper barbershops on the streets of Jakarta.
Ade Farolan, Chairman of the Indonesia Barber Shop Association, said basically all segments of Indonesian society care about their appearance, especially their hairstyles. This not only applies to women but also to men. In fact, Farolan believes that awareness about hairstyles among men has experienced great growth in recent years and this is the main reason why barbershops have been mushrooming.
At the Hair Expo 2017, organized in the Jakarta Convention Center between 27-29 July 2017, Farolan said he sees room for great growth in the future for Indonesia's barbershop sector. While in 2016 there were between 4,000 and 5,000 barbershop brands active in Indonesia, he expects the figure to rise by 20-30 percent before the end of 2017.
Another matter that encourages the development of the barbershop industry in Indonesia is effective marketing through social media platforms. Amid fierce competition these barbershop brands are offering promotions, discounts and deals to lure the consumer. In residential areas it is not a strange sight to see five barbershop brands competing for consumers.
Farolan advises players in the barbershop industry of Indonesia to safeguard high-quality services and to keep track of the latest fashionable haircut trends.