A Look at the Booming Business of Unisex Salons in Lagos Nigeria

Across Lagos and beyond, salon owners are steadily adopting a more cost-effective and pragmatic approach in the way they do business. It is not unusual to walk into a salon for a haircut, only to see some ladies either having their nails fixed or hair relaxed. Unisex salons are all over the city, and their businesses are booming. The current situation can best be described as a ‘paradigm shift’. But how exactly did this come about? Business Elites Africa went on a fact-finding mission across Lagos.

Next Barbing & Beauty Salon is Leading this Change

One sunny Saturday afternoon, I visited a Next Salon outlet in Lagos. It was my first time there after a colleague had spoken so highly of the place, describing the salon chain as the very best in the country. While this description is clearly subjective, one thing is clear – Next Salon is doing something different. It is fast becoming a leader in the unisex salon business. As I sat there having my hair barbered, my eyes were all over the place. To my left, about four young women were busy relaxing and washing some women’s hair. Others were in charge of manicures and pedicures. I saw some customers who were there to fix eyelashes. Others were even there for a full makeover ahead of their dinner date later that evening. And of course, there were other men like myself who were having their hair barbered like myself. It was a beehive of activities.

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The scenario above is typical of Next Salons everywhere, although not peculiar to them. It was intriguing to see, by the way. And when I later spoke to one of the barbers, he offered some explanation into Next Salon’s operation…

EDITOR’S NOTE: Read the rest of this interview on page 52 of our latest magazine edition- 15 Entrepreneurs Disrupting Africa’s Fashion and Beauty Industry. Click here to read now.