The spate of new hair salons shows no signs of abating as a Saks salon opens next door to Max Giamello on Orford Hill (leading on to Timber Hill).

 

Saks is likely to cause shockwaves throughout the Norwich hair scene as it is a large and well-known franchise. Saks Norwich has signalled its intent by offering large discounts to new customers backed by an advertising campaign in the local press and brazenly advertising for new staff in its windows.

 

Other hair salon proprietors are hoping that customer loyalty will not see too many of their clients migrating to the new entrant. And are hoping the hairdressing adage that a salon is only as good as its stylists holds firm.

 

Max Giamello’s new salon probably marked the high water mark for salon owners to make large capital investments in swish new premises in the hope that the gamble pays off with more clients. Kinki was another salon that deployed this strategy. It is unclear whether this gamble has paid off.

 

Craig Coates’ salon is another that invested heavily but it is now known to be struggling. It just goes to show that running a hair salon in Norwich is increasingly becoming a cut-throat business and that spending large sums on a new salon or a major refurbishment doesn’t necessarily guarantee customers.