Hair Salon Industry in Grimstad: A Comprehensive Analysis

Overview of the Hair Salon Industry in Grimstad

Grimstad has an active hair salon industry with 48 registered companies in the municipality. In 2025, there are 42 employees in the industry, indicating a stable level over the past few years. Sales have grown by 5.3% from 2024 to 2025, reaching NOK 21.2 million. The industry is dominated by AS companies (9 companies) and ENK companies (1 company), with a mix of established and new companies.

Key figures show that the industry has a good average gross profit margin of 87%, but variation in EBITDA margins (from 0% to 9%). Some companies have negative EBITDA, which may indicate economic challenges for certain actors.

Sales and Employee Development (2016–2025):

Sales have grown by 15.2% over five years, with a stable trend after 2020. Employee numbers have varied between 42 and 47, with a decline of 2.3% from 2024 to 2025. The industry has an average sales growth of 3.0% per year, with strong growth in 2019 (6.0%) and 2023 (5.3%).

Key Figures:

• Average gross profit margin: 87%
• Average operating margin: 4%
• Average EBITDA margin: 5%

Key Companies in Grimstad:

1. Lucky Frisør Odden As (Vesterled 5) – 9 employees, NOK 7.7M in sales, 9% EBITDA margin
2. Liv's Salong As (Storgaten 22) – 6 employees, NOK 3.5M in sales, 8% EBITDA margin
3. Salong Pili As (Torvet 3) – 5 employees, NOK 2.9M in sales, 9% EBITDA margin

Companies with Challenges:

• Frisør Design Holvika As (Skjærgårdsveien 1): 0 sales, 0 employees
• Lito Hårdesign As (Storgaten 35): -8% EBITDA margin
• Mito På Moy As (Moy Moner 95): 0 sales, 0 employees

Organizational Forms:

• AS: 9 companies, 39 employees, NOK 21.3M in sales
• ENK: 1 company, 2 employees, 0 sales

Advantages Between Neighborhoods and Areas:

Grimstad has 8 companies with a total of 37 employees and NOK 19.9M in sales. Fevik has 2 companies with lower sales (NOK 1.4M) but a higher average EBITDA margin (5% vs. 5% in Grimstad). The average gross profit margin is 87% in Grimstad and 89% in Fevik.

Bankruptcies and Economic Challenges:

• No bankruptcies in the hair salon industry in Grimstad over the past few years.
• Frisørstudio As (Skolegaten 6) has -1% EBITDA margin and -10,000 NOK operating result.
• Lito Hårdesign As (Storgaten 35) has -8% EBITDA margin and -288,000 NOK operating result.

Stable Companies:

• Lucky Frisør Odden As has 8% sales growth and 9% EBITDA margin.
• Liv's Salong As has 12% sales growth and 8% EBITDA margin.

Different Challenges:

• New companies such as Frisør Design Holvika As and Mito På Moy As have 0 sales and 0 employees.
• Bølgen Salong Hilde Ribe (Fevik) has 0 sales and 0 employees.

Outlook for Founders

Opportunities and Challenges:

• Stable number of companies: 48 companies in the municipality, with a stable level over the past five years.
• Sales growth: Sales have grown by 5.3% from 2024 to 2025, reaching NOK 21.2M.
• New companies: 2025 has 12 companies with 0 sales, which may indicate potential founding opportunities.

Recommendations for Founders:

• Focus on differentiation and quality to compete with established companies.
• Attention to cost control, especially for companies with negative EBITDA.
• Development of unique offerings to stand out in a competitive market.

Comparison with the Hairdresser Salon Industry:

• Hairdresser salon industry has 70 companies in the municipality, compared to 48 in the hair salon industry.
• Sales: The hairdresser salon industry had NOK 22.6M in 2025, compared to NOK 21.2M for the hair salon industry.
• Employees: The hairdresser salon industry had 55 employees in 2026, compared to 42 in the hair salon industry.

Peer companies in the hairdresser salon industry:

Conclusion: The hairdresser salon industry has higher sales and more companies, but the hair salon industry has better average EBITDA margins (5% vs. 0% for some companies in the hairdresser salon industry).

The hair salon industry in Grimstad shows stable development with sales growth and a good number of companies. There are opportunities for founders, especially with a focus on differentiation and quality. At the same time, it is important to be aware of economic challenges for certain companies. The hairdresser salon industry has higher sales and more companies, but the hair salon industry has better average EBITDA margins. SmartGrunder can help founders find suitable locations in Grimstad for the hair salon industry.