The Hair Salon Industry in Holmestrand

Overview of the Hair Salon Industry in Holmestrand

Holmestrand has an active hair salon industry with 16 registered companies in the municipality, distributed across three geographical areas: Holmestrand, Sande I Vestfold, and Hof. The industry has shown variation in sales development, with a peak in 2022 and a decline in 2023. EBITDA margins are at 10% for Holmestrand and 6% for Sande I Vestfold, indicating strong profitability in parts of the industry. At the same time, there are several companies with zero sales and employees, which may indicate recent startups or inactivity. The industry is stable with no registered bankruptcies, but the development has been uneven over time.

Sales Development:

• 2020: NOK 21.6 million (highest level)
• 2022: NOK 26.5 million (peak)
• 2023: NOK 19.5 million (decline of 26.4%)
• 2025: NOK 18.4 million (increase of 2.2%)

Employee Development:

• 2020: 59 employees (highest level)
• 2022: 52 employees
• 2023: 49 employees
• 2026: 35 employees (decline of 14.6%)

Margins:

• EBITDA margin: 10% (Holmestrand)
• EBITDA margin: 6% (Sande I Vestfold)
• Gross margin: 1182% (Holmestrand)

Sales development has been strongly influenced by the pandemic, with a strong increase in 2020 and 2021, but with a clear decline after 2022. Employee development has been more stable, with a decline of 14.6% from 2025 to 2026. High gross margins indicate that the industry has good cost control, even though EBITDA margins are more moderate.

In Holmestrand, there are 16 registered companies in the hair salon industry, distributed across the following organizational forms:

• AS (Limited Liability Company): 6 companies, 33 employees, NOK 22.2 million in sales
• ENK (Sole Proprietorship): 1 company, 3 employees, NOK 0 in sales

Key Companies:

• Studio B As (Revåveien 35, Sande I Vestfold): 10 employees, NOK 6.8 million in sales
• Tango Holmestrand (Hvittingfossveien 123, Holmestrand): 9 employees, NOK 13.1 million in sales
• Hair By Bob As (Langgaten 23C, Holmestrand): 8 employees, NOK 0 in sales (recently started)
• Vibekes Hårpleie As (Hofslundveien 2D, Hof): 1 employee, NOK 0.929 million in sales

Several companies have zero sales and employees, which may indicate recent startups or inactivity. The AS form dominates, but the ENK form is also present, especially for smaller companies.

The industry is distributed across three geographical areas in Holmestrand:

Holmestrand has the highest sales and most employees, while Hof has the lowest sales and employees. Sande I Vestfold is between the two, but with a lower EBITDA margin. This indicates that Holmestrand is the most central area for the industry, with larger companies and higher income.

Bankruptcy Statistics:

• There are no registered bankruptcies in the hair salon industry in Holmestrand.

Stability:

• The industry has been stable with no bankruptcies, but there are several companies with zero sales and employees, which may indicate recent startups or inactivity.

Challenges:

• Recent years have shown a decline in sales and employees, especially from 2022 to 2023. This may be influenced by economic factors or bankruptcies in other sectors.

Opportunities:

• High EBITDA margins (10%) and good gross margin (1182%) indicate that the industry has strong profitability, even though there are variations between areas.

Development for Entrepreneurs

The hair salon industry in Holmestrand has shown both strengths and challenges for entrepreneurs. Sales development has been uneven, with a strong increase in 2020 and 2021, but a decline after 2022. This may be influenced by the pandemic and subsequent economic conditions. EBITDA margins are at 10%, indicating strong profitability, but there are variations between areas. Entrepreneurs should consider establishing themselves in Holmestrand, where there is the most activity, but also compete with existing companies. It is possible to find vacant addresses in the municipality, and SmartGrunder can help identify good locations for new hair salons.

Development in the Broader Hair Salon Sector

Parent Category (Hair Salon):

• Number of Companies: 88
• Sales in 2025: NOK 22.5 million
• Employees in 2026: 45

Comparison with the Hair Salon Industry:

• The hair salon sector has more companies (88) than the hair salon industry (16), and higher sales (NOK 22.5 million vs. NOK 18.4 million in 2025).
• EBITDA margins in the hair salon sector are slightly lower (1.5% increase in 2025) compared to the hair salon industry (10% in Holmestrand).

Peer Companies in the Hair Salon Sector:

• Examples of companies in the parent category include Henriette & Kristoffer As (beauty salon) and Lene's Hudpleie As (beauty salon), which have lower sales and employees than hair salons. This shows that the hair salon sector includes broader services, while the hair salon industry is more specialized.

Conclusion:

• The hair salon sector has larger volume, but the hair salon industry has higher profitability. Entrepreneurs should consider establishing themselves in the hair salon industry, where it is possible to compete with higher margins.

Holmestrand has an active hair salon industry with strong profitability, especially in the Holmestrand center. The industry has shown variation in sales and employees over time, but there are no bankruptcies, indicating stability. Entrepreneurs should consider establishing themselves in Holmestrand, where there is the most activity, but also compete with existing companies. It is possible to find vacant addresses in the municipality, and SmartGrunder can help identify good locations for new hair salons. The broader hair salon sector has larger volume, but the hair salon industry has higher profitability, which can be an advantage for new companies.