Capital Hair and Beauty

What Capital Hair and Beauty does

Capital Hair and Beauty Ltd is a UK-based, family-owned trade-only wholesaler founded in 1954 in Brighton as a scissor sharpening business and now operating as the self-described largest independent supplier to professional hair and beauty buyers in the UK. The company serves registered trade professionals (hairdressers, beauty therapists, nail technicians, barbers, salon owners, and students) through three integrated channels: a proprietary e-commerce platform (capitalhairandbeauty.co.uk), 60+ cash-and-carry retail stores across the UK and Ireland, and a same-hour Click & Collect service. Product breadth spans 20,000+ SKUs across hair colour and care, electrical tools, beauty consumables, nail products, barbering supplies, and salon furniture, including own-brand lines such as Capital Cream Peroxide and the Capera DryLite Pro hairdryer, alongside authorised distribution of major brands including Wella, Schwarzkopf, L'Oréal Professionnel, ghd, Dyson, and Olaplex.

The business operates on a wholesale product sales model with pay-as-you-go transactional pricing quoted exclusive of VAT, supplemented by revenue from professional training courses (in-person, online, and blended formats covering hair, beauty, nails, and barbering) and transaction-based revenue from a Klarna furniture financing partnership. Go-to-market combines a sales-led B2B trade model with event-driven customer acquisition through training and masterclasses, supported by digital marketing across email, social media, the Capital Blog, Google remarketing, and Feefo-verified customer reviews. Underlying technology is a standard e-commerce stack with integrated inventory management, store locator, customer accounts, a Student Club programme offering discounts and a graduation-to-pro conversion pathway, and an in-store Privilege Points loyalty scheme. The company employs 251-500 staff and maintains its registered head office in Brighton, operating as a private limited company with no disclosed external investors, parent entity, or acquisition activity.

Name

Capital Hair and Beauty

Legal name

Capital Hair and Beauty Ltd

Website

https://capitalhairandbeauty.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Capital Hair and Beauty is the UK's largest independent trade-only wholesaler of professional hair, beauty, nail, and barbering supplies, serving registered trade professionals through 60+ UK & Ireland stores, e-commerce, and same-hour Click & Collect, plus training courses and own-brand products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Beauty and Salon Supplies

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Health and Personal Care Retailers (4561)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional/Salon Haircare (Backbar & Retail) (CRABABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments) (CRABALAB), Hair Color & Bleaching (CRABABAD), Professional Hair Color (CRABALAA), Hair Styling & Cutting (EDAOALAB)

Keywords

• Professional hair supplies
• Trade beauty wholesale
• Salon furniture supply
• Barbering equipment distribution
• Professional beauty training

Headquarters

HQ city

Brighton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Wholesale/Trade): Primary revenue from wholesale product sales to registered trade professionals. Customers purchase hair, beauty, nail, and barbering supplies at trade prices exclusive of VAT. Products include professional hair colour, care, styling, electrical tools, accessories, furniture, and consumables from major professional brands. Revenue is generated through one-time transactional purchases with no subscription component.
2. Training Courses: Revenue from professional training courses delivered in-person or online. Courses cover hair, beauty, nails, and barbering techniques. In-store courses include practical training with educators; online courses provide digital learning materials. Course fees are non-refundable once accessed or within 8 days of the course date for in-store bookings.
3. Furniture Financing: Partnership with Klarna providing financing options for salon furniture purchases, allowing customers to spread payments over time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Capital Hair and Beauty is a trade-only B2B wholesale distributor of professional hair, beauty, nail, and barbering supplies serving registered trade professionals across the UK and Ireland. The company supplies 20,000+ products from 20+ leading professional brands through 60+ physical cash-and-carry stores and an e-commerce platform with Click & Collect. Additional services include professional training courses covering hair, beauty, nails, and barbering, plus a Student Club programme and Klarna financing for salon furniture purchases.

Product overview

Capital Hair & Beauty is the UK's largest independent trade-only supplier to hair and beauty professionals, offering a comprehensive portfolio of professional salon supplies across multiple categories. The company operates as a wholesale distributor providing hair colour and bleach products, hair care, electrical styling tools, styling products, accessories, brushes and combs, periming/straightening products, foil and meche, scissors and razors, hair extensions, beauty products (including waxing, skincare, tanning, tinting/lifting, lash/brow, massage), nail products (polish, tools, extensions, manicure/pedicure, acrylic, nail art), barber supplies, and salon furniture. The company also offers its own branded products such as Capital Cream Peroxide and Capera DryLite Pro Hairdryer. Additional services include professional training courses (beauty, hair, nails, barbering, online), Click & Collect from 60+ stores, and VAT-free sales for new customers. The business operates both online and through physical stores across the UK & Ireland, with a focus on serving hairdressers, beauty therapists, and nail technicians in a trade-only capacity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Hair Colour and Bleach Products Professional permanent and semi-permanent hair colour, bleach, peroxide and developers, toners, and colour accessories sourced from major brands such as Wella Koleston Perfect ME+. Sold exclusively to registered trade professionals at ex-VAT trade prices.
• Professional Hair Care Products Professional shampoos, conditioners, treatments, oils, and hair loss products for salon use, including launched ranges from Amika (Soulfood Nourishing Hair Mask 100ml and 250ml) and Color Wow.
• Professional Electrical Hair Tools Professional hairdryers, clippers, trimmers, straighteners, curling tools, and stylers used by salons and barbers, including the Bio-Therapeutic bt-sonic GEN2 cleansing brush.
• Professional Beauty Products Hard wax, strip wax, roller wax, skincare, tanning, tinting and lifting, lash and brow, massage, and beauty accessories for spa and beauty clinic use, including the LashBase Lifted range and Perron Rigot hard wax 800g.
• Professional Nail Products Gel polish, UV builder gel, base and top coats, nail polish, acrylic powders and monomers, nail tips, fibreglass, nail glues, manicure and pedicure products, paraffin wax, nail art supplies, and gel lamps for nail technicians, including The Manicure Company Magnetic Gel Polish 8ml.
• Professional Barber Supplies Men's clippers, trimmers, accessories, scissors, razors, styling products, shaving products, skincare, brushes, combs, hygiene, and shampoo products for barbers and male grooming specialists.
• Salon Furniture and Equipment Wash units, basins, water systems, styling chairs, mirrors, beauty and spa furniture, trolleys, stools, dryers, lamps, steamers, towel warmers, reception desks, and barbershop furniture for salon fit-outs, with Klarna financing and a Price Match Promise available.
• Professional Training Courses Hands-on and online courses covering hair (cutting, colouring, styling, barbering), beauty (waxing, lash and brow, facial, massage, tanning, ear piercing, holistic), and nails. Online courses start from £10.00 ex VAT (e.g., Introduction to NXT Seminar) and in-person courses range from £40.00 ex VAT (Body Scrub Online Course) to £179.00 ex VAT (Salon System Brow Lamination, Lash Lift and Tint). Delivered in-person, online, or as blended learning.
• Click and Collect Service Free collection of online orders from any of 60-plus stores across the UK and Ireland within one hour of ordering, available exclusively to registered trade customers.
• Capital Own-Brand Products Capital-branded consumables and tools including Capital Cream Peroxide, Capital Disposable Spatulas, Capital Couch Rolls, Capital Cotton Cosmetic Pads, Capital Lint Free Nail Wipes, and the Capera DryLite Pro Hairdryer, sold at trade prices to professional customers.
• Hair Extensions Human hair and synthetic hair extensions along with care products and accessories for salon extension services.
• Student Club Programme Dedicated student account programme offering exclusive discounts, free delivery, college kits, and a graduation-to-pro account conversion pathway for hair and beauty students in training.
• Privilege Points Loyalty Programme In-store loyalty programme where trade customers earn stamps on qualifying spend, redeemable for vouchers, designed to drive repeat purchasing across 60-plus stores.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.8/5 average customer rating on Feefo based on 1,198 verified reviews
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• KlarnasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerKlarna provides buy-now-pay-later financing options for furniture purchases on the Capital Hair & Beauty website. Klarna cookies enable personalised advertising and analytics. Customers can spread furniture payments over time, making higher-value equipment purchases more accessible.
• FeefosupportingTechnology or IntegrationFeefo provides independent customer review collection and display services. Capital Hair & Beauty uses Feefo to collect post-purchase reviews (2 questions after order/course completion). Feefo displays all reviews (positive and negative) and awards the Platinum Trusted Service Award based on ratings.
• Google (Analytics, Ads, Remarketing)supportingTechnology or IntegrationGoogle provides analytics (GA4), remarketing/advertising services, and ad tracking through doubleclick.net. Cookies enable tracking of user behaviour and delivery of targeted advertisements across Google's advertising network.
• PayPalsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPayPal serves as a payment service provider for processing customer transactions. PayPal privacy policy governs PayPal-specific transactions.
• Trust Payments / AdyensupportingTechnology or IntegrationTrust Payments and Adyen process credit/debit card payments on the Capital Hair & Beauty website. Card details are stored securely on payment provider servers; Capital Hair & Beauty does not have access to stored card data.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SalonCentric: US-based professional beauty distribution business owned by L'Oréal, selling salon-exclusive products through stores and e-commerce to licensed professionals. Directly comparable trade-only B2B distributor model in the professional haircare space, albeit at much larger scale and with single-brand-owner backing.
• CosmoProf / Beauty Systems Group: Henkel-owned professional beauty distribution arm in North America operating a multi-brand wholesale model to licensed stylists and salons via stores, sales reps, and e-commerce. Closest international analogue to Capital Hair & Beauty's multi-brand professional distribution model.
• Salon Services: UK-based trade supplier of professional hair and beauty products to salons, barbers, and nail technicians through stores and online. Directly competes with Capital Hair & Beauty on product range, trade pricing, and UK physical-store footprint.
• Haircare & Beauty (formerly Haircare & Beauty Ltd): UK-based online and store-based trade supplier of professional hair and beauty products targeting the same professional hairdresser, beauty therapist, and barber customer base with comparable multi-brand assortment.
• Rainbow Cosmetics International: UK wholesaler and distributor of professional beauty products to salons, spas, and barbers. Comparable multi-brand trade distribution model serving overlapping professional customer segments in the UK & Ireland.
• Beauty Express: UK-based trade supplier of professional beauty, hair, and nail products serving salons and therapists via e-commerce and physical outlets. Directly comparable product range and B2B customer targeting.
• Armstrong's Hair & Beauty: UK regional trade supplier of professional hair and beauty products to salons with stores and delivery service. Comparable trade-only B2B model and product mix, though smaller geographic footprint.

Emerging players

• Salon Galaxy: Smaller UK-based online retailer of professional salon supplies including hair colour, styling, and electricals. Partial overlap with Capital Hair & Beauty's e-commerce offering but with limited physical store presence and smaller assortment.
• Salon Equipment Centre: UK-based supplier specialising in salon furniture, wash units, and equipment with trade pricing. Comparable overlap in the salon furniture category, which Capital Hair & Beauty offers alongside its consumables business.

Regional players

• The Salon People: UK/Ireland-based distributor of professional salon products (part of the Salon People Group). Comparable trade-only model serving professional hairdressers but with a regional rather than national multi-channel footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/capitalhair
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@capitalhairbeauty
• Facebookfacebook.com/CapitalHairandBeauty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capital-hair-&-beauty
• Instagraminstagram.com/capitalhairuk
• TikToktiktok.com/@capitalhair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Capital Hair and Beauty