The rise of the Barbershop on the high street – are they really money laundering?
It’s no secret that Barbershops have increased in numbers over the past 5 years. Look at your local high street. Pass one Barber, and you’ll pass another within just a few steps. In fact, a recent report says that Barbers are the fastest-growing retail unit on the high street.
But why the increase?
According to the news (as reported by the Daily Mail), many Barbers are being used as a front for money laundering and human trafficking. As disturbing as it sounds, this has been happening on our doorstep in towns and cities up and down the country, and many legitimate owners like ourselves, have witnessed first-hand this trend and the damage it’s been doing to our reputation.
So, how can you trust your Barber? What are the tell-tale signs they’re running an illegal operation?
Taking cash is not a sign that your Barber is money laundering
We’re often asked *why do we only take cash?* Is it illegal? The answer is no. For a small business like ours (and many local businesses in your area) cash is the preferred payment method because it means we get to keep the full amount. With growing overheads, this is important to us and our team.
Every card payment incurs extra fees, such as service charges, online transaction fees, and authorisation fees. Sadly, it all adds up. We have a free cash machine outside the Barbershop. If customers can help us by paying in cash, it means we have a better chance of staying in business and can continue providing a premium service to our clients.
Taking cash can be a sign that a business is money laundering, but it doesn’t mean they are.
How busy is the Barbers?
All Barbers have lulls at specific points of the day. Every day can be different, and it varies from month to month. But what if you’re walking past your Barbers on different days and times, and they’re ALWAYS quiet? Take a look online at reviews. How long have they been open for? Hopefully, the answer to these questions will put your mind at rest or raise more questions. If it’s the latter, perhaps shop around.
How clean is the Barbers?
This might sound like an odd question, but we’ve heard horror stories from customers of Barbers using equipment that’s not been sanitised between appointments. Visibly dirty workstations. Hair left on the floor all day. Food being eaten around the customers. Poor handwashing procedures. These things are unhygienic and, at worst, could lead to infections. A business that’s carrying out illegal operations behind the scenes isn’t going to care about your wellbeing, so reports of ‘dirty’ Barbers are ones to stay well clear of.
Did you get recommendations for your Barber?
Many of our customers who visit us come from personal recommendations. Or they search for ‘Barbers in Peterborough’ and find hundreds of 5-star reviews.
So ask around. Do you know someone who has had a good experience? Are the Barber’s reviews displayed somewhere reputable, like Google or Trustpilot? If they’re written onto the Barber’s website, there is the potential for them to be fake, so always trust independent review websites. It’s worth your time doing your due diligence so your money (and your hair!) doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.
You get what you pay for
We’re not the cheapest Barbers in Peterborough and the surrounding area, but we’re not the most expensive.
- Our customers know we offer excellent value for money.
- We put more time into our appointments than most Barbers.
- Our cleaning standards are beyond what is expected.
- We care deeply about our local community.
- We have extensive experience behind us.
We can’t compete on price when we see Barbers offering haircuts for £10. But we can compete on quality and expertise.
We’d never drop our standards in order to cut prices; we know our customers wouldn’t want us to!
Whether you live in Peterborough, Stamford, or the surrounding areas, our barbers is based at the bottom of Werrington Village and easily accessible on your way home or to work with free parking.
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