At RMB 10 to 15, about 10 minutes, with no hair washing or sales pitches, ten-yuan quick haircuts are becoming a daily choice for many white-collar workers. Our judgment is that consumers are not refusing to pay for services; they are redefining what is worth paying for—low interruption, predictability and problem-solving are replacing lavish interiors and relationship marketing.
What This Is
At its core, a ten-yuan quick haircut shop is a highly standardized, single-service store: shops are typically only 10 to 15 square meters, use vacuum equipment to clear loose hair during the haircut, and do not offer perming, coloring or hair washing. Customers take a number themselves and pay by scanning a QR code. Each service is divided into fixed steps—consultation, cutting, cleanup and disinfection—so customers know exactly what to expect in terms of price, time and results.
Traditional hair salons, by contrast, embed haircuts within washing, conditioning, perming and coloring, membership top-ups and relationship maintenance. The difference is not just price: one sells only the core service, while the other relies on additional offerings to increase average customer spending.
Industry View
We believe the most valuable part of the quick-haircut model is not “low price” but the removal of costs customers do not need: waiting, sales pitches, communication pressure and prepaid top-up risk. For urban consumers with little time and a dislike of pointless socializing, predictability is itself a service benefit; standardized processes also make it easier for small shops to control