The tattoo market - France (2024)

1.2 The global tattoo market

The tattoo market is booming. It was estimated at $*.** billion in ****, up *% on ****, and should grow by *% to reach $*.** billion in **** . It is also estimated to grow by **.*% annually from **** onwards, reaching $*.** billion in **** [***].

Market size for tattoo inks World, **** - ****, in millions of US$ Source: ****

The popularity of tattoos varies greatly from country to country. In Europe and the USA, tattoos are very popular. Other parts of the world are much less tattooed. This is particularly true of the Middle East, where tattoos are forbidden in the Islamic religion.

Percentage of population tattooed World, ****, in Source: ****

1.3 The French tattoo market

As we don't have an official market size for tattooing in France, we can use a number of hypotheses to propose an estimate below to give an order of magnitude for tattoo parlors' sales (***).

According to Les Echos, there will be between *,*** and *,*** tattoo studios in business in ****, with sales ranging from €*,*** to €**,*** per month, depending on their size, location and reputation.

Taking an average of *,*** studios, this means annual sales of between €** and €*** million(***). This estimate is also provided by the sorry-mom website.

In ****, the number of shows will be around *,***[***]. We can therefore estimate the market size at between €*** and €*** million, based on the same assumptions (***).

2.1 A practice in full expansion in recent years ...

The French are not the world's biggest tattoo consumers; Anglo-Saxon countries, for example, are ahead of France. Nevertheless, the rate of tattoo penetration among the population has been rising steadily over the past few years. While **% of French people were tattooed in ****, it is estimated that by ****, * in * French people will have at least one tattoo[***]. This figure is lower than that for ****, a sign that the number of tattooed people is stagnating or declining. Given that these figures come from different sources, it's important to see the long-term trend here, which is the increase in the number of tattooed people over the last few years compared with ****, reflecting the growing appeal of tattooing to the French.

Percentage of French people tattooed France, **** - ****, in % of over *,*** respondents Source: ****

2.2 ... which differs according to certain generational and social criteria

Although tattooing has been democratized in France, it is more prevalent among certain segments of the population, depending on various criteria. In short, despite the democratization of tattooing, it remains more common among women, the younger generation, and those with lower incomes and fewer qualifications.

Age : a determining factor:

The **-** age group is the most tattooed, while the **-** age group is the most tattooed in France. In ****, Le Point and Cluster ** reported that **% of **-** year-olds were tattooed, compared with less than *% of over-**s.

Share of French people with tattoos by age group France, ****, in Source: ****

Other factors that help establish the "typical" profile of tattooed people:[***]

Gender: In ****, **% of women will be tattooed, compared with **% of men[***].

Occupation: tattooing is more widespread in the so-called working-class socio-professional categories (***).

**% of blue-collar workers are tattooed, compared with **% of senior managers and professionals. More generally, **% of working-class people are tattooed, compared with **% of the upper classes.

Income and qualifications:

Often correlated with profession, Le Point and Cluster ** note that there are twice as many tattooists among those earning less than *,*** euros a month than among those earning more than *,***. The gap is of the same magnitude between university graduates ...

2.3 Tattooing: more of a long-term trend than a passing fad ...

**% of French people have a good image of tattooing, compared with **% who have a poor one.

This image varies considerably with age: **% of **-** year-olds have a good image, versus *% of those over **. We can therefore assume that, as the generations change, tattoos will become increasingly accepted, which will play in favor of their development. This is one of the reasons why tattooing is more of a long-term trend than a passing fad.

Perception of tattooing France, ****, percentage of respondents Source: ****

Ephemeral fad or underlying trend? For **% of French people, tattooing is thus a lasting trend that should become established in French society.

Is tattooing more of an ephemeral fad or a trend that's set to take a lasting hold in society? France, ****, in Source: ****

in a society where attention to one's appearance is strong, tattooing does indeed look set to thrive.

2.4 ... whose development is still hampered by a number of obstacles

Drawing on the Harris-interactive report on permanent body modifications, the main obstacles to the development of tattooing include

the often high price tag the fairly irreversible nature of the operation (***), which can lead to regret a few years later the health risks associated with the practice (***)

What are the main reasons why you haven't taken action today regarding the permanent transformation(***) you'd like to make? France, ****, in % Source: ****

One of the main obstacles to tattooing is the fear of catching blood-borne diseases. In October ****, **% of young people aged ** to ** believe that HIV can be transmitted by getting pierced or tattooed.

Proportion of French people who think HIV can be transmitted by piercing or tattooing France, ****, in percent Source: ****

Opinions are evolving positively, however, and as regulations are made stricter for piercing and tattooing studios, young people are less wary of the practice. In ****, **% of young people thought it was possible to catch AIDS by getting a tattoo or piercing.

evolution of the percentage of young people who believe that AIDS can be transmitted by piercing or tattooing France, ****, as a percentage of those surveyed Source: ****

With the application of good practices in tattoo parlors, however, the risks are very limited.

2.5 Most tattooed body parts

By ****, **% of all people will have a tattoo on their arm. In fact, this location is ideal for both large tattoos and smaller, more discreet ones. The upper arm and wrist are classic locations for small tattoos. Many people also opt for sleeves. Arms are also less sensitive areas and easier to tattoo[***]. Also, **% of people say they have a tattoo on their back or shoulders.

Lastly, intimate areas, which are never exposed in public, remain largely in the minority (***).

On which parts of the body are you tattooed? France, November ****, in Source: ****

Despite a rise in demand in recent years, tattooists remain reticent when it comes to tattooing the hands or neck, as these are areas of the body that age less well than others. The faster appearance and greater quantity of wrinkles, due to greater exposure of these areas, risks altering the tattoos.

3.1 "Other personal services" in France

Tattoo and piercing salons are registered under NAF code **.**Z, in the same way as "other personal services". The scope of this code is broader than tattoo parlors alone, but it gives an idea of the geography of the sector.

Tattoo parlors are often located in city centers to cater for a larger customer base, and there is a high concentration of these studios in major metropolitan areas.

being the most populous, the Île-de-France region concentrates the most of these services, with *,*** registered employees in this region. The Hauts-de-France and Auvergne - Rhône - Alpes regions follow with *,*** and *,*** employees respectively.

Source: ****

3.2 Tattoo studios in France

According to the Syndicat National des Artistes Tatoueurs, the number of registered tattoo artists is estimated at **,***.

In ****, there will be over *,*** tattoo parlors (***) in France, compared with *,*** in ****[***].

However, the number varies greatly depending on the source, and remains highly complex to estimate. What's more, nearly half of all tattoo parlors are illegal/clandestine, according to the national union of tattoo artists.

In the ****s, there were just twenty or so tattoo parlors in France: their numbers have exploded in less than ** years, as the graph below illustrates.

Growth in the number of tattoo parlors France, **** - ****, in number of salons Source: ****

TattooMe is a specialized website that lists tattoo parlors by region and in major cities. The table below gives an overview of the number of salons listed on the site in ****:

3.3 Strategy and dynamism (examples)

Most tattoo studios are independent, and many of them are also piercing salons.

These independents are often small structures of * - * people, sometimes family-run.

Among the independent studios is Tribal Act , which reported sales of €***,*** in ****[***].

in Lyon, My Body Art is the salon with the most Google reviews and sales of €*.* million in ****. [***]

in Marseille, Arte Corpus is the most popular show, ahead of Body Steel[***]

There are also a number of tattoo/piercing studio chains in France.

in Paris, for example, there's the American Body Art chain, with five tattoo and piercing studios in the *st, *th and *th arrondissements[***].

Other players include :

** Ink: franchise. Abraxas: another well-known chain in the capital, with four stores in Paris, Neuilly and St-Gilles-les-Bains. the Tattoo Collective Graphicadermewith * salons in France offering tattooing and piercing (***).

Analysis of tattoo parlors' profitability:

Source: ****

Specific costs:

Tattoo machines : The price range for tattoo machines is very wide, depending on the product range. According to Capital, if we take those of the Leader Cheyenne Hawk brand (***): prices range from €** on Cdiscount to over €*** on specialist sites.

Inks: Eternal Ink, Silverblack and Panthera are the main brands used by tattoo artists in France and around the world.

Killer ...

3.4 Certain events promote tattooing

The Mondial du tatouage was one of the most popular events in the tattoo world. Every year, some **,*** people attended[***]. However, health restrictions prompted its founder, Tin-Tin, to cancel the **** and **** sessions. For financial reasons, Tin-Tin announced in **** that he would have to close the show. The Mondial du tatouage is no more, but has been replaced by the Tattoo Planetarium, also organized by Tin-Tin. The Grande Halle de la Villette hosted the event for * days in November ****. It brought together over *** tattoo artists, and several trophies were awarded over the weekend. In ****, the show was also held at the Grande Halle de la Villette, bringing together over *** tattoo artists and **,*** visitors.

In addition to the on-site experiences and events organized during the Tattoo Planetarium, a metaverse experience is now on offer. Hybrid participants can visit the venue via their avatars and purchase NFT tattoos to be applied to their avatars. Purchases on the platform are made using Decentraland's own MANA currency.

In recent years, other events have also contributed to the development and promotion of the tattoo industry. One example is the"Tatoueurs Tatoués" exhibition in ****, which drew ***,*** people to the Musée du Quai Branly in just * months. ...

4.1 Different types of tattoos

Tattoos come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

Permanent or ephemeral: The majority of the tattoo market is made up of permanent tattoos. In recent years, however, ephemeral tattoos have become increasingly popular. One of the leaders in the ephemeral tattoo sector is Be Inked, which offers a wide range of tattoos that disappear within a few days. The body part tattooed: In ****, **% of tattooed people were tattooed on the arm, or more widely on the area between the wrist and the shoulder[***]. The legs, back, shoulders and abdomen are also popular areas. Discreet areas are also popular: ankles, behind the ears, hips... Increasingly, tattoo artists are faced with eccentric requests: inside lips, eyes and eyelids, skull, underfoot... Tattoo size: tattoos can be small, discreet or large. Sleeves are very common, especially in the male community. Many also appreciate large pieces on the back, since it offers ample space. Color choices: Most tattoos are done in black or gray ink. However, more and more people like to add color. The most commonly used are red, green and yellow; but colors are more likely to be damaged than black inks. Design motifs: The most important thing, of course, is the ...

4.2 A wide range of prices

In ****, the price of a tattoo was generally between ** and *** euros an hour[***]. But there are many other variables involved in the price of a tattoo. The price depends on

The size of the tattoo : the larger the tattoo, the longer the tattooist's work. Thelocation of the tattoo: certain parts of the body are more sensitive and require greater care on the part of the tattoo artist. Tattoo colors: especially if the tattoo is monochrome or a combination of several colors. Upstream work: the customer can ask the tattooist to design a tattoo and propose drawings beforehand, or arrive with a drawing to be reproduced, in which case the price will be lower.

On the other hand, the price of a tattoo can double or even triple, depending on the quality of the tattoo.

Prices vary from one tattoo parlor to another France, ****, in € / hour Source : Capital NB: prices for trendy tattoo artists can climb higher than €***

When the tattoo is offered by the artist, as is the case with flash tattoos for example, the price can be fixed in advance; since the artist knows how long it will take to complete.

The price of tattoo removal is also highly variable. ...

4.3 Supply trends

The rise of influencers on social networks

For tattoo artists, Instagram has become a highly effective showcase for their work. In ****, Inbeat counted ** French tattoo influencer accounts to follow on Instagram.

Instagram also enables tattoo artists to release their flash tattoo grids, so that their subscribers can select in advance the ones they prefer or wish to have tattooed. Social networks also enable tattoo artists to keep up with the latest trends and offer tattoos in tune with the times.

Ink quality

According to UFC Que Choisir, **% of tattoo inks contain dangerous or toxic substances. Tattoo inks also carry allergic risks, affecting * to *% of tattooed people[***]. The following table lists the various inks considered hazardous to health:

One of the banned substances is para-phenylenediamine (***), which is used here to reinforce the black color when applied to the skin.

On the other hand, vegan or environmentally-friendly inks are on the rise, and are used by many salons.

5.1 Regulations

For the consumer: Without parental consent (***), it is forbidden for a minor to get a tattoo.

Hygiene and health training for tattoo artists:

Since ****, hygiene and sanitation training has been mandatory for tattoo artists and piercers. The training must last at least ** hours, and its content is defined by the decree of December **, ****. The training organization must be state-approved, and will issue a certificate to the student. [***] Training comprises * modules of theoretical instruction and * modules of practical instruction.

The theoretical modules are as follows:

Tattooing and piercing regulations and standards for tattoo inks and piercing jewelry; General anatomy and physiology of the skin, including wound healing; Hygiene rules in relation to the content of the decree provided for in article R. ****-* of the French Public Health Code; General information on allergic and infectious risks; Sterilization and disinfection; Worker protection rules; waste disposal.

The practical teaching modules are as follows:

Knowledge of different work areas (***); Asepsis procedures for tattooing and piercing: - hand hygiene procedures.

A list of organizations authorized to provide these training courses is available on the ARS websites for each region. For Île-de-France, for example, it can be found here.

Other regulations for tattoo professionals :

All manufacturing, packaging ...

6.1 Segmentation

• American Body Art
• Tribal Act
• My Body Art
• Carishna
• Abraxas
• Graphicaderme
• Des1volt Tatouage
• RigalStudio Tatouage
• Tatouagenkit
• Tarawa Piercing