Tops In Tans

Tops In Tans
Salons nationwide make a showing in LOOKING FIT's Top 100 list

by Scott Hoover

There's a first time for everything, and this year marks the commencement of what we're certain will become a tremendous annual event--LOOKING FIT's search for the Top 100 indoor tanning salons in the country.

The results of this year's survey are inspiring, proving what we've known all along: The indoor tanning world is a fast-growing industry armed with determined entrepreneurs and dedicated staff who won't let increasing competition as well as rigorous regulations/government mandates or slow off-seasons slow them down.

Judging from the slew of responses to this year's survey, it's clear that the indoor tanning industry is on the rise not just in regions of the United States, but nationwide. Thousands of respondents with established shops boasted debuting salons within the past year, showing themselves and fellow salon owners that they can take a good thing and expand on it. Beds were bought, lotions marketed, masseuses added and customers pleased. It was a great year for indoor tanning and our survey shows it.

Survey Says ...

To compile a group of salons to survey, we asked industry manufacturers and distributors, as well as the North American Alliance of Tanning Salon Owners (TSO), to provide us with a list of salons they would recommend ranked in the Top 100. We then added the names of the shops with which we were personally impressed while conducting LOOKING FIT's annual Tanning Tours and winners of LOOKING FIT's Salon Accomplishment Awards over the past 10 years. With those recommendations in hand, along with an impressive collection of in-magazine surveys mailed in by LOOKING FIT readers, we began our search.

Every effort was made to gather precise information, to lay an equal playing field for all our respondents. In the end, however, we had to rely on the veracity of the salon owners who provided us with information. For that reason, we took special care to inform our respondents how important it was for them to provide accurate information about their shops and the kind of business they do within a typical year--off season and on. Please understand that this is our first attempt at naming the top 100.

Although we know that the listings are not necessarily comprehensive of every salon that would merit a listing in the Top 100, it is a great start. In some cases it was very difficult to get the salons to participate and share information; in other cases, they were very forthcoming. We felt it was important to take this first step and to publish this list, since no other association or magazine has tracked this information within the indoor tanning industry.

The survey asked participants to provide the number of salons they own, how many years they've been in business, (minimum of one year plus is required to be included) and the number of tanning units at each of their locations. We also asked owners what other services (massage, hair, nails, travel, etc.) their salons provide patrons, as well as what retail products their shops stock. Although not published here, we also asked participating salons to provide their shop's 1999 gross revenue and the figure they anticipate earning in 2000, along with the percentage of monthly income their shop generates in lotion sales. All information was factored into the rankings.

Knowing that many factors contribute to a salon's success, we tried to look at each shop separately, judging them on the caliber of business they do based on the kind of salon they run. We looked at the bed to tanner ratio at each salon, both in season and off, and the number of additional amenities and services each provides. We took into account, and ranked accordingly, the salon with six beds that serves the same number of tanners on an in-season day as a 25-bed shop. We also were conscientious to observe the differences between a salon stocked with countless retail extras and services above and beyond a tan, and the tanning-only salons devoted to selling retail products related only to tan-seeking clientele. In addition, we had to take into account the amount of information provided by owners. Some listed information for only their top salon--others gave us information for all their salons combined.

The chart works as accurately as possible with this information. Salons that boasted low numbers and high sales were ranked higher than those who hit the national average. Also, salons that concentrate on tanning and made equal or better figures than salons with many added amenities were ranked higher. Some salon owners had more than one salon that would make the Top 100 however, for space consideration, we at LOOKING FIT felt it would be fair to only go with the owner's top ranking salon.

It was an indisputable learning experience for us all, seeing the nuances of the industry first-hand by examining a variety of salons and speaking candidly with their owners.

Everybody at LOOKING FIT realizes that there are more than 15,000 free-standing and another 15,000 combination salons throughout the nation. Thus, if you have a salon or know of a salon that you feel should be one of the top 100 salons, please feel free to call me at (480) 990-1101, ext. 1185 or e-mail to scotth@vpico.com and we will be glad to take the salon under consideration for next year. So keep your eyes open for announcements--and pull-out surveys--so you can recommend a salon for listing in 2001.