Drum Roll Please

Welcome to the eighth compilation of the Top 250 Salons in the United States. Since 2000, LOOKING FIT® has published this special issue congratulating the nation’s Top 250 Salons. The field of potential winners increases each year and is a testament to the growth and professionalism of the $5 billion indoor tanning industry.

It was a record year for entries, perhaps in part due to the fact that salons could enter their information online or send it in via fax or mail as in years past. Once again the judging process was difficult and a task that was truly a labor of love. Our committee spent months gathering, organizing and sorting through more than 1,000 submissions. Finally, when the field was narrowed to 300 potential top salons, we jumped on the phones and personally spoke with the salons.

The availability of the salon owner was an important piece to the judging process. Many salons have failed over the years because of absentee ownership. Successful salon owners keep their fingers on the pulse of the industry and are in the salons to oversee business. Being able to discuss the intricacies of their salon was extremely important in the final judging phase. As always, we tried to lay an equal playing field for all of our respondents and relied on the truthfulness of the salon owners who provided us with information.

Each salon was judged separately on the caliber of its business, based on the type of salon it runs. The survey asked participants to provide in-depth information regarding their tanning businesses including the number of salons owned, how many years in business, types of services offered, total number of units at each salon, number of tanning levels, average price per session, the types of retail products carried in the salons and more. We took into account if a salon had changed up its business plan or equipment mix to bring in more business.

Our statistics also reveal that salon owners are taking a more proactive and professional approach to running their businesses. For example, seven years ago only 64 percent of salons had professional certification; today, 98 percent are certified. Additionally, 99 percent of salons participate in ongoing education, provide educational material to clients and require parental consent. This helps to counter the anti-tanning campaigns and legislation aimed at our industry. We must, as an industry, do our best to promote moderate, sensible and responsible exposure and be active participants within the industry.

Congratulations to the thousands of tanning facilities nationwide that contribute to the professionalism of the indoor tanning industry. For those salons interested in participating in our 2008 Top 250 Salons search, please fill out the form on page 36 and return it to us. We will send you information as soon as the 2008 survey is ready.

Log on to www.lookingfit.com/feb15 to view an expanded version of the Top 250 Salons.

All the best,

Judie Bizzozero
Group Editorial Director
jbizzozero@vpico.com
(480) 990-1101, ext. 1119

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