Salon Today 200: INVENTORY CONTROL

Appearances Hair Color and Design Studio

Westminster, CO

appearancessalonco.com

Jim and Sondra Thrasher

SQUARE FEET: 1,170

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 13

SKUs CARRIED: 148

$ IN CURRENT INVENTORY: $26,100

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $38

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINES: Bumble and bumble, Matrix, private label

COLOR LINES: Matrix, Redken

SALON SOFTWARE: Harms/Millennium

ASSOCIATIONS: NCA, PBA

 “Our back stock is locked in a cabinet at the back of the salon. At the end of each shift, the front desk is responsible for replenishing each product sold. If we see a product missing that was not sold, I access our surveillance system to ensure theft was not a factor.”

Coiffeteria Salon

East Grand Rapids, MI

coiffeteria.com

Marielle Shuster

SQUARE FEET: 1,300

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 13

SKUs CARRIED: 438

$ IN CURRENT INVENTORY: $13,000

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $45

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINE: Aveda

COLOR LINE: Aveda

SALON SOFTWARE: SalonBiz

ASSOCIATION: PBA

“We order weekly so it is very easy to monitor and adjust accordingly. We also cross check our order against the weekly retail sales. Our budget is 50 percent of what our retail sales were the previous week.”

Finesse Spa Salon

Ames, IA

finessespasalon.com

Meredith Miller, Andrea Kneifl, Linda Lohman, Dawn Walstrom, Mandy Fjelland and Jenny Veale

SQUARE FEET: 3,200

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 18

SKUs CARRIED: 600

$ IN CURRENT INVENTORY: $15,000

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $29

BESTSELLING RETAIL LINES: Redken, Pureology

COLOR LINE: Redken

SALON SOFTWARE: Envisions

“Our inventory system is based on a six-turn ratio for most products, with a two- or four-turn ratio for some products such as make-up and nail care. This system is based on years of research and business principles learned from KRS Consulting and the Redken Business Summit.”

Hair Technology and Body Salon

Westminster, CO

worldclasssalons.com/hairtechnology

James Pacitico and Cathy Schafer

SQUARE FEET: 3,048

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 28

SKUs CARRIED: 300

$ IN CURRENT INVENTORY: $34,900

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $40

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINE: Aveda

COLOR LINE: Aveda

SALON SOFTWARE: SalonBlz

“Our management has a bonus opportunity for accurate inventory counts. The management team from our group of salons with the inventory adjustment closest to zero in the month of our full inventory count receives $250 cash.”

Jungle Red Salon

San Francisco, CA

jungleredsf.com

Andrea Cwynar and Scott Mishina

SQUARE FEET: 1,200

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 5

SKUs CARRIED: 135

$ IN CURRENT INVENTORY: $33,000

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $70

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINES: Bumble and bumble, Kerastase

COLOR LINES: Goldwell. Wella, Redken

ASSOCIATION: Elite

“Our ratio for turning over product is 60:40—with 40 percent being retail that is harder to sell or more seasonal and 60 percent of what we older usually in need of replacement. For the harder to sell items, we try to promote products of the month.”

Ladies and Gentlemen Salon Spa

Mentor, OH

ladiesgentlemen.com

Ed and Nancy Brown

SQUARE FEET: 13,000

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 250

SKUs CARRIED: 700

$ IN CURRENT INVENTORY: $96,000

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $60

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINE: Aveda

COLOR LINE: Aveda

SALON SOFTWARE: SpaBiz

ASSOCIATIONS: CC, Intercoiffure, I/SPA, NCA, PBA

“We have a staff of five who work in our inventory department. Through our software we generate reports to determine our top-selling products. We have a system for ordering our products based on an average turn of 21 days.”

Life SalonSpa Halifax

Halifax, Nova Scotia

lifesalonspa.com

Peter Lawson

SQUARE FEET: 2,000/3,000 (two locations)

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 30

SKUs CARRIED: 900

$ IN CURRENT INVENTORY: $43,000

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $49

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINE: Aveda

COLOR LINE: Aveda

SALON SOFTWARE: Milano

ASSOCIATION: Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia

“To ensure the salon/spa remains stocked on products, a two-week supply is earned of our top 20 items sold per week. This promotes increased retail selling and ensures that we do not have a shortage if our supplier is out of inventory on an item. On average, 80 percent of our retail is turned over monthly.”

The Loft Hair Design

Escondido, CA

thelofthairdesign.com

Shawna Cruise

SQUARE FEET: 2.200

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 25

SKUs CARRIED: 370

CURRENT INVENTORY: $14,500

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINES: Bumble and bumble, Aveda

COLOR LINES: Wella, Redken

SALON SOFTWARE: Milano

ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, YBN

“We have integrated several tools to effectively manage our inventory, including our custom budget. Bumble and bumble’s inventory management workbook and different sales reports from our software. As a rule, we have reduced our retail spending by 13 percent, which equates to more than $10,000.”

Savvy Salon and Day Spa

Cornelius, NC

savvysalonanddayspa.com

Pat Helmandollar

SQUARE FEET: 5,200

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 40

SKUs CARRIED: 1,000

$ IN CURRENT INVENTORY $49,000

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $45

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINES: Kerastase, Bumble and bumble, Aveda

COLOR LINE: Wella

SALON SOFTWARE: SalonBiz

ASSOCIATION: PBA

“We researched our new make-up line very thoroughly over several months, including chatting with other salon owners, surveying sales representatives, sampling dozens of products and searching the internet and professional publications. When we decided we knew instantly we found the right one for our needs.”

Valentino’s Grande Salon

Whitby, Ontario

valentinos.ca

George and Vasile Tsinokas

SQUARE FEET: 6,300

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 78

SKUs CARRIED: 123

$ IN CURRENT INVENTORY: $28,000

AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $45

BEST-SELLING RETAIL LINES: L’Oréal, Pureoloay, TIGI

COLOR LINES: L’Oréal, TIGI

SALON SOFTWARE: Harms/Millennium

ASSOCIATIONS: Intercoiffure, PBA, Best Practices Club

“By using sales patterns to determine product turnover, Valentino’s is able to keep the least amount of product in inventory to satisfy customer demand. The amount of stock required is determined by using three-four month averages of product sales.”

“Once a shipment arrives at the salon, all SKUs are entered into our inventory management system before the products are shelved, allowing our just-in-time system to effectively run. Without this extra step, extra product could be ordered unwittingly, causing an unnecessary buildup of product and increasing inventory and storage costs.”

—George and Vasile Tsinokas

Valentino’s Grande Salon

Additional Honorees

Avalon Salon and Day Spa, Deer Park, IL

Beau Monde Spalon, St. Johns, FL

Bell Tower Salon, MediSpa and Store, Wyomissing, PA

Belle Epoque An Atelier Salon, Kansas City, MO

Blo, Raleigh, NC

Geno Levi Spirit and Style Salon, Bethel Park, PA

Ginger Bay Salon and Spa, St. Louis, MO

Green Peridot, Frisco, TX

Hair on the Avenue, Sinking Spring, PA

Luxe Salon, Denver, CO

Mane Attraction Salon, Phoenix, AZ

Mango Salon, Richmond, VA

Maximum FX Salons Spas, Austin, TX

Modern Salon and Spa, Charlotte, NC

Richard Salon of Smithtown, Smithtown, NY

Satori: A Salon/Spa/Shopping Experience, Ithaca, NY

The Hair Company, Leonardtown, MD

Wax Poetic, Burbank, CA

Wisteria Salon Spa, Greenville, SC

You Salon, Ellicott City, MD