Carry more product than you need and you tie up cash that could be used in other areas of the salon. Run low on product and you miss valuable sales. Smart salons know how to walk this tightrope while building retail sales that pump up profitability. Meet the 2018 honorees in the Salon Today 200 category of Inventory Management. 

Avalon Salon Spa
Deer Park, IL
avalondeerpark.com
Bonnie and August Conte
SQUARE FEET: 5,300
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 48
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $72
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda, Pulp Riot
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: OPI, Essie, Smith & Cult
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce, SpaBoom
ASSOCIATIONS: CC, ISPA, PBA
“This year, we have increased the number of tester items to our inventory. These products are used to create retail experiences for our guests. Sales have increased, and returns have decreased where try-to-buy interactive areas have been created.”

Aveda Institute
New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
avedanm.com
Mark Gonzales
SQUARE FEET: 13,300
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 23
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $16
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: OPI
TECH SUPPORT: SpaBiz, Demandforce
ASSOCIATIONS: Intercoiffure, PBA, 2 to 10, AACS
“Our manufacturer sends us a retail sales guide every month that has a clear view of how the retail area should be set up. This helps us prepare for the newer product to come in and to have proper displays for guests to understand and be able to find any product they need.”

Aveda Institute Phoenix
Tempe, AZ
avedainstitutephoenix.com
Dale Le Monds
SQUARE FEET: 17,000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 25
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $18
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Ergo
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: OPI, Deborah Lippman
TECH SUPPORT: SpaBiz, Demandforce, ZeeZor, Learn Aveda
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, AACS
“As a large school, we must have proper supplies for our students to practice with in the classroom and for our guests. We keep a consistent schedule and communicate needs with each department on a weekly, bi-monthly, monthly and yearly basis.”

Five Senses Spa, Salon & Barbershop
Peoria, IL
fivesensesspaandsalon.com
Paola Hinton
SQUARE FEET: 5,000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 26
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $45
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: OPI
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Salon Clouds Plus
ASSOCIATION: PBA
“In 2010, we implemented a scan-out color process that helps manage inventory, waste, fair pricing and color history. As color is mixed, staff scans the appropriate bar code of the color product being used on the guest. The number of grams is entered into the quality prompt, and our software calculates the cost for each specific line item.”

Fringe
Maplewood, NJ
thefringesalon.com
Kim Hammer and Donna Ferrer
SQUARE FEET: 1,100
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 14
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda, Pravana
SKIN CARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce
ASSOCIATION: PBA
“Several times a year, we pull a ‘hot and cold’ report, which lists the top-25 best-selling products and the bottom 25. Based on this, we adjust the quantities of our best-sellers to ensure we do not run out of stock. We also focus on the bottom 25 and come up with creative ways to highlight them in our displays to make them more desirable for purchase.”

Garbo A Salon & Spa
Austin, TX
garboasalon.com
Marsha Power
SQUARE FEET: 2,400; 1,600
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 27
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $50
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: OPI, CND
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce, Constant Contact, Salon Clouds Plus
ASSOCIATION: PBA
“We deleted all our back bar due to carrying too much stock we didn’t have. Now we enter it once a month with a real count of inventory to get accurate numbers.”

N Style Salon
Saugus, CA
nstylesalon.com
Clay and Tiffany Friedman
SQUARE FEET: 2,000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 21
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: L’Oréal Professionnel, Kenra, Ergo
COLOR: L’Oréal Professionnel
SKIN CARE: Bioelements, Sun Bum
TECH SUPPORT: STX
ASSOCIATIONS: Intercoiffure, PBA
“We constantly rotate products around the salon so our clients never see the same display twice when they come back in a couple weeks for their next service. By keeping our displays fresh, we also have more opportunities to educate our clients on what each product entails. Our newest products are promoted at the front counter.”

Randolph’s Salon
Rochester Hills, MI
randolphssalon.com
Mary and Scott Randolph
SQUARE FEET: 3,000; 2,300; 1,700
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 76
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $43
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Pureology, Redken
COLOR: Redken
TECH SUPPORT: Envision
ASSOCIATION: 2 to 10
“By closely monitoring our inventory via salon software and physical counts, we’ve been able to drastically reduce our backbar costs from 7.2% to 6% of gross sales—a huge savings, since this is the second largest line item on the P&L statement. We attribute this savings to having the correct amount of inventory on hand, less product waste due to more stylist awareness and less product shrinkage.”

Roots Salon
Greendale, WI
myrootssalon.com
Shannon Lopez
and Naomi Prusinski
SQUARE FEET: 3,200; 3,400; 2,100
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 74
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $41
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Redken, Pureology
COLOR: Redken
SKIN CARE: Glo, Hempz
NAIL CARE: Essie
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, ZeeZor
“Each month, the inventory team reviews budgets, sales, valuations, new product launches and meets with our district sales leaders, as well as has a weekly 30-minute video conference call. Our DSLs give their ideas of what has worked for other salons to boost sales or creative incentives we can use.”

Sin 7 Salon
White Rock, Canada
sin7salon.com
Courtney Clark
SQUARE FEET: 1,200
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 11
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $60
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKINCARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: Milano
ASSOCIATIONS: Green Circle
“When we are going to add a new product, our manufacturer partner comes to the salon to do an all-team huddle to explain the features, key benefits and use of the product and answers any questions. New product sales are carefully monitored so we can adjust our preferred minimum stock accordingly.”

Additional Honorees
Athena Salon, Spa & Wellness, Windsor, CO
Bella Style Salon, Slidell, LA
Blo, Raleigh, NC
Brown & Deline, Ann Arbor, MI
Glow Beauty Boutique, Braintree, MA
Heath Salon and Spa, Heath, TX
Integrity Lash, Pasadena, CA
Interlocks, Newburyport, MA
Joli Salon and Spa, Lexington, KY
Josephines Day Spa and Salon, Houston, TX
Mane Attraction Salon, Phoenix, AZ
Michael Helene Salon Gallery, Dulles, VA
Nuovo Salon Group, Sarasota, FL
Nurtur Salon, Columbus, OH
Paul Kenneth & Spa, Woburn, WA
Pure Salon Spa, Louisville, KY
Revive Salon, Saint Paul, MN
Sky Salon, Strongsville, OH
Solaris Aveda, Evansville, IN
Tangerine Salon and Spa, Murfreesboro, TN