A salon’s ability to attract new guests fuels its growth, and its ability to get those clients to predictably return again and again dictates its overall success.

ARTISTEX SALON & SPA
Westport, CT
artistexsalon.com
Odete DaSilva
SQUARE FEET: 4,000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 12
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 67%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 74%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $40
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Goldwell, Color Wow
COLOR: Goldwell
SKIN CARE: Eminence, Raya
NAIL CARE: OPI, CND
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium,
Mailchimp, Emma
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“We print plastic gift cards with a particular value depending on the holiday: $25 in June for graduation; $25-50 in December for holiday gifts. We give them to select guests to distribute as gifts to teachers and colleagues, or as stocking stuffers.”

AVENUE HAIR DESIGN
Venice, FL
avenuehairdesign.net
Patti Paull
Nick and Claire Kirby, new owners 2018
SQUARE FEET: 2,100
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 14
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 47%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 79%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $51
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Pureology, Redken, DevaCurl
COLOR: Redken, Pulp Riot, Pravana
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce, ZeeZor
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, Summit Salon, Green Circle
“During our slower summer months, we host a referral contest. Every time a guest refers someone, their name is placed in a drawing to win a year of hair services. It is so exciting to see 8-10 new guests per day on our new guest board. As a result, we aren’t experiencing the seasonal lows of a Florida business.”

BELLA LUCI SALON

Poughkeepsie, NY
bellalucisalon.com
Rebecca Lee
SQUARE FEET: 2,500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 8
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 47%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 40%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Davines
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Comfort Zone
NAIL CARE: Zoya, OPI
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, Green Circle
“Clients who sign up for our color membership program are charged a monthly discounted rate of more than 20% off of their single-process color. They receive a preferred booking appointment and they also receive discounts on highlights, waxing and facials which has increases our crossover service bookings.”

IMPRESSIONS
Mequon, WI
impressionsdayspa
Kitty Tierney
SQUARE FEET: 4,800
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 40
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 29%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 56%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $50
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Pureology, Aveda, Redken
COLOR: Redken
SKIN CARE: Eminence
NAIL CARE: OPI
TECH SUPPORT: Mikal, Demandforce
ASSOCIATIONS: CC, PBA, Summit Salon
“Each quarter we send a letter with a gift card and special offers for new or existing services or discounts with new staff members. Our guests love this as a thank you and it encourages salon sales instead of internet purchases.”

LAVISH COLOR SALON
Cleveland, Ohio
lavishcolorsalon.com
Tracey Watts Cirino
SQUARE FEET: 1,600
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 13
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 45%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 65%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $47
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Pureology, Redken, Bio Ionic
COLOR: Redken
NAIL CARE: OPI, CND
TECH SUPPORT: Envision
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, Summit Salon
“The best competitions are the ones that benefit both our guests and our team. To encourage prebooking, when guests booked their next two appointments they and their stylists were entered in a drawing for a glamping essentials package. We raised our prebook rate to 70% during the contest.”

PAUL KENNETH SALON & SPA
Woburn, MA
pksalon.com
Paul Costa and Jackie Maniaci
SQUARE FEET: 3,700
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 14
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 55%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 60%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $70
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: PK Professional, PK Ecochic
COLOR: Matrix, Redken,
L’Oréal Professionnel
NAIL CARE: CND
TECH SUPPORT: Milano, Demandforce
ASSOCIATIONS: Intercoiffure, PBA
“With our improved client referral system, the new guest receives $100 in future services to be used over the next four visits. This has been a great incentive for new clients to get other services and has increased our new client retention by 20%.”

PURE SALON AND SPA
Ankeny, IA
mypuresalon.com
Leah Moravec
SQUARE FEET: 2,100
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 15
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 39%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 62%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $35
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: CND
TECH SUPPORT: SpaBiz, Demandforce
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, 2 to 10
“All of our new guests receive 25% off their second visit if they prebook it at their first appointment. We have had an increase in new client retention since we added this incentive.”

PURE SALON SPA
Louisville, KY
puresalon-spa.com
Laura Watkins
SQUARE FEET: 1,600
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 12
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 44%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 65%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $45
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce, Vish
“Prebooking is a big element in our culture. Stylists introduce the idea at the consultation and offer a recommendation of the specific time frame they would like to see the guest back. There are prebooking signs posted at every station that call out the date for 4 weeks, 6 weeks and 8 weeks in the future.”

SF SALON
Fairlawn, OH
sfsalon.com
Sara Brebant
SQUARE FEET: 2,500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 14
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 48%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 71%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $54
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kerastase
COLOR: L’Oréal Professionnel
SKIN CARE: Suki
TECH SUPPORT: Milano, Demandforce, Mailchimp
ASSOCIATION: Summit Salon
“Every holiday we have a pre-book contest where the guest gets entered to win a chance of three $50 gift cards if they prebook for January and February, which traditionally are slower months.”

TAJ SALON & SPA
Brooklyn Park, MN
tajsalonspa.com
Andria Strandin, Jeanne Strandin
SQUARE FEET: 5,000; 3,200
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 48
NEW CLIENT RETENTION: 35%
PRE-BOOKING RATE: 55%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $48
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Pureology, Unite
COLOR: Aveda, Pravana,
L’Oréal Professionnel
SKIN CARE: Aveda, Dermalogica
NAIL CARE: OPI, CND
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Salon Iris, Demandforce, ZeeZor
ASSOCIATION: Summit Salon
“For nine years we’ve had an annual fashion show fundraiser in which we involve our guests in deciding the non-profit. We believe guests stay with us for the excellent service and for how we care about our community.”

Additional Honorees
Agape Salon & Spa, Rancho Mirage, CA
Allen Ray Salon, Minneapolis, MN
Be Inspired Salon, Inc., Madison, WI
Bii Natural Salon & Shop, West Dundee, IL
Blo, Raleigh, NC
Cutting Loose Salon, University Park, FL
The Day Spa @ Folawns, San Antonio, TX
Glow Beauty Boutique, Braintree, MA
Hollywood Hair Salon and Spa, Centralia, IL
Ihloff Salon and Day Spa, Tulsa, OK
Josephines Day Spa and Salon, Houston, TX
Mane Attraction Salon, Phoenix, ZA
Mark Pardo SalonSpa, Albuquerque, NM
Maximum FX Salons, Austin, TX
NUOVO Salon Group, Sarasota, FL
Omagi Salon & Spa, Louisville, KY
Pin Up Curls, Ft. Wayne, IN
Revive Salon, White Bear Lake, MN
Salon Fleur de Lis, St. Louis, MO
Salon Halo, Spring Hill, FL
Salon Soca, Chicago, IL
Solaris Aveda, Evansville, IN
Studio Wish Salon, Twinsburg, OH
Urban Betty, Austin, TX
Utopia Salon & Day Spa, Vancouver, WA
Xanadu Hair Salon, Chesapeake, VA
Z Studio…The Art of Hair, Tulsa, OK