Total revenues for all salon industry services (hair, skin, nails) plus salon retail grew at a robust 4.1% to $75.38 billion, according to the new 2012 Professional Salon Industry Haircare Study from Professional Consultants & Resources, a leading salon industry strategic consultants and data source. The total U.S. salon haircare market segment (services plus retail) registered $63.33 billion and grew at about 3.3%. There are nearly 288,300 salons and barbershops in the United States.

 “The professional beauty industry is strongly evolving,” says Cyrus Bulsara, PCR president. “Men’s salon/barber services and product sales showed nearly twice the growth of unisex salons. The nail category continued to grow strong at nearly four times salon market growth. Continuing the 2011 trends, haircolor, keratin/smoothing services and basic cutting and styling services were major growth-drivers. Clients and stylists continued to move from traditional independent salons and mid-tier chains to chair/suite rentals, family-economy chains and upscale men's barbershop chains. The continued growth of blow-dry bars added to total service growth.” 

Major study highlights, current style trends and high-growth areas indicate robust salon industry growth in the future:

New Study: Because of growth in the men's sector, a new study defines men's salon services and analyzes the men's product category.

Industry Alert: Salon services analysis shows a move away from independent salon and mid-tier chains model toward family-economy chains and chair/suite rentals.

Strong Sales: Two distributors, Beauty Systems Group (BSG) and SalonCentric dominated the market. Sally Beauty Supply sotre sales were up 9.2%, with BSG full-service distribution (via distributor salon consultants and stores) sales up 5.4%. SalonCentric sales also increased at about 2.1%.

Quest for Service: Clients want personalized, private services and are moving away from the big, older, mall-based chains.

Men Driving Growth: Great Clips, Sport Clips, the family-economy chains, plus new men's barbershop chains, like Boardroom, Roosters, Floyd's grew.

Segment Spotlight: Sales of specialty products grew at a robust 9.7%. Styling products grew 5.3%. Sales of specialty products grew at a robust 9.7%. Styling products grew 5.3% Shampoos and conditioners are in a low single-digit growth mode, from back-bar use after haircolor and keratin/smoothing treatments, and due to salon retail of color protection and new conditioner products.

Retail Surge: Specialty products, oil brands (Moroccan, Argan, Macadamia, Mythic, etc.) grew rapidly, due to sleek straight hair style trends.

Growth Spike: Mega salon-store Ulta saw massive sales growth all year at 20%. Ulta's 2012 holiday sales exploded with unique special offers.

Updated 2012 study sections reveal shipment market share data for all top companies, with L’Oréal Professional, P&G Professional Care and John Paul Mitchell Systems, respectively, ranked as the top three manufacturers. Shiseido (Joico and Zotos), Estee Lauder (Aveda and Bumble + bumble), Colomer Beauty Brands (hair care brands only—American Crew, Abba, Roux, multicultural division and others) and KAO (Goldwell/KMS California) followed.

The study also features new sections, with an analysis of barbershops by state and percentage of the United States; upcoming ingredient issues; leading manufacturers’ reps; plus other company sales, including AG Hair, Alterna, Brazilian Blowout, Cadiveau, Coppolla, Davines, Framesi, GK Hair, Kenra Professional, Keratin Complex, Keune Haircosmetics USA, Marcia Teixeira, Phyto, Pravana and more.

For purchasing information/questions on the 2012 Professional Salon Industry Haircare Study, contact Cyrus Bulsara, president, Professional Consultants & Resources, at cbulsara@augustmail.com or visit www.ProConsultants.us