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

Cyrus Bulsara, President of Professional Consultants & Resources, attributes the growth to several factors, including men’s salon/barber services and product sales, which showed nearly twice the growth of unisex salons. The nail category continued to grow strong at nearly four times salon market growth. Continuing on 2011 trends, hair color, 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, Cyrus added. The report also shows how the professional industry’s two major U.S. distributors, Beauty Systems Group (BSG) and SalonCentric, dominated the market with combined 5.8 percent growth.

A trend toward personalized, private services saw clients move away from big, older, mid-tier and mall-based chains like Regis, which has seen two years of declines at most of its salons and is currently under a major top-down reorganization and realignment.

Family-economy chains such as Great Clips and Sport Clips, plus new men’s barbershop chains, like Boardroom, Roosters, Floyd’s, grew in sales.

Home hairstyling continued to grow. New technology genres and premium styling tools contributed to a robust 7.2 percent growth.

Sales of specialty products (oil-themed products by Moroccan, Argan, Macadamia, Mythic, etc.) grew 9.7 percent, due to sleek, straight hairstyle trends. Styling products grew 5.3 percent. Shampoos and conditioners are in a low single-digit growth mode, from back-bar use after hair color and keratin/smoothing treatments, and due to salon retail of color protection and new conditioner products.

The direct sales channel, with Aveda, Bumble, Kerastase and Wella in low-growth, got a huge boost from TIGI’s move to direct selling.

Redken and John Paul Mitchell Systems were the only major companies growing at low single digits. Some market leaders had marketing issues, resulting in flat-to-declining growth, though Sexy Hair grew 15 percent.

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.

To purchase the 2012 Professional Salon Industry Haircare Study, email Cyrus Bulsara at [email protected] or visit www.ProConsultants.us.