We carry Dermalogica Skin Care, Zoya Nail Products, Mia Bella Candles and Soothing Touch massage lotions. Total instock inventory is estimated at approximately $4,000. We will be adding Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup within the next few months which will increase our instock inventory to $5,500.

Currently our retail sales are only about 15% compared to services. We just recently added retail to the business. I stay away from private labels as I like the reputation of the brands I do carry. I normally do not have any "worse" sellers as I only bring into the retail area the items which customers have asked for.

Our Dermalogica rep has been wonderful and is extremely helpful. She is full of excellent ideas. Dermalogica does not have guidance concerning online sales.

The biggest challenge of product sales is educating our staff on recommending products to the clients.

I recently moved from a one room massage business located in a busy salon to my own two treatment room suite with a private waiting area with plenty of room for retail.

I sell such things as milk bath, sea salts, soy candles, bath bombs, loofas, hand made soaps, CD's, oils, foot balm, and sombra.

When I buy, I don't buy huge quantities, generally in the range of $50 to $125. None of the fancy lines have minimum orders of those sizes, so I am usually dealing with smaller companies, companies who sell in bulk, or home businesses.

I have thought of expanding my retail business to a website, but I think it would be a tremendous amount of work.

I don't sell that much retail… but I don't have that much invested in it either. I probably have about $800 worth of retail currently, and really that isn't a whole lot. I add a little at a time as I can afford it. Selling retail is like getting free money. I just have to wait for someone to want to buy what I have for sale. Sometimes I sell $50 in a week, sometimes $20, and sometimes nothing.

I do my best to stock things I use or can use myself. That way, if something doesn't sell, I can use it myself.

I use Mountain Body products for spa treatments, along with ESS essential oils. I also use Lathers and Lights body and skin care as of now, but am excited about Private Label for the spa. I believe being able to market and sell my products online would be a huge benefit for retail. It seems that, women are way more interested in purchasing products for the face more so then for the body, but being able to market and sell online could help even that out a bit.

I guess the biggest challenge for me in retail has been not having enough room to display a true retail area. I'd love to include books, CD's, candles, and other items in the retail section which will be possible once the expansion is complete. If someone comes to visit my spa from out of town and LOVED the products, I want them to be able continue to using the product and online ordering would be a fantastic, convenient way of ensuring that they can.

Thank you so much for this program you've created! It has helped excel my day spa and bring clients in that may otherwise never have found it. I will continue to look to SpaBoom to bring new and exciting opportunities to day spas.

Thank you so much for all you are doing and thinking off. Retail is the most challenge in our industry and for years being in a this business I need to be honest enough to tell that we all need help from retail on line but in a very carefully way, because any retail should be recommended by professionals. I am constantly searching retailers that selling skin and body products on line and see that 90% of them sell only because of the profit. If you only can create some strategy that allows clients ask questions about products and get answer-recommendation from 'ready to go' template (according their needs)-then we all be a winners. I've applied so many different techniques to make my technicians to sell products not only for the profit, but as a professional advise that make our clients come back again for, but some of them reject it (even receiving commission on retail) with explanation that they do not want to make clients feel pushed to buy and others doing it so naturally…

I am an aesthetician for many years and my goal is to bring to our guests the best of all, and this is why I am trying to pick the best (according to my knowledge) from each company that we have. I have categories on the shelves such as: anti-aging, sensitive, acne and so on… Glytone, Academie, Guno, G. M. Collins, Dermalogica, Dr. Eris, Skin Ceuticals, Private label.

Private label gives you more profit but I think it should be designed well (most private label's companies using chip and non-attractive packaging or it cost so close to well knowing brands then it is better to have brand with all their support…

The best seller: cleanser, exfoliant, moisturizer and spot treatment.

The best selling gift: Massage, Manicure/pedicure, $100 card and best package is Massage, Facial, Manicure and Pedicure.

All Companies that we work with are great supporters; otherwise we would not work with them.

I am looking forward for the new door that you will open for us. Thank you again and again.

My retail sales are almost 50% of my services. As I am the sole operator of a home-based business, retail sales are very important. I carry Peau Vive and Intaglio for skin, OPI, SUN selftanner, Accent Cosmetics Mineral Makeup, private label soap and lotion line. I also, by consignment, carry other business' products: jewelry, clothing etc.

Private label excites the clients, however it hasn't sold as fast. It's also a larger investment. My complete stock is valued at approximately $1,500.

Best seller: Gentle Facial Exfoliant, by Peau vive. Worst seller: the self tanners.

I don't offer packages.

The vendors don't seem to have much knowledge, opinions or advice on online retail. All other support is great, though.

Trying to predict what clients will be interested in, knowing how much to order, to be sure the product doesn't waste away on the shelves. This is my biggest challenge. Especially when trying to bring in a new product line or concept.

Thank you, and I hope this project doesn't take too long to develop!

Leanne Hilderman

Our information for your research:

• Retail accounts for 25% of our total business.
• We carry 5 vendors supplying us in order of volume they are: Eminence Organic Skin Care, Youngblood mineral cosmetics, Blinc (Kiss ma mascara), Nufolia (face mitts) and ESS Solei (sunless tanning cream). Our Total SKU's 225.
• We have considered Private label but prefer the branded product which allows us to link in manufacturers website and add credibility to brand.
• We carry stock at value around $2,500 which also include back bar product at any one time.
• Best seller Lemon Cleanser from Eminence by a long way.
• Worst sellers… we can turn over a lot of new product from our vendors that never catches on… so there are quite a few… this is the risky part!
• We do not do regaular stock packages, however we have have had some success with Christmas gift packages in the past.
• Our skin care vendor Eminence Organics is sensational when suppoting their range… we use client samples extensively to start the usage and with great results. We do not sell on line even though we would like to start this up as a business objective for 2007.
• Biggest challenge for product sales is keeping the clients interested.

Best Regards, David Moran