STATS

Even after 19 years in business. The Endless Summer salon chain offers clients endless fun and tanning options.

It was in an unusual place that Jill Mills was inspired to open the first all-tanning salon in her town – a garden shop. The shop had a couple of tanning units she had used, but tanning obviously wasn’t the business’ main focus. Jill opened her first Endless Summer salon in 1985 in Arden, NC and her future in the tanning industry was looking rosy. In 1996, she opened another salon on SpartanburgHighway in Henderson  ville, NC. Her luck was continuing to grow, when she met her future husband Scott Mills as he serviced an Ultrabronz sunbed he had sold her. They married in 1999 and opened a salon in Ashville in 2001, and the Hendersonville salon on Chimney Rock Road in 2003. Now, they work hard to provide tanners with endless choices, endless fun and a tan that lasts year-round.

Well Equipped

Endless Summer salons each have about 12 tanning units, and are “well equipped” to give clients the tan they seek. Equipment includes the Sun Ergoline Avantgarde, Classic 650, Sundash Radius stand-up, and Sundash Competition; Dr. Müller’s Omega and Orbit; Tan Tech’s SunSport, the Ultrabronz 880, Vitasun USA sunbeds, Dr. Kern and TanAmerica sunbeds, and Mystic Tan sunless spray booths. “We sell mostly California Tan, Emerald Bay and Matahari products, but we also stock lotions by Designer Skin and Swedish Beauty,” explained Leanne Anderson, one of four Endless Summer managers. “We have lotion classes for the staff about once a month so they are educated on all of the products, which helps them sell. Lotion manufacturer reps also come to the salons to do training.”

Tanners can not only get a great tan at the salons, they can also improve their whole look. “We sell makeup by Jane Iredale and glominerals, which area dermatologists recommend as good for acne and rosacea,” Leanne said. Tanners can also purchase Cellex-C at the salons, a product that helps reduce wrinkles and cellulite. The salons also sell an array of swimwear. Clients find it easy to fit tanning into their schedules with the hours at Endless Summer salons – 8 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturdays.

Tops in Training

Leanne said while the staff has fun on the job, they are also well educated to operate the salons successfully.

As required in North Carolina, employees at Endless Summer complete a salon operator certification program and Leanne said the information they learn is valuable. “I don’t have to worry about the staff when I leave the salon because they know as much as I do and can handle the customers well,” she commented. “Jill and Scott are also very involved in the salons. Jill is in tune with the staff and makes sure to hire people who are friendly, will work hard, and will treat the salon as their own.”

Leanne said the employees – including the managers – work at all four Endless Summer locations so they can get to know all of the salons. “The busiest time of year at the salons is from the end of February to the end of July – about 150 people tan each day,” Leanne explained. “A well-trained staff and good communication are important for dealing with the stress during those months.” Jill and Scott attend many industry events each year to learn as much as they can about the industry and operating their salon. “We find them helpful for learning about new lotions and equipment,” Jill said. “Attending these events is necessary to stay on the cutting edge of the industry.”

Boosting Business

Jill and Scott enjoy trying fun and creative advertising avenues – including promotions in newspapers, on the radio and in a newsletter for the Hendersonville area. “Jill and Scott recently created a jingle for the radio stations – we advertise regularly on the radio,” Leanne explained. “One of our most successful promotions every year is Customer Appreciation Day. We change the date every year to see what works best and this year we chose a day in May. We had a live remote with a local radio station, which aired outside of the Asheville salon area and advertised half-priced tanning and free samples at all of our salons. We had sandwiches from Subway and cake at all of the salons. Any promotion like that works well.” Leanne said Jill also likes to celebrate all holidays with treats — like cupcakes — to help get people in the door. “Once we can get people to come inside the salon, they’ll become a customer,” Leanne said. Jill and Scott also donate gift certificates to local schools, churches, pageants and other charitable organizations in the area.

Sunny Career

Jill sees an endless number of sunny days ahead. She said she enjoys owning salons because she likes operating her own business and offering a service that makes people happy and helps them feel good about themselves. “We are always adding new equipment and searching for new locations,” Jill said. “We want to continue greeting clients with a friendly and educated staff, providing an immaculately clean salon, the latest in tanning technology, and something that will appeal to everyone.”