Undoubtedly, 2020 will go down in the history books as a year like no other.

While the pandemic forced salons to close (sometimes more than once) and their owners to apply for emergency funding and navigate the complexity of social distancing and new safety standards, SALON TODAY knew it needed to change the focus of its renowned business competition to reflect not only the successful growth strategies of 2019, but the survival strategies of 2020.

This year’s SALON TODAY 200 is a tribute to the heroes in our industry. The leaders who immediately embraced change, helped support their team members even when they had to lay them off so they could seek unemployment, and designed all kinds of ways to deliver advice and products to clients who were sheltering at home with unruly looks and growing roots.

It also is a remembrance of the good that came out of 2020—how owners bonded with their team members, and service providers bonded with their clients. It’s a reflection of the grit and the determination, the creativity and the ingenuity and the courage and the resiliency that North American salons, spas and barbershops exhibited in the past year.

As the pandemic forced salons to close across the country in 2020, owners and their team members had to pivot, designing new avenues to bring in revenue while their doors were shuttered, incorporating stringent new safety and social distancing procedures, and getting creative with their budgets to weather the challenges of the year.

SALON TODAY’s landmark salon business competition also shifted, temporarily abandoning its sharp focus on growth, and instead choosing to celebrate the business successes of 2019 and the tales of leadership and heroism for 2020.

The Changing Room
Aventura, FL
Changingroomsalons.com
Justin Gold
SQUARE FEET: 2,800
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 31
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $68
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Matrix, Surface, Olaplex
COLOR: Matrix
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Salon Clouds Plus

“Before reopening we analyzed each area of the company, determining what was profitable and what was not. Due to low profit margins, a steady decline of sales and the need for social distancing, we decided to eliminate our nail and spa services. We reopened as The Changing Room 3.0 with clearly defined expectations, better accountability, improved systems, and higher standards all around.”