completetanning

As of Friday, Australian Gold (and of course they already own California Tan) bought Designer Skin. I know many of you on here are not very high on Australian Gold which is why I am starting this post to get something positive about them. Yes you will see I am a distributor, but I also have a salon and last year I received over $16,000.00 CO-OP check back from Australian Gold for my salon because I sold only AG and Swedisn Beauty being a premier salon. Their premier program is untouchable and unbeatable and they do have quality product at any place on the price spectrum. Now they own California Tan and hopefully can revitalize what has been in recent years a sinking company.

This acqusition of Designer Skin means they (hopefully) all the companys will be under one CO-OP program (I know for sure that California Tan, Matahari, Emerald Bay, Australian Gold, Swedish Beauty, Colorology and Caribbean Gold are) and as a salon we can go back to just picking the absolute best products from any of the biggest lotion lines. As a salon we will have the best to offer customers with the best aforementioned rebate program.

In addition for those who will complain why AG had to do this. They also acquired DS's manufacturing arm in this deal meaning that for the first time in history AG will be able to actually mass produce their own products in-house. Before they used the same company as Bath and Body Works so if both companies said to make a product Bath and Body Works is bigger and got the preferential treatment. This caused back-orders which are always a headache. This acquisition will alleviate this problem causing less back-orders.

I know there are many negative things that will be said on here and elsewhere over the next few weeks and months, but there are also some good sides to this. At the very least it is very interesting and will be an interesting year. It will also help smaller lotion lines (Devoted Creations & Family, Fiesta Sun, Fiji and maybe even Supre) by not only making them produce better products but maybe some like Terry Katz (Fiji) will make a push and buy up some of the smaller lines to fight AG because even though I personally don't care for Fiji, he has some good products and packaging and he, being the former owner of Cal Tan, has the know-how to fight that fight.

Let us hold on and enjoy the ride for 2008 as it is shaping to be a interesting year full of surprises.

engfant

**** australian gold.

hoptan

is this true??

eileen

Yes.

Jeff

You said their premier program is untouchable. That is because they own all the lotion companies. This spells more doom and gloom for the tanning industry nothing more. Competion is healthy for any industry with a lack of it you have doom and gloom plain and simple.

They acquired DS manufacturing arm you said. If Designer Skin could not keep up with production how can their manufacturing arm possibly produce for AG, SB, Cal Tan and DS? That statement holds nothing.

engfant

Ag buying DS is like Hyundai buying Kia.

Non issue IMO.

movieking

What would happen if ETS were to buy Joe Tan?

MATT A

This will never happen.

engfant

They might actually have a product worth buying.

Mr Derf

Says who? 5 or 6 new salons near my main location cut my gross by nearly 50% over the last 4 years.