TAYLOR, MI – Tanning salon owner Jay Shelby recently opened two additional Cali Sun locations to increase his presence in the Metro Detroit market.
The first of Shelby’s newest salons was opened May 21, 2013 in Dearborn Heights. The 1,400 square-foot facility features nine puretan and TanAmerica tanning units and a Mystic Tan sunless spray booth. “I didn’t get into this business to become a one-store owner,” Shelby said. “I’ve always wanted to operate a chain, so I was excited when the opportunity to lease this space presented itself.” He started the process in December and, due to issues with the lease, he finally acquired the space in May. “We totally missed the peak season,” Shelby added, “but thanks to the name recognition of our original store, the salon is doing very well.”
In July 2013, Shelby was offered the opportunity to acquire an existing salon in Livonia, an offer he almost lost. “The owner’s husband got a job in Florida so she had to sell it quickly,” he explained, “but since we just opened our second store, I wasn’t sure if I wanted more expenses during the summer. While I was thinking this over, someone else put an offer on it and bought it, so I figured it just wasn’t meant to be.” The new owner decided she didn’t want the business after all, so she sold it to Jay in November, which was a better time for him to purchase another location. The 11-unit salon opened as a Cali Sun location on November 29.
Now operating a three-store chain, Shelby says he plans to slow things down a bit. “We want to spend this year focusing on training our staff and management to operate our stores smoothly,” he said. “We also want to improve our marketing and promotional efforts to attract more tanners to all of our locations.”
A long-time tanner himself, Jay Shelby opened his first Cali Sun tanning salon on August 30, 2012 in Taylor, MI. He and his mother, Sherry Shelby-Mager operate the business, which offers nine tanning units and three levels of tanning as well as hair, massage and nail services.
