Press Release

Facial and Body Waxing Franchises Clean Up in the Beauty Category. Waxing the City on Fast Track to Dominate Booming Segment. March 31, 2015 // Franchising.com // HASTINGS, Minn. - As specialty service salons continue to experience explosive growth, competition is heating up fast in the rapidly growing wax-only category. Backed by the leadership of parent company and franchising powerhouse Anytime Fitness, the world’s largest and fastest growing co-ed fitness franchise, Waxing the City, already has 22 locations and 73 franchise units sold. Company executives expect to have 350 locations open in the next five years. As growth in the beauty industry has increasingly shifted from purely cosmetic, discretionary services to personal upkeep, such as waxing, Waxing the City continues to attract both single and multi-unit franchisees. In fact, the emerging wax-only franchise recently inked a 10-unit deal in Minneapolis with two former oil industry magnates who saw tremendous potential in the recession-resilient wax-only category. “Waxing is a lifestyle, not an occasional treat. Just like working out in a gym, a personal upkeep service like waxing has staying power in any type of economy,” said Chuck Runyon, Anytime Fitness CEO. “We acquired Waxing the City because we felt a shared vision with the founders to help people feel better about themselves in a non-intimidating environment. Today, based on its superior products and fanatical approach to customer service, we foresee Waxing the City as an unstoppable force in the wax-only category, surpassing the competition in a short period of time.” While the franchise concept is growing fast, ironically, Waxing the City differentiates itself by rejecting the “speed waxing” mentality of competitors. Depending on selected services, appointments range from 15- to 60-minutes, allowing fully-trained Cerologist™ technicians to give women and men outstanding facial and body waxing with long-lasting results. Taking a scientific approach to the art of waxing, Waxing the City uses custom-formulated Cerazul™ hard- and Cerasuave™ soft-wax products made exclusively for the brand by one of the world’s leading manufacturers in Spain. Another key element that separates Waxing the City from competitors is expertise. According to co-founder Summer Vasilas, Waxing the City “performs the service better than anyone. We are trained better, have better wax and treat our clients better than anyone else. Period.” Industry reports show that specialty salons, including waxing, fared well during tough economic conditions. Between 2007 and 2012, industry revenue rose to a high of US$7.1 billion. Plus, revenue is projected to grow in the post-recession years, as employment figures improve and discretionary income increases. (IBISWorld’s Personal Waxing & Nail Salons in the US: Market Research Report, Feb 2012). “The combination of leadership, infrastructure and support from Anytime Fitness, along with our passion for waxing and superior products and service, are helping us shape the future of the waxing industry,” said Waxing the City Co-Founder Alex Arlotta. “With untapped markets in every state, we’re confident that in a short period of time, Waxing the City will be 'waxing the country,’” Arlotta said. Waxing the City is actively seeking single- and multi-unit franchise prospects within open markets across the country. The total franchise investment to begin operation of a Waxing the City studio ranges from US$86,300 and US$287,975, including the initial franchise fee for new franchisees. About Waxing the City Waxing the City is an exclusive waxing studio devoted solely to the art of waxing, catering to both women and men. As a leader in the waxing industry, Waxing the City is setting the bar and standard for excellence and innovation. Founded in 2003, the first Waxing the City studios opened in Denver and Texas, touting “superior waxes, highly-trained staff and compassionate and caring customer service.” In late 2012, the founders of Waxing the City partnered with MN-based Anytime Fitness, LLC, the world’s largest co-ed fitness franchise. Anytime Fitness is leveraging its tried-and-true franchise support systems to Waxing the City franchisees.