Salon XL Color & Design Group

What Salon XL Color & Design Group does

Salon XL Color & Design Group is a single-location, full-service hair salon and spa operating in Ann Arbor, Michigan, founded in 1999 by Charlie Adams — recognized as Ann Arbor's first American Board Certified Haircolorist. The business delivers hair services (coloring, highlights, cuts, styling, keratin smoothing treatments, and bridal work using Wella Professionals color), face services (waxing, tinting, eyelash, and MAC Cosmetics-makeup application), body services (airbrush tanning), and special-occasion styling (weddings, proms, galas), plus retail sales of premium Kerastase Paris and Oribe products. Pricing is structured as per-service unit pricing ranging from $46 for a glaze to $350+ for a Coppola Keratin smoothing treatment, with consultation-based pricing for bridal work and a Student Splurge membership offering 10% off for current students.

The operating model is direct-to-consumer, transaction-based, and concentrated at one physical storefront at 820 West Eisenhower Pkwy Suite 105 with phone-based appointment booking. Distribution is exclusively through this single retail location; the digital footprint consists of a Squarespace website used for portfolio and service information plus Instagram (@salonxl_coloranddesign) for organic social marketing. The customer base is a horizontal mix of local Ann Arbor residents, University of Michigan students (targeted via the membership program), and special-occasion clientele.

Salon XL is privately held by founder Charlie Adams with no disclosed institutional backing, no funding history, no subsidiaries, and 7 reported employees. Brand equity is reinforced by sustained industry recognition — including ELLE Magazine Top 100 Salons (2011-2015, five consecutive years), Allure A-List (2003-2004), Harper's Bazaar Best of the Midwest, and StyleLine Top Shop in Michigan — alongside membership in Intercoiffure since 2001, described as the most prestigious global salon organization. The 25-year operational track record with no disclosed ownership changes, acquisitions, or expansion indicates a stable boutique-business profile rather than a venture-scalable model.

Name

Salon XL Color & Design Group

Legal name

Salon XL Color & Design Group

Website

https://salonxl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Salon XL Color & Design Group is a single-location, full-service hair salon and spa in Ann Arbor, Michigan, founded in 1999 by Charlie Adams. It serves local consumers and University of Michigan students with premium hair color, styling, facial, body, and special-occasion services plus retail of Wella, Kerastase, Oribe, and MAC products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hair Salon and Spa Services

NAICS

Beauty Salons (812112), Hair, Nail, and Skin Care Services (81211), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Hair Coloring & Highlights Services (HSALAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Unisex/Family Hair Salons (HSALAAAC), Haircutting & Styling Services (HSALAAAD), Professional Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments) (CRABALAB)

Keywords

• Hair salon services
• Hair color and styling
• Spa and beauty services
• Bridal hair styling
• Professional hair products

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hair Services: Professional hair services including color, highlights, cuts, styling, and treatments. Revenue generated per service transaction with prices varying based on service complexity and hair type.
2. Spa Services: Face, body, and nail services including waxing, makeup application, tanning, manicures, and pedicures. One-time service transactions.
3. Product Sales: Retail sales of professional hair care products including Kerastase Paris and Oribe. Products recommended and sold post-service to maintain hair quality at home.
4. Special Occasion Services: Wedding, prom, gala, and special event hair and beauty services with consultation-based pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Salon XL Color & Design Group operates a single-location full-service hair salon and spa in Ann Arbor, Michigan, delivering professional hair color, cuts, styling, treatments, face, body, and special occasion beauty services. The salon also retails premium hair care products (Kerastase Paris and Oribe) and offers a Student Splurge membership program with discounted services.

Product overview

Salon XL Color & Design Group is a full-service hair salon and spa offering a unified portfolio of services across four main categories: Hair (coloring, highlights, cuts, styling, treatments, keratin smoothing, and extensions using Wella Professionals products), Face (waxing, tinting, makeup application using MAC Cosmetics), Body (airbrush tanning), and Special Occasions (bridal, updos, nails). The salon also retails professional products including Kerastase Paris (premium hair care) and Oribe (styling products). A Student Splurge membership program provides 10% discounts for current students. Founded in 1999 and recognized as ELLE Magazine's Top Salon in Michigan, the salon is led by Ann Arbor's first American Board Certified Haircolorist Charlie Adams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IntercoiffurecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Salon XL has been a proud member of Intercoiffure, the most prestigious salon organization in the world, since 2001. This membership provides access to exclusive techniques, industry innovations, and global network of elite salon professionals. It validates the salon's commitment to excellence and positions them among the world's top salons.
• Wella ProfessionalscoreOthersSalon XL uses Wella Professionals hair color, described as 'the best in the business.' Wella is an industry-leading hair color brand used for single process color, double process color, highlights, and glaze services.
• Kerastase PariscoreOthersSalon XL carries Kerastase Paris products, described as 'the Bentley of hair products, the crème de la crème.' The brand employs 2,600 scientists and is positioned as a premium, technology-driven hair care line for all hair types.
• OribecoreOthersSalon XL carries Oribe styling products, noted for being multi-faceted with products that can be combined in amazing arrays to create perfect looks. The entire line is 100% gluten free and all but 3 products are 100% vegan.
• MAC CosmeticsminorOthersAll makeup products used at Salon XL are from MAC Cosmetics. Used for full face makeup application services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Great Clips: Largest U.S. walk-in hair salon franchise with thousands of locations, including in the Ann Arbor market. Competes for routine cut and color services at lower price points than Salon XL.
• Regis Corporation: Largest franchised salon operator in North America (parent of SmartStyle, Cost Cutters, First Choice Haircutters, and Supercuts). Anchors the mass-market and franchise end of the salon industry against which Salon XL's premium independent model competes for share.
• Ulta Beauty: Largest U.S. specialty beauty retailer carrying Kerastase, Oribe, MAC, and other Salon XL retail brands. Represents the broader retail/consumer competition for both Salon XL's retail product sales and the routine service segments.
• Toni&Guy: Internationally established premium salon brand and hairdressing education company. Overlaps with Salon XL on the upscale hair-color and styling segment and provides a benchmark for how an independent premium salon can scale through branding and franchise.

Emerging players

• Drybar: Specialty blowout and styling salon chain that has built a premium services brand around a narrow use case (blowouts). Comparable as a premium-services specialist expanding from a single-salon concept into a multi-site brand.
• Salon Lofts: Multi-location salon-suite concept giving independent stylists branded studio space. Adjacent competitor for stylist talent and a possible alternative growth model for Salon XL's expansion ambitions.
• Sola Salon Studios: Salon-suite franchise renting individual studios to independent beauty professionals. Represents an alternative operating model that competes for the same independent stylist labor pool as Salon XL.

Direct peers

• Juut Salonspa: Midwest-based upscale salon and spa brand with multiple locations offering high-end hair color, styling, and skin services. Directly comparable to Salon XL in terms of independent premium positioning and broad hair/face/body service mix.
• Van Michael Salons: Michigan and Chicago-based group of high-end hair salons focused on advanced color and editorial styling. Closely comparable in geography (Michigan) and in color-led positioning that mirrors Salon XL's American Board Certified Haircolorist positioning.
• Mario Tricoci Hair Salon & Day Spa: Chicago-area upscale salon and day spa chain offering premium hair color, cuts, and spa services. Highly comparable to Salon XL given similar Midwest geography, full-service offering, and premium positioning serving an affluent clientele.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/salonxl_coloranddesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/salon-xl-color-&-design-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Salon XL Color & Design Group