Six out of 10 tanning salon owners say the third quarter of 2012 has been slower than the same period last year, according to a SmartTan.com poll conducted this month. That’s the opposite of the same poll conducted for the first quarter of the year, when 60 percent reported more business than in 2011.

According to the most recent poll, 60 percent say their business performance for the July-September quarter has been slower than in 2011. Just 23 percent reported stronger results in 2011 for the third quarter, while 17 percent said business was about the same.

That’s down significantly from 36 percent who reported a stronger January-June for 2012, and 60 percent who reported a stronger January-March in earlier polls.

One factor that appears near-universal in the North American market this year: An extremely warm spring just about everywhere moved tanning’s busiest months up this year, bringing summer-season earlier for salons.

An August SmartTan.com poll showed that, despite the slow third quarter, about half of tanning business owners (49 percent) feel better about the future of the market this year as compared to last year.