Just about half of the indoor tanning community believes that the 2008 tanning market met or exceeded expectations, while the other half feels 2008 fell short of expectations, a SmartTan.com survey conducted in the end of December revealed.

According to the poll, 26 percent felt the market exceeded expectations, 23 percent felt it met expectations while 51 percent were disappointed, feeling results fell short of expectations. The poll is not scientific, but is in line with Smart Tan surveys taken throughout 2008.

“The numbers are virtually the same as the poll taken at the end of August, when 29 percent felt the market exceeded expectations, 24 percent felt it met expectations while 47 percent felt results fell short of expectations,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “That would seem to indicate that the events that have battered our economy this fall have not significantly changed the outlook in our market.”

The results do vary from a poll taken in mid-February 2008, when 42 percent of the market said results exceeded their expectations and only 32 percent felt the year was short of expectations.

“The dynamic in the market seems to be the same: There are businesses who are growing, businesses holding their own and a percentage of the market that is struggling,” Levy said.