Two-thirds of indoor tanning businesses say that tanning business in the first six weeks of 2008 met or exceeded their expectations, according to a SmartTan.com poll conducted in the last week of February.

In the poll, 42 percent say business exceeded expectations, while 25 percent answered that business met their expectations. Just under one-third, 32 percent, didn’t achieve the results they had hoped for.

“With economic data firmly pointing to a slow-down in the American economy, I think the kind of optimism we’re seeing in this market is cautious and responsible,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “The business owners we’ve spoken with this year, as a group, seem to be prepared for challenging market conditions – even the ones who are telling us business is up. That’s a good sign. It shows that the leadership in the tanning market may be evening out – not getting too high in the good times and better prepared for periods of declining consumer spending.”

In a January SmartTan.com poll, 70 percent of tanning facility owners said they expected their tanning businesses to outperform 2007 results. Only 13 percent expected 2008 to be worse than 2007.

Fueling the good results thus far: A market that has a better control on business costs today than it has in some time. There is also reason to believe that the vitamin D message may be fueling an interest in regular, moderate non-burning UV exposure.