More than half of all tanning salons say tanning product sales represent a larger portion of their bottom line so far this year, according to a SmartTan.com poll conducted in late April — yet another indicator that the retail economy is rebounding this year.

According to the poll, 53 percent of salons say product/lotion sales represent a larger portion of their income so far in 2012 as compared to 2011, while 34 percent say product sales are a smaller percentage of total sales. Another 12 percent found no difference from last year.

“There are, of course, several ways to interpret this kind of poll, but in the context of other polls we’ve conducted this year it follows that for many salons’ consumers are once again picking up product sales with their tanning packages, and that leading salons in the market are doing a better job packaging and selling lotion as an integral part of tanning,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “This is another encouraging sign for the market.”