Google AdsGoogle
cal year ending December 31, 2025, the contributions to the National Marketing Fund were used as follows: (i) Digital Advertising, which includes social media, video placement and Google ads, 83%; (ii
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Sun Tan City
Personal servicesSun Tan City's 2026 FDD requires franchisees to run approved point-of-sale software, standard approved computer and networking hardware, and the enhanced Sun Tan City app on iOS and Android, across 156 franchised and 96 company-owned salons. Purchasing runs through an approved-supplier list, and franchised outlets fell 4.3% year over year.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
252
156 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-3.704%
vs prior filing
AUV
$685K
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
8%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$30K
per unit
Investment range
$1.05M–$1.80M
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
10%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
22 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 9 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We have the right, as often as we deem appropriate, including on a daily basis, to access your technological systems that you are required to maintain in connection with the operation of the SUN TAN CITY® franchise and to retrieve all information and materials contained in such systems, including, without limitation…
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
At our request, provide a compilation, review or audited financial statements from an outside accounting firm for the Business.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We or one of our affiliates may be that single source.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
We established a Franchise Advisory Council (“FAC”) in 2013, comprised of franchisees and at least one corporate representative.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We also reserve the right to designate a single source of supply for certain products and services.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We will continue to receive rebates, discounts and other similar payments from our designated suppliers for purchases by franchisees.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
Subject to our prior written approval, you may contract with alternative suppliers; however, you must not purchase or lease the item until and unless we have approved the item and/or supplier in writing.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must at all times comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (“PCI Compliant”) (Article 8.6) and other applicable data privacy and data security rules, regulations, policies and guidelines.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 9
s. Inspections and audits 2.3, 3.7, 4.3, 8.13, 9.2 and 11 6 and 11
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 16
The Manuals may be modified by us periodically from time to time to reflect changes in our Methods of Operation.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
Approving your choice of a proposed location (Article 2.1); you will not pay the initial franchise fee, and a franchise agreement will not be entered into between you and us unless and until a proposed location is approved.
Marketing
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to conduct a grand opening advertising and promotional program for the Business during the thirty (30) day period prior to opening and during the thirty (30) day period after its opening and to expend not less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) for such purpose.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
You agree to spend annually for advertising and promotion of the Business not less than three percent (3.0%) of your Gross Revenue (“Minimum Advertising Expenditure”) (Article 9.1).
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 11
All salons must allow their location to appear online and their clients the ability to check-in, purchase, and/or create their accounts with our app as well as utilize our referral and rewards programs.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to purchase or lease approved brands, types or models of fixtures, furnishings, equipment, signs and products only from suppliers we have designated or approved (which may include us and/or our affiliates).
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
If we have approved suppliers for any item, you must obtain the item from our approved suppliers.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
We also require you to process credit cards through our designated gateway, with our approved processor and use P2PE credit card reader devices.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
ITEM 6 OTHER FEES TYPE OF AMOUNT1,6 DUE DATE REMARKS7 FEE 2 Royalty (New 8% of Gross Revenue Monthly via Paid to us via debit draft of your account ;4 Franchisee) commencing on the draft as initiated by us or withheld from the first day of operations settlement electronic fund processing (“EFT”) (“Opening Date”)…
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 11
You must have at least one trained Salon Operator.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
We require you to use approved point of sale (“POS”) software in the operation of your SUN TAN CITY® Salon.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We have the right, as often as we deem appropriate, including on a daily basis, to access your technological systems that you are required to maintain in connection with the operation of the SUN TAN CITY® franchise and to retrieve all information and materials contained in such systems, including, without limitation…
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may require you and your Salon Operators to attend additional training.
The filing answers no to 3 questions
- Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?Item 8
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Franchise agreement
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
Who buys here
The buyer at this brand
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
HQ leadership: CEO/President + VP Ops/Franchise + a first dedicated IT/systems owner.
VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
- With 298 active personal services brands, I can't see which ones are growing or have the tech gaps my product fills, so I waste weeks chasing the wrong targets.A rep burning 10 hours/week on manual research at $50/hr loses $26,000/year. FranCloud's fit_scoring and corpus_search surface high-fit brands in seconds, reclaiming that time for selling.
- 63.5% of personal services brands mandate no POS system, but I can't identify the 108 that do without digging through hundreds of FDDs.Manually reviewing one FDD takes 3+ hours. At 108 targets, that's 324 hours. FranCloud's tech_landscape reveals POS mandates instantly, turning a $16,200 research slog into a single query.
- 91.6% of brands don't mandate a CRM, but the 25 that do are hidden in static reports, delaying my outreach to high-intent prospects.Landing one CRM-displacing deal in this segment can yield $30k+ ARR. FranCloud's find_lookalikes pinpoints those 25 brands and their peers, accelerating pipeline by months.
The vendor opportunity at Sun Tan City
Sun Tan City runs 156 franchised salons plus 96 company-owned, in the personal services segment. Item 19 of the FDD makes a financial performance representation, with average total revenues of $684,871 across the 92 Company Salons open the full 2025 year (averaging 16.9 years of operation). Franchised outlets fell 4.3% year over year.
Who controls software purchasing
Purchasing runs through the franchisor's approved-supplier process at the corporate level: franchisees must purchase all computer hardware, software, and peripherals from the franchisor or an approved supplier, and the Sun Tan City Help Desk contacts approved suppliers on the franchisee's behalf for hardware orders, service, and maintenance -- leaving little room for a franchisee's own vendor choice.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
The filing's own words require approved point-of-sale software, a standard approved computer and networking hardware setup with designated software and peripherals -- including workstations, a printer, a firewall, P2PE credit card terminals, GlowTV, and an IoT router -- and the enhanced Sun Tan City app on iOS and Android, with credit cards processed through the franchisor's designated gateway and approved processor. Google Ads (Google) is named in Item 11, without a stated requirement.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The supplier model is an approved-supplier list: franchisees must purchase tanning and spa equipment, POS computers and software, IT support, digital signage, and credit card processing integration from approved suppliers, and must use the franchisor or an affiliate for electronic fund transfer services. Franchisees may propose an alternate supplier for approval. The initial term is 10 years, with renewal requiring a signed new agreement, possible remodeling, and a $5,000 successor franchise fee.
How to read the Sun Tan City FDD
The embedded PDF viewer below holds the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. Sun Tan City operates as part of the STC Consolidated Operations family of entities. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked target list of franchise systems like this one across the corpus.
Questions vendors ask
Sun Tan City, answered from the filing
Purchasing runs through the franchisor's approved-supplier process: all computer hardware, software, and peripherals must come from the franchisor or an approved supplier, and the Sun Tan City Help Desk contacts approved suppliers on the franchisee's behalf for hardware orders and service.
The filing's own words require approved point-of-sale software, standard approved computer and networking hardware with designated software, and the enhanced Sun Tan City app on iOS and Android. Google Ads (Google) is named in Item 11, without a stated requirement.
156 franchised salons plus 96 company-owned, in the personal services segment. Franchised outlets fell 4.3% year over year, part of the STC Consolidated Operations family of entities.
An approved-supplier list. Franchisees must purchase computer hardware, software, and peripherals, plus tanning equipment, POS computers and software, IT support, and digital signage, from the franchisor's approved suppliers; alternate suppliers may still be proposed for approval.
The initial term is 10 years, with renewal requiring a signed new franchise agreement, possible remodeling, good standing, and a $5,000 successor franchise fee. With franchised outlets contracting 4.3%, renewal cycles rather than new openings drive most near-term technology decisions.
The embedded PDF viewer below holds the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document in full.
Source
Read the filing itself
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Sun Tan City files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
1 operators run 1 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit1
Top states by locations
| WI | 1 |
|---|
Ownership
The portfolio behind Sun Tan City
unknown of stc consolidated operations.
Related Personal services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.