The US spa industry improved in the fourth quarter last year, bolstered by stronger sales and customer traffic levels, according to the Professional Beauty Association's quarterly tracking survey.

The Salon/Spa Performance Index (SSPI) examines the sector's current situation and future expectations, through surveys answered by salon and spa owners across the country.

In the fourth quarter the Current Situation Index sat at 100.5 - based on a steady-state level of 100 - up 1.2 per cent on the third quarter and representing a period of expansion.

Service and retail sales were both up, according to 49 per cent of owners - up 37 per cent from the third quarter.

Thirty-five per cent of owners reported an increase in customer traffic in the forth quarter, up from 25 per cent in the third quarter.

However, for the second consecutive quarter owners reported a net decline in staffing levels, with only 19 per cent of owners increasing positions compared with 21 per cent in the previous quarter.

In their outlook for the months ahead, spa owners remained positive but their optimism has faded in recent quarters, with 56 per cent expecting higher service sales in the next six months, down from 66 per cent in the third quarter.

Fifty-three per cent of spa owners expected economic conditions to improve in the months ahead, compared to 52 per cent who reported the same in the third quarter.