Franchise opportunities compared
Sun Tan City vs The Shade Group
Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Only Sun Tan City has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
| Disclosure | STSun Tan City | TSThe Shade Group |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $1,048,790 – $1,797,750 Total single-salon initial investment excluding real estate — lower estimate 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22 | $295,250 – $482,300 Total single-unit investment range 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | $49,500 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | $8.00 New — 8% Royalty 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14 | $8.00 Continuing royalty rate 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 2% National marketing fund contribution — current percentage of Gross Revenue — 2% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16 | $2.00 Brand fund maximum rate 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 252 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52 | 0 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 54 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −1 Calculated: 253 at end of 2023 → 252 at end of 2025 | Not available Only one year reported |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 92 full-year company salons $360,969 other 92 full-year company salons · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 50 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised full-year salons; narrative154,table heading162 3,488 sessions other Franchised full-year salons; narrative154,table heading162 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 51 | Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation |
Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.