The 80's was a decade with consistent growth and power for the new manufacturers. Paul Mitchell and Matrix Essentials came into the market in 1981 and we now had five new, aspiring and growing companies driving the growth of salons through their direct leadership and were becoming so strong that there was an additional shift from the leadership of the aforementioned manufacturers found in the 60's to the top five leaders that drove the 80's with their philosophy, products, and education. During this decade, salon retail went through the roof, as salon clients were an easy target for professional products that were exclusive to the professional salon. Big hair was the rage which opened the door to newer products that supported this trend. During this period, Beauty Supplies were allowed to represent and carry professional products, as long as they had a shampoo bowl and offered services as part of their in store layout. Unfortunately, this was one of the first areas where the manufacturer lost control and opened the door to price cutting, non adherence to policies, and professional products starting to show up in less than professional outlets.This decade also saw the rise of the Independents, eroding the old system of commission salons where the owner hired stylists as employees and grew their business as a team oriented effort. Now the majority of salons nationwide is nothing more than lease spaces for anyone willing to pay their space fees. Products are harder to position in salons because every stylist can make their own decision as to what they use and sell and education has gone by the wayside as a salon owner cannot mandate that his lessors have to attend any educational events.