The future of indoor tanning is analyzed by retail market leaders in the December issue of Smart Tan Magazine, now available on-line as an e-publication.

Indoor tanning’s North American roots were laid in the late 1970s by bold entrepreneurs who had virtually no idea what would become of their blind investment into what was, at the time, an unproven folly. They imported sunlamps from Europe, in many cases built their own tanning beds and booths, rented spaces and rolled the dice that the “fad” of indoor sun tanning would catch on like “pet rocks” did.

Fast-forward about 33 years and pet rocks are a dated thing of the past. But the tanning “fad” has survived initial ridicule, government regulation, the advent of “Sun Scare” marketing as a formidable competitor, four business recessions, stock market crashes and just about every obstacle conceivable. Maybe that staying power is why the market’s leaders are still bullish on the future of tanning.

Preliminary reports from Smart Tan’s November convention and trade show in Downtown Nashville suggest that tanning retailers are once again investing in new equipment after a three-year lull in equipment sales — a solid initial sign of investment that is generally regarded as the leading edge of a growth phase in any market. So where is the market going? Who’s growing and why?

To read the rest of this story in Smart Tan Magazine’s December issue as an e-pub, click here.