The best way to predict the future is to examine what\u2019s already happened in the past. In the context of tanning equipment, salon offerings have evolved rapidly in recent history. With new advancements, plentiful amenities, and luxurious visual appeal, many clients have grown used to, and are willing to pay more for, an elevated experience.<\/p>\n
Equipment selection hasn\u2019t transformed simply because of consumer preference, but also out of necessity. As the industry has condensed, many tanning businesses are trying to drive more revenue with lower budgets, less space and fewer customers. Accomplishing that requires equipment that will warrant higher prices for sessions and memberships, as well as the ability to push more tanners through the rooms faster in peak times, with shorter exposure times. Even if you have plenty of space, you still want to maximize your revenue per room, and that now requires a different equipment mix than in the past.<\/p>\n
When you consider how different things are now from 10 or 20 years ago, if you plan on being in this business for the long haul, it\u2019s important to be looking ahead at what the next 10 years will bring. There\u2019s no reason to expect the industry not to continue to gravitate toward higher-level equipment. So, if you\u2019re not up to date now, you can only expect to fall further behind if you don\u2019t make changes soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith indoor tanning originating in Europe, and primarily Germany, when you go over there, you don\u2019t see four or five levels of tanning. You may see two. They don\u2019t sell 32 lamp units. They don\u2019t even sell the Level 2 beds we sell here. You\u2019re getting only the biggest beds in salons there. In the late \u201890s, big beds were starting to come in and people here were saying, \u2018American salons will always focus on more of the 32 lamp units in their salon.\u2019 But that\u2019s changed greatly in 20 years,\u201d says PC Tan VP of Sales Eric Haynes<\/p>\n
\u201cLevel 1 isn\u2019t the biggest level anymore. As we move forward, salons could go to just having all upper end beds with different lamp mixes in them that meet all of their needs. It may not be tomorrow, but in another 15 years down the road, I\u2019m confident indoor tanning will likely have a wider audience because of the features that are making their way into tanning systems today. Just like looking at things today versus 10 years ago, it\u2019s going to look very different, and I think we could have a wider audience, not fewer salons.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spray tanning has also grown to be an indispensable part of the conversation about the equipment mix of the future, for every single tanning salon in North America. Sunless is clearly growing, but investment in spray tanning equipment is still minimal compared to UV in most salons. It makes sense why. Even if your UV units aren\u2019t constantly in use, you need to have a variety of options to appeal to all consumers. On the other hand, there are differences in sunless equipment, but they are usually still seen as very similar, or even interchangeable.<\/p>\n
But, it\u2019s now time to adjust that thinking. Demand for higher-level UV equipment with shorter session times can allow many salons to generate more revenue with less UV units. And, at the same time, sunless equipment is continually becoming more advanced and diversified. While you might not think your sunless demand currently warrants additional units, it\u2019s worth considering if being proactive and adding more options will be necessary in the future, and help stimulate growth now.<\/p>\n