Midas Touch Golden Tans was coming off the most successful year in its 18-year history and on track to have an even better 2020 when everything came to a screeching halt in March. \u201cI don\u2019t even know the words to describe the fear and anxiety and worry,\u201d says manager Amy Ringler.<\/p>\n
All of you understand exactly how she felt and have personally experienced the immense toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on businesses around the world. But, despite the unprecedented setback, the Kansas salon\u2019s recent growth provided crucial financial security, and also plenty of reason to believe that the business is still well positioned for long-term success. \u201cI\u2019m just so glad that coronavirus hit after 2019,\u201d Ringler says.<\/p>\n
As the entire world continues to navigate through one of the most universally stressful and challenging times in modern history, it seems that most tanning business owners have now reached the point where they\u2019re feeling some sense of relief. \u201cI\u2019m very happy as to how well we\u2019re hanging in there. It\u2019s definitely not as bad as I feared it to be,\u201d says Touchable Tans owner Tara Sanders. \u201cI\u2019m not worried about closing down. It\u2019s not at that level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite being asked in the midst of a global pandemic, 60 percent of industry members that responded to a Smart Tan poll in July and August said they feel more confident about the future of their tanning business than they did five years ago. While they\u2019re probably left with a few more gray hairs on their heads, the vast majority of tanning businesses made it past mandated closures with their businesses intact and received a huge confidence boost when they opened their doors and welcomed back hordes of eager clients.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were so busy. It was so reassuring to see familiar faces. They wanted to shop and support local businesses. They wanted to buy anything and everything,\u201d Ringler says.<\/p>\n
But, when you look at the big picture, successful \u201cgrand re-openings\u201d are far from the only reason that the future of the indoor tanning industry is still looking incredibly bright. For several years now, the industry has been trending in the right direction. Though the COVID-19 crisis crushed the indoor tanning busy season, there are several reasons why salons are better positioned than other retail operators to thrive as we continue to deal with the pandemic and its economic fallout. And, as you\u2019ll see, there may be some silver linings in all of this.<\/p>\n
Of course, there are exceptions to the general sentiment of the industry. Salons in states that weren\u2019t allowed to open in May or June are surely feeling decidedly more pessimistic than those in the majority of states. However, the fact remains that many of those salons also experienced recent growth prior to the pandemic, and their prospects for future success are still just as strong, as long as they\u2019re able to hold on in the short term.<\/p>\n