In today\u2019s industry, there\u2019s no room for wasted space or equipment that isn\u2019t pulling its weight. Every unit must be strategically selected to deliver maximum return on investment. That\u2019s the efficiency equation \u2014 building the right mix of tanning and wellness services to maximize revenue per square foot, per session, per member, and per dollar invested.<\/p>\n
The top equipment manufacturers and distributors clearly understand where the industry is headed. Tanning Supplies Unlimited and JK Products & Services, distributors of KBL and Ergoline equipment, respectively, are companies still most deeply invested in UV \u2014 and yet, both are now urging salons to build wellness-led business models. That alone should signal something important: this is not a move away from tanning. It\u2019s a move to future-proof and amplify it.<\/p>\n
\u201cStart thinking about how you can get that clientele you don\u2019t already see that wouldn\u2019t know that you\u2019re there. Decide how to market to them with new services, just like a brand new business would. Pretend you\u2019re not a tanning business. Where do you go now?\u201d says Bill Pipp, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Tanning Supplies Unlimited.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want to have a beauty, spa, and wellness business. People are interested in those kinds of services. How do you market to those people, recognizing they may never tan, and that\u2019s OK. You bring in a whole new clientele into your salon. Tanning people aren\u2019t going to leave if you bring in wellness and spa. As long as you still have great tanning beds and service, they\u2019re good they\u2019re going to still be there, but you can also get them to step up and be all-access members and use all of your different services. Flip the model over and say, it\u2019s not that the old model is broke. It\u2019s a new model with wellness and spa which doesn\u2019t hurt the tanning business.\u201d<\/p>\n
As service options expand, the importance of equipment selection as well as menu design becomes even more critical. Complexity may increase behind the scenes, but to the customer, it must feel simpler, more valuable, and easier to say \u201cyes\u201d to.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, real estate is more expensive, and operating a business is more expensive overall. Your tanning units are also now competing with non-tanning modalities, so you\u2019re minimizing revenue per sq. ft. when you put in a basic tanning unit,\u201d says Charles Lerebours, Executive Director of Sales for JK Products & Services.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been great success with the diversification to wellness and spa, and in consequence, tanning becomes just one modality along with red light, sauna, and others. Most of the salons are moving to one, two, or three levels of tanning max. The customer has less time and focus to decipher all the details and specifications of different tanning units. Instead, you want to offer a tanning experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the subject of efficiency, LED tanning and new-generation UV technology have made UV sessions more efficient and cost-effective than at any point in this industry\u2019s history. But that\u2019s only one part of the equation. The bigger evolution is strategic \u2014 not technical.<\/p>\n