Spring arrived early this year![gap height=”15″]
There is something special about this season for me. Beautiful pink and white blossoms are out in force on the trees, spring flowers are bursting to life everywhere and the birdsong, which I have to admit does somewhat irritate me very early in the morning at other times of the year, genuinely seems to put a smile on my face in spring! Daylight hours are longer and all of this is topped off with some wonderful sunshine. For the first time this year, we’ve recently had the warmth of the sun on our faces. There’s no doubt about it, life truly is better when the sun shines.[gap height=”15″]
And clearly, the spring awakening has a similar effect on our industry – it’s the same each year. At the first signs of spring, the phones in salons start to ring, ring, ring! This is, of course, another reason why as a tanning product provider, I love this time of year. To be fair, it has already been a very busy start to 2017 and perhaps that’s put extra spring in my step. What is good to report is that this particularly elevated feel good factor appears to be bubbling around throughout the tanning industry as a whole, and aside from the time of year, it’s hard to put a finger on exactly why: but hey, I’m certainly not complaining.[gap height=”15″]
What I find very interesting is the uplift in interest generating from markets that until recently, had pretty much turned their backs on UV tanning. In what could perhaps be described as the halcyon days of the 1980s and 1990s, health club and gym facilities were booming and tanning beds at that time were high on the list of requisite equipment for the vast majority of these facilities. Over time, this specification changed and there was a period when large chains were actively eliminating tanning beds in pursuit of other secondary and tertiary income generating/member accruing products and services. However, there’s no doubt we are currently experiencing a slow but encouraging shift of interest back toward tanning beds in this market sector, which is fantastic news![gap height=”15″]
It’s also very encouraging and interesting to see an increase in enquiries from other business sectors adopting the synergistic approach of adding a tanning bed to a primary business offering. After the cash-strapped, belt-tightening recession years, consumers overall are gaining confidence and beginning to spend a little more on themselves than they have in recent times. Businesses recognizing this are keen to capitalise on the opportunity and are looking to invest in providing the products and services that will capture as much of this additional me-spend as possible. And, of course, it makes sense that consumers are willing to make a purchase at a business they already know and trust, where they enjoy the experience and are perhaps rewarded for their loyalty.[gap height=”15″]
What’s also good for our industry is that these business owners and operators are, in the main, not just looking at the potential income generation from adding indoor tanning to their service menus, they are also keen to ensure they offer it to their customers using best practices. This approach is being reflected in an increased demand for training and trade association membership, alongside investment in the best products. To me, these are all indicators of the increased professionalism that exists and continues to grow in all areas of our industry.[gap height=”15″]
And yes, that also puts a spring in my step! [gap height=”15″]
What I find very interesting is the uplift in interest generating from markets that until recently, had pretty much turned their backs on UV tanning.
Ekaterina Pokrovsky / Shutterstock.com
