Location: Kenai, AK
Number of Stores: 1
Years in Business: 1
Owner: Jenny Dickinson
Staff: 4
Tanning Units: 8 (TanAmerica)
Tanning Levels: 3
Lotions: Australian Gold, Designer Skin, Ed Hardy, MR International, Supre Tan
Software: SunTouch
Other Services: Custom Spray-tans (Norvell Skin Solutions)
Training: Sun is Life® and Eye Pro
Distribution Partner: Four Seasons Sales & Service, MR International
Surrounded by the untamed, mountainous beauty of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, Coco Beach Tanning keeps its clients tan all year … whether the sun is always shining, or not at all!
When she opened Coco Beach Tanning last year, Jenny Dickinson brought a lot of experience with her. She owned and operated a salon in Anchorage for 13 years before selling the business and relocating to Kenai, explained Summer Stockman, Coco Beach Manager. “I knew Jenny because I took care of her kids at a day care center,” said Summer. “One day, she asked me if I would manage her tanning salon and I said ‘Yes.’” Jenny purchased the business on June 1, 2013 and she, Jake and Summer cleaned it from top to bottom, even taking the tanning units apart and, as Summer puts it, “getting rid of all the dust bunnies.”
In Alaska, opening a tanning salon in the summer has its challenges. The sun shines nearly 20 hours a day during that time, Summer says, which tends to make people, “not want to spend time in a tanning unit after being outdoors all day.” Even with this challenge, she reports that many younger tanners frequented Coco Beach after it initially opened, and even more came during its second summer in business. The salon tends to have older clients during the winter, she added, which lasts from October to May and averages about five hours of sunlight each day. “Many people around here don’t like being pale during the winter,” Summer smiled.
Summer was one of the many Coco Beach staff members who took the Sun is Life® “Got Sunless” online training module in April. She found it extremely helpful for the custom spray-tan services at Coco Beach, adding, “There was so much information! We continue to utilize everything we learned, and it’s really helped our sales as well as improved the experience for our sunless clients.” Summer says she and the rest of the Coco Beach staff are looking forward to having more Sun is Life training in the future.
With clients and sales steadily increasing, Summer predicts big things ahead for Coco Beach. “I could see Jenny getting some new equipment,” she explained, “but she wants to stay with one location because she enjoys being a part of the Kenai community.” Whatever Jenny wants to do with the salon, Summer says she fine with it as long as she can continue doing what she loves most – helping people stay tanned and happy all year long!
