Hello – where did summer go? Is it really possible that we are about to enter the last quarter of 2023? Am I alone as I somewhat struggle to fully process the fact that we are already through the peak of the 2023 season? Ordinarily, my business would expect to experience some level of slowdown in the frenetic pace of office and orderbook activity by this time of year, but this simply has not materialised. Not for one moment am I complaining; but this really is quite the situation.
At a time of continuing financial constraints on many household budgets as the cost-of-living rises, tanning salon footfall continues to excel. If we drill down into this a little, there are a number of indicators to help explain why this is happening.
The first is the result of a very average summer weather-wise here in the UK. Searing temperatures have been recorded across much of mainland Europe, but the UK and Ireland have somehow managed to dodge this bullet. Warm, yes; dry, some of the time; sunny – hardly at all. And it is the combination of such weather conditions that drives tanners into salons in droves. Summer clothes purchased, ready and waiting to be worn … a tanned body is the only missing element to head off for some summer fun!
“I would suggest that those who tan responsibly in a professional salon have a much better understanding of how to tan sensibly on holiday.”
Of course, for those lucky enough to be taking a sunny holiday, the sensible acquisition of a base tan remains one of the most popular reasons for indoor tanning. As a slight digression, the “denial” of the benefits of a base tan is just another example of why public sun awareness campaigns often get ignored and, I would suggest, why those who tan responsibly in a professional salon have a much better understanding of how to tan sensibly on holiday.
How does it not make sense to prepare your skin with a natural base tan before exposing it to intense UV levels in the summer holiday sunshine? I would say irrefutably that individuals with a medium skin type – that being the majority of the UK population – would be at a far greater risk of UV overexposure and burning in the early days of a summer sun holiday when they do not acquire a base tan. But of course, the fact that hoards of holidaymakers “plan their tan” year after year at their local professional salon speaks for itself.
Another factor positively impacting salon footfall is social media. We have seen an unprecedented level of online searches for sunbeds and “#sunbed” boasts over 549 million views on TikTok alone. As much as it would be phenomenal to claim all of these searches were related exclusively to tanning bed posts, the reality of this figure includes searches for posts on what our tabloid media often refers to as “sunbed wars.” This bizarre “activity” appears to occur incessantly in mainstream summer holiday hotel destinations. It can be explained simply as the very early morning frenetic and often confrontational behaviour of holidaymakers seeking to secure sun-loungers beside their holiday pools. I can assure you – you simply would not believe what you see!
And finally, it is quite wonderful to observe the steady but dynamic shift toward acknowledging that a tan achieved in a professional salon environment is not only a guaranteed and responsible way to tan, but is also a relaxing and enjoyable experience to boot.
We are witnessing 2023 as one of our industry’s most successful years ever. But we need to be mindful that not everything in the garden is rosy. As we reflect and focus on the continued professional development of our salon operations, we must ensure a continued education of consumers in a responsible approach to tanning. Importantly, that includes addressing some of the activities promoted on social media; but more on that next time.
