Bring on the fireworks and New Year’s celebrations! As another year comes to a close, I find myself increasingly looking forward to 2023 with great expectation. Despite the challenges that 2022 brought about, as a tanning product provider, we had one of our best years ever and that is indubitably a wonderful reflection of the positivity and confidence within our industry.
As a seasonal industry, the general off-peak season of winter enables us to undertake a more detailed engagement and dialogue with salon owners and operators. These conversations are extremely important to us for a plethora of reasons and intrinsically bear influence on our own plans for 2023 and beyond. It is so gratifying to see how buoyant our customers are with exciting expansions planned. In the wider context of our industry, the plans for 2023 are significant and I look forward to some very exciting initiatives coming to fruition. But more on these another time.
I have no doubt that 2023 will see a steady and continued growth in the professional tanning bed industry.
Of course, as we move into 2023 the energy price crisis in Europe will continue to have an impact on all industries. With energy consumption being a major overhead for tanning salons, we very much hope that in situ fixed contract rates will enable operators to work through this challenge. Fortunately, initial indicators suggest that generally speaking, salon footfall is not being negatively impacted beyond the annual seasonal downturn, even where salons have had to introduce price increases. Long may this last!
It goes without saying that our industry will not be completely immune to the economic and energy crises – no industry will be. There are salons that either did not have a fixed energy contract in place or are due to come out of one imminently. In these instances, the sky-high increases have and will inevitably force some difficult decisions.
Our media remains full of features and analysis of the impact that the rising cost of living is having on households and businesses, highlighting why and where consumers are making cutbacks. What is perhaps interesting and indeed very welcome, is that tanning salon visits are not featuring highly, if at all, on the list of consumer cutbacks. We have seen this behaviour before and is what is commonly referred to as “the lipstick effect.” Sales of affordable luxuries, including tanning sessions, traditionally rise in economic downturns and we are seeing this same picture emerging as consumers show determination to continue purchasing small but significant treats for themselves.
Smart operators will be channeling into this trend and adding further value to a salon visit, with additional promotions and added-value experiences to encourage continued footfall. Once again for our industry, the fact that you cannot have a take-out or online tanning bed session stands us in good stead during even the toughest of economic times.
We must always continue to look forward and plan ahead. I have no doubt that 2023 will see a steady and continued growth in the professional tanning bed industry. This continues to be evidenced by new single-site businesses opening up and down the country, the continued expansion of salon chains and all combined with a phenomenal investment in new equipment. There can be no question that this firmly underlines the indisputable fact that people love to tan and will continue to do so responsibly in our professional tanning salons.
That leaves me only to wish you all a wonderful, festive season and a happy and prosperous 2023!
