I considering buying a tanning salon. As such, I would like to learn more about customer buying behavior:
* What categories of customers exist?
* When do customers of each category buy (eg. what are the busiest and slowest months)?
* Why do customers of each category buy?
* Do customers typically live within so many miles of the salon?
* What is the main criteria used when a tanner selects a salon (price, location, hours of operation)?

Thanks.

all ages
all incomes
all reasons
tanning has a season can find tons of info on search

USe the search feature should answer most of your questions

Catagories of customers? The catagories are people who tan and people who don't tan - within that, some use lotion, some think for some uneduacted reason, they don't need to use lotion and then within that, there are those who buy their lotion from you and those who don't - - oh, and don't forget those who try to use outdoor lotion in your tanning bed. The lotion which sells the most is the one you push the most, OR, as the customers in my salon say, "Just sell me what you use." Now, with that, you have to be careful because if you're using Siren and somebody who is Lilly White walks in and wants what you use, you have to at that point educate Miss Lilly White.
In January, things pick up and by the end of May, it has slowed down again. If you're seeing 260 tanners a day like I sometimes do, you look forward to the end of May a little, but come November, you sure wish January would get here fast!
Most of the tanners are fairly local, but because of some of the industry in my po-dunk town, some tanners drive over 50 miles. People take several considerations for why they tan where they do, but let me tell you, being clean is probably at the top.

I would suggest contacting the people at www.sundash.com and using the free break-even analysis and downloading a copy of Sun Business 2004. That would be a good starting point. If you are not at least an experienced tanner who sees the need for a better service in your town/city, then why? There's no real money in it for you. By a Wendy's or Dunkin' Donuts Business.............

People spend money for two reasons.
1. NEED
2. IMPULSE

Your marketing program (pricing strategies) should be directed at these habits. Also keep in mind that a lot more money is spent impulsively than as a result of need. This is true no matter what your product is. This is the basis of low income producing salons; they create a pricing structure that is directed to the need customer. The seasonal aspect of tanning is something that has been programmed over the years and it is also programming that can be changed. As an industry we assume the season is over at a certain time of the year when in fact the type of marketing we do should change with the season to prevent such a drastic drop off in business. This is just a couple of a great many things you need to know to be successful in business.

Put very well.........