TANNING 12th and Finally Hour, Welcome to a Season less Industry

[keyser]

AHHHHH The sight’s and sounds nobody coming thru your hallways.

All the whistles and bells you bought into. The fresh smell of paint you just laid across your new store. The new sales training you just put your and or your staff thru. Those new lotions you just purchased from that Distb that is always telling you ITS just around the corner Its almost here I can taste it and **** near smell it.

The tanning Season is ALMOSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT Here.

WRONG

IT”S ALL OVER. Welcome to the New tanning industry of season less business.

OHHHHHH I know what some of You so –called experts are thinking right about now This .COM is Crazy, How can anyone say this to us, Our industry have never been season-less and to think that its going to remain such is Insanity.

IS IT ?????????????

The years of making money in your pocket guaranteed from Mid Feb to July 4th are so far gone its pathetic.

No more, now it’s a new game of elimination you being the alienated one.

Welcome to the 12th hour of an Industry that is and WILL change forever.

The survival of the fittest is upon us all, who makes it who dies out.

Regional vs Franchise all you kiddies remember those words that .Com brought to you over the years. Most laughed at me and some didn’t know what to think and the newbie’s were to busy building their million dollar BK soon to be chapter 7 store.

Guess what ITS HERE ………………………………………………………

Regional vs Franchise

And to make matters worse

Fewer tanners
More tanning salons
Weather that even Mother Nature has no idea about
War and Gas that isn’t stopping
And the Largest Killer of them all STARBUCKS COFFE

AHHHHHHH How could we overlook that **** Starbucks Hey my employee’s go thru there on there lunch breaks and get me a my fix for the day.

Yes they do and guess what that extra 5-8 $ bucks that was in your pocket that could have went to Your New HP bed or an upgraded bed just went to that HMMMMM So good latte that you love so much.

I know ha that extra 125-150 bucks a month that use to come to you!!!!! Well now it goes to them Gotta Love it ha.


No more extra income No more top notch seasonal business How DO we all survive????

Good news Bad news What do ya want to hear first?

Lets try Bad WE all love bad news **** the world is full of it on a second by second basis.

About 30-40 % of the smaller chains within the next 24 months will be Gone or sold out.
Lack of business and Lack of buying power and under funding is and will Kill you.

Without a Season anymore the new industry is going to change and migrate to newer forms of consumer base presentation and items that are sold in an exclusive manner.

Mom and Pops will not be able to afford or get into to such groups that offer this, Not to mention will bed manufactures selling YOU out to the larger operator’s You are on a plank with about 5 feet to go until the sharks below Get lunch.

Hey but don’t worry you will go out being known as a nice person, Everyone likes someone who is nice.Kinda like bringing that new neighbor that just moved in next door to you a fresh batch of your favorite cookies. Wow I can just smell those cookies now.

Good News

Nobody I know likes Good news do they???????

Regional operators will become stronger with buying groups networking and branding of their stores.

If you have 10 stores + you are in good shape if you keep your debt service to a min and or none at all you are in Very good shape.

However 10 stores or 20 stores don’t guarantee you a ticket to the super bowl, you are going to have to earn that.

Larger beds More upgrades The days of under 20.00 a month tanning with thousands of eft”s coming thru are GONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE……Don’t let the Well known liars of the industry tell you anything different.

Products you carry are GOING to be the Deal maker or breaker Privation is the only WAY to go for long-term growth and Profits.

Why should I buy Cal tan from you when I can get it on E-bay for 40 bucks cheaper WE all use to joke about that Now its here and Real.

Larger chains can also buy fresher bulbs and change them out much more often then mom and pops, larger chains can offer more money and perks to work there not to mention all Younger adults LOVE to work at the most popular places.

Hmm Lets see work at betty Sue”s salon or That New palm beach that just opened up down the street and its 20 times larger and all of my friends are tanning there ???????

Most important Larger chains are tied in Hook and sinker to the Bed folks, You think any of the Top manufactures are going to well and deal with your 2 stores vs 15 chain store down the street You Better think again,

AHHHHHHHH We left out one of the most important items of the day …………….

Less tanners WHY???????????

Because they are not Tanning period the in tan look is gone for now will it return Hmmmmm I don’t think so not anytime soon.

SO that means the larger chains are going to gobble up any tanner left standing over the next couple of years at 60-70 % more then you will be able to.

Welcome to the New Season-Less industry where EVERY patron is worth their weight in GOLD.

HOW WILL YOU SURIVE IT ………………………………..

.COM

[MATT A]

Keyser I always look foward to your posts been waiting for a post from you. Now I gotta read it.....

[BooBop]

Very Interesting there .COM

Always good food for thought.

[Standby]

Good to hear from you keyser, many good points.

Never thought of starbucks but it makes since, you could add cell phones as-well to that lists 7-10 years ago only dads or moms had phones now every kid has one, go tanning or talk to your friends.

Keyser, mom and pop salons have been under attack for years from regional and national chains that have tried to steal our clients nothing new their.

Our buying power is limited for sure, but nothing new their either. Now days you can get great deals on beds everyone is hungry.

Keyser, the problem for the big chains are if one high school kid gets fired by them or has a bad tanning experience they have all their friends spreading the news like a wild fire.


The tanners are down for me, have been for a couple of years now, but dispite greedy manufactures, crappy distributors, sun scare, and what seems to be the lack of interest in tanning right now the more determine I become to succeed.


One thing is for sure the big chains have a heck of alot more to worry about these days than us little guys like the old days.

sincerley

mom and pop

[billable]

Glad to see this post. Everyone needs a good dose of reality. What may sound like doom and gloom to the newbie in this business is simply being realistic. You have more and more tanning beds chasing fewer and fewer tanners and, therefore, fewer and fewer tanning dollars. (Noticed how many salons are being posted for sale on this board?)

The lotion manufacturers have done a great job for years marketing to us with all the pretty colored, phallic shaped bottles of lotion. You older guys remember when Helix came out? $50 DOLLARS! Who in the **** can sell a bottle of lotion for $50??? Well it sold. Then came $60. Then $75. Then $100. Did we really think it would last forever? We al got greedy. With the markups that we were making, anyone that didn't see diversion coming had their heads up their own butts. the lotion companies and the distys did a great job also, convincing us to "maintain price integrity" on THEIR products. "If you have to discount, discount your tanning. Don't devalue this lotion. Maintain that high price point." That was, and is, BS. Tanning sales is what brings in 70% to 80% of your revenue and accounts for 80% to 90% of your net profits. (do the math) Which is more important to YOUR business?

I have posted several times that the only way to control diversion is to cut lotion profits to the point that it is no longer a savings to your customer to buy online. (You guys in Canada, I don't have the answer. Sorry) To do this, you have to shift your pricing to make more on tanning and not depend so heavily on the lotion sales. And to do this in a declining market is going to be even tougher.

All I can say is, everybody grab ahold of something and hold on tight. It's going to be one ******* ride.

[dcjjp2]

Franchises in my opinion are also in extreme trouble. A well known one in my are has resorted to doing monthly and (gasp) EFT'S. Their business model for years scoffed at the thought of doing these, but alas times are tough so why would they even think of doing these if they have been uber successful with the previous model?

At least all of my equipment is pd for and I don't have any Franchise fees/ franchise advertising fees to throw into the mix, let alone tanning people for $9.95 per month.... I still get $49 MONTHLY n base beds with no problem.

[Brandy1]

Great post keyser. I agree totally!

[Brandy1]

Reality sucks.

[sundude]

Good reading!

[Brandy1]

Truth hurts. But it's still the truth.