jo

How many salons out there have the typical 24 lamp base beds? All salons around here(except me) have them. The bed manufacturers are all pushing larger base units but is this a ploy to get us to spend more money? I have to argue with new people all the time that they can't spend the time they think in the larger bed. I'm setting up a second salon and need to know whether to include smaller base beds to please those who don't really there are better beds out there and they aren't all the same.

tanu01

24 lamps beds are pretty much conciderd home units. 30 and up now days for a salon.
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jo

Considered by whom? - Everyone else around here still has 24 lamp beds (with very cheap unlimited)

tanu01

May be different up north. But if everybody else has 24's, I would go bigger.
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nativetan

in my area base beds typically have 30 bulbs.
mine have 32

TJ

Using a 24 lamp bed is the only way you can do cheap unlimited, and that's because the beds are so cheap. I don't know a salon in my area that has anything less than 28 lamp base beds. Most reputable bed companies don't even offer less than 28 lamp units for commercial use. Why would anyone want to sell cheap unlimited tanning anyway? Give your customers a bigger, better bed than the competion and they will pay more to tan in it because they will get better results.

jo

Thanks all - I would have agreed with you except that I have a salon now with 32 lamp base units - for some reason, many people will not pay more for the better bed. Honestly, some people do not want, or can not tan the full time in these beds especially if they have to pay more. In order to compete, I have to offer a capped 15 minute (instead of the full 20) session with a comparable price to everyone else. I should add that the new salon will be the only salon really nearby for about 10,000 - 20,000 people. The nearest competition are about 15 minutes away - the big guns even further. This area is very British (hence fair skinned) and seem to be quite loyal to their local merchants. The salon is in a small-town feel "downtown" area. Many people walk the sidewalks to the shops. They are driving the other merchants in our building nuts asking when we're opening.

sunkissedtan

I have 2 base beds (28 lamp) and my customers love them. They tan very well and are not expensive. Mostly the younger girls like these beds, my older women and men prefer the larger beds. My larger beds run much cooler than the smaller beds, the working people really like to tan in them during their lunch breaks. In my opinion I would say yes to the base beds of 28 lamps, I really would not go to less, I don't think you will be happy with them. I don't think I would be happy with their preformance.

jo

thank you - I'll consider it and you're right - I won't be happy with them personally. I'm really concerned that I won't be competitive pricewise with those who have the crappy beds. I suppose my real difficulty is marketing convincingly that better beds really are better - which is difficult because everyone says they have the best beds right?

tanu01

Thats right,My competions ad today - Better beds better tans- He has nothing that even comes close.Tanners aren't dumb. They know who's lieing and who's not. Sooner or later they look at the ads and think what an A..
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