Posted : 04/01/2002

Posted : 04/01/2002

A Profitable Spring
Salon Operators Share Their Spring Promotion Secrets

by Scott Eric Barrett

"Spring puts a spirit of youth in everything," William Shakespeare once said. Symbolic of a rebirth or an awakening from winter's long slumber, spring is the season that stirs birds to sing and flowers to bloom.

It's also the season that produces a plethora of smiles from tanning salon operators because, in this industry, spring equals money. Beach lovers, lake loungers and swimming pool chillers are all potential indoor tanners. In this warp speed, "give me what I want, now!" culture of the 21st century, indoor tanning fits like a comfy pair of beach sandals.

Show Me The Promo

Mention "seasonal promotions" to nearly anyone, and it's more than likely their thoughts quickly will gravitate toward pumpkins, Pilgrims or a certain large, rosy-cheeked guy in red driving a sleigh. In other words, when people hear "season," or a variation thereof, they automatically think holidays.

However, for the record, holidays don't really constitute seasons in the true sense of the word. Spring, summer, winter and fall--those are seasons. Seasonal promotions need to be well thought out to assure they're as effective as possible.

While some industry veterans argue that promotions during the busy season are unnecessary--"Why do we need to have specials during the busiest time of the year?"--most salon operators throughout the country try to find creative ways to bring tanners to their salon rather than the one down the street.

Lori Peltz, co-owner of Special Effects Tanning in Bonita Springs, Fla., says spring is a great time for creative promotions because everyone is getting ready to "look good" in their swimsuits and beachwear.

"We usually run an ad in a local monthly coupon book," she says. "It usually offers a tanner one week of tanning coupled with a 2-ounce bottle of lotion for free. This way the customer can see what regular tanning with a product can do. When the week is up, they usually will purchase a package and buy a full-size bottle of lotion. It's been pretty successful for us."

Peltz says her single-visit sessions go up tremendously during spring because her Southwest Florida location brings in a lot of "spring breakers."

"And if we get any rain where people can't go to the beach here, then it is standing room only in the salon," she adds.

Dave Donnini, owner of CopaCaTana in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., believes it's important for salon operators to make sure they have the latest lotions and well-stocked shelves when spring fever hits. He also believes operators need to add new products every season.

"When spring fever hits, we see triple the amount of tanners," he says. "This year we are adding swimwear to our product line to give our customers even more choices."

Giveaways at local bars and restaurants have garnered positive results for Tamera Parry, owner of California Sun in Glen Mills, Pa. "We had a great Valentine's Day promotion that cost us practically nothing," she says. "We called it the Shred-Your-Ex-Party."

Individuals could win free prizes for the worst break-up story. The girl or guy would go up on stage and tell their break-up story, holding up their ex's picture. Then they get to slide the picture through a shredding machine and a big fan blows the remains over the crowd. Parry worked in coordination with a local bar to advertise the contest.

"It was absolutely hysterical, and the turnout was incredible," she says. "We donated free tanning packages to the saddest stories. It's a great way to get the 21-and-older crowd into the salon. And word travels fast."

Brad Salley, owner of Supertans in Lubbock, Texas, says his salons advertise on a year-round basis so his focus is all about what he does with new tanners when they show up.

"The key to a successful spring is to have well-trained and educated employees," he says. "You can have the best beds, best lotions, best ads and the best location, but unmotivated, uneducated employees can throw that all down the drain."

Dan Peragine, owner of Always Tan in Melbourne, Fla., says promotions like $1 tans or "buy a tan, get a tan for free" have worked well for him in the past. Also, tagging items together like "buy a lotion and get three tanning sessions or free upgrades" have made a profitable impact.

"I have handed out lotions for free with the purchase of certain packages," he says. "Spring is usually the time when people realize summer is coming and notice that their skin has faded to a point where less clothing isn't more attractive. Therefore, they are more apt to turn toward the tanning salon to get their tans early and in private so they can go to the beach or out on the boat or by the pool without looking too pale."

This past February, Peragine ran a "tanning is for lovers" weekend starting on Valentine's Day. It was tied in with print advertising and a live remote with a local radio station. "It was fun and pretty successful," he says. "A client would come in, buy a single tan session and the valentine of their choice would get a session for free."

Donna M. Emmert, owner of Desert Tan in Addison, Texas, noticed in the past two springs that the high-school prom crowd did not start tanning until after spring break--so their business was limited to two months. This year, she ran a "two students sign up for the price of one" special in January.

"Our number of student memberships is up over six times greater than before, and we are looking forward to keeping them through the end of the school year," she says.

Her lotion sales also have increased this year because she added a package to the membership choices that includes a bottle of lotion, eyewear and upgrade vouchers.

"We also had two 'N Sync tickets that were given away in the middle of March that drew a lot of attention," she says.

Wendy Heatley, president of In the Shade Tanning Center in Melbourne, Fla., tries to increase retail sales by selling items that she and her staff like using because she says it's easy to sell a product if you have experienced it and like it.

"We always have at least one bottle that I will let new customers try for free," she says. "They really like being able to try a product without paying and if they like the product they almost always buy a big bottle."

Heatley started the 2002 season off with a free tan promo for new clients along with one friend. "It worked well for us," she says. "However, not all promotions have worked for us. Handing out fliers and free tan coupons to store workers in our plaza did not work at all."

Spring--for the most part--is a very fun time of the year for salons. However, operators should reflect that fun in their promotions because too many salon operators have gotten themselves into the trap of coupons and sales.