Under Construction

by Matt Morgan

Indoor tanning salons are growing, despite what some people are saying about the state of the industry. In fact, whopping 84 percent of salons plan to expand in 2005, according to LOOKING FIT’s Top 250 Salons survey.

Why? Customers and competition demand it.

How the tanning business is run always should be No. 1—because without good business practices, the salon will not thrive. But how the salon presents itself to clients is also vitally important to its success.

Is the salon dull, dirty and/or run down? Does the salon call out, “I’m old and tired”?

“If you’re just now thinking you need a remodel, you probably already needed one,” says David DiCristina, vice president of client services for T&R Fixtures.

It’s not too late.

Remodeling isn’t a luxury or a frivolous upgrade. In some cases, it’s mandatory. Giving the salon a fresh look is an essential business expense, a means of survival. With increased competition, it becomes necessary for salons to maintain their edge in the market by continuing to appeal to the end user.

“In 95 percent of all retail environments—that’s A properties in malls—retailers are forced to do a minor remodel every five years—and a major every 10 years,” DiCristina says. In fact, many landlords have clauses in their leases to that effect. This makes sure the business center remains welcoming to customers at all of the stores. Even if remodeling isn’t worked into the agreement, it’s still good practice, he says.

Even fashionable stores such as Gap need to overhaul their interiors from time to time, he says. “They’ve got hundreds of thousands of people who come through their stores, and the insides do need to be replaced,” he says. “They do change the style of it.”

All this is not to say building out and remodeling have to be difficult. With budgeting and careful planning, salons can make remodels a relatively hassle-free part of their existence.

Popular salons are those with personality, whether it’s the warm tone of the tropical theme or the alluring coolness of brushed metal and stained redwood.

Getting that theme or changing to that theme—and sticking to that theme—is what remodeling is all about.

The clean, crisp, uncluttered look is catching on because it appeals to a wide audience. For that reason, this European style is popular with mega-salons and chains, and increasingly more single-salon owners are adopting the trend.

The look and feel of new and remodeled tanning salons are being borrowed from hot spots where today’s discriminating customers are apt to stop by and stay awhile. Day spas and nightclubs feature a clean, cool feel, often with wooden floors, metal accents, contemporary lighting fixtures and faux-finished walls.

Unless a salon owner has a background in nightclubs or friends in trendy places, salon owners should get out and visit such establishments to get ideas. They should call on other salons in neighboring markets too, and talk to distributors. Distributors likely have seen it all when it comes to what does or doesn’t work. They can be wonderful sources of knowledge, because they can draw on experiences—mistakes as well as successes—from all of their salons.

Focusing on several key points during a remodel can help keep the salon on track.

The most important component to a design is the lobby, DiCristina says, and hence should get the most attention during a remodel. The counter and displays must be attractive and inviting, and colors should be consistent throughout.

“Get the front area right,” he says. “You need to get that wow factor in the lobby.”

Flooring is another important factor. Carpet is homey and inviting, but also can be a nightmare when it comes to spills—especially in tanning rooms. Salon owners would be wise to consider a wipeable surface such as Linoleum, wood or ceramic tile.

Also, some states require that salons have a wipeable surface in front of the tanning unit. Heavy-duty mats placed on the carpet in front of beds will do the trick, but even those can curl, move around and wear out.

A hard surface for lobby floors will keep most of the elements from being tracked onto carpet inside the salon. However, a little forward-thinking can avoid a situation that one salon owner learned the hard way: Dark tile floors may not be best in areas prone to snow because salt and slush will show every time.

Remodels can cost an owner anywhere from a few hundred dollars per tanning room to a few thousand. Simple projects such as remodeling the bathroom and/or installing a new front counter could run as low as a thousand dollars. Throw in a new drop ceiling, air conditioning, paint job and state-of-the-art equipment, and salon owners can add another zero or two to the total. Some remodels can run upward of $40,000 for a whole-salon remodeling with top flooring, faux finishes and stylish lighting.

Financing is available for larger jobs, but simple year-round budgeting may shake out enough money for smaller projects.

Efficiency is the key to managing cost and customer inconvenience. Decide what needs to be touched up now—whether it be decor, room size or flow of retail space— and what can wait until the next remodel. Figure out what will impact current customers the least or inconvenience them for the least amount of time.

Professionals agree that the best time to remodel is during the summer, after business slows down and the fewest customers will be put out by flying paint, dust and “mind the mess” signs.

Most remodels can be completed within two to three months. July or August is a good time to start, when business starts to slow. However, just as a new salon wants to be ready for the next season, a remodeled salon must be renovation-free in time for business to pick up.

Minimizing downtime and disruption keeps customers happy. Do the tanners know about the construction to come? They should. Improving the interior of a salon is for nothing if clients get fed up, leave during the remodeling process and never return. Notices should be posted in all the rooms and throughout the salon well in advance. For those with e-mail or text-messaging capabilities, notices can be sent instantly.

Whether staying open or closing during a remodel, it’s a good idea to acknowledge the trouble for tanners by giving away sessions to anyone who can’t get to a bed they want to use.

No “made simple” build-out or remodel would be complete without discussing modular walls. These portable partitions are clean and stylish, removing many of the headaches associated with traditional construction.

“Modular is clean,” T&R Fixture’s DiCristina says. “With drywall, you’ve got four stages of building a sheetrock wall, all which involve sanding and dust. If you’ve got a salon that’s open, you can’t afford to have all of that dust contaminating the HVAC system. Modular walls are ideal if you’re expanding in that manner.”

Peter Scott, vice president of TanWall, agrees. “With modular walls, you don’t really have to shut down your operation and segregate it off during a construction process,” he says. “Instead, you’ll have business as usual while these walls go up.”

Not only are they clean-looking, they clean easily. The spill-repellant surfaces allow salon staff to wipe off any lotions that make their way to the wall surfaces.

Today’s modular fixtures are functional as well. They come in a wide variety of wood grains and colors to match virtually any decor. The walls are sturdy enough to weather the everyday activities in the salon, yet can be moved handily whenever they’re needed elsewhere. Also, some modular walls are hollow to allow for electrical such as wiring and flush-mount speakers.

“They’re reconfigurable, so you don’t have all of that back and forth with contractors like you do with sheetrock,” says Craig Colling, president of Eurowalls/Euroline “Salon in a Box.” “Ten rooms will take a good crew two to three weeks with sheetrock. It will take one to two days to build out with a modular system.”

Salon owners also have the flexibility of contracting the work or using the modular-wall company’s resources—or a combination of both. Modular-wall companies will work with the salon owner to maximize space and effectiveness of their systems.

“If you look for a modular system, the company will find out what size salon you have, how many beds you have, what your plans are for the future and how we can design this for you so you can expand easily,” Scott says. “We are in the salon-reconfiguration business. We’re more experts in the salon industry than the general contractor.”

Beyond the tanning rooms, modular-wall companies also provide a variety of reception desks, display cases and merchandising walls to satisfy any salon owner’s needs.

“The counter, the lotion display, the walls—everything has a consistency,” DiCristina says.

Perhaps best of all—and contrary to popular belief—modular walls are less expensive than traditional drywall construction, Colling says. “You can build out your entire salon for what you pay for one bed nowadays.”

Build-outs and remodels are a part of the business of indoor tanning. These projects ensure that salons keep their vitality for existing customers and reach out to new demographics. By changing with the times and trends, or simply applying a fresh coat of paint, salon owners can safeguard their future.