Will Tanning Rise In The East?

The glow that ignited the modern era of indoor tanning sparked in Europe, spread throughout the United States, Canada, South America, and now is extending into emerging market such as Russia. But what of the East?

For years, the existence of a lucrative Asian market has been questioned. Is there a strong enough interest in the East to support a tanning industry? Could tanning become as popular there as it is in the United States? Typically, the response has been that those in many parts of the East don’t develop a Caucasian type tan, don’t want to tan, or prefer “skin-whitening” salons. But now, all that may change.

In the past, tanning indoors or outdoors didn’t appeal to the Chinese aesthetic.

Darker skin tones were viewed as the look of a peasant who worked outdoors in the fields, while lighter skin tones denoted higher education and wealth and were more desirous.

However, times have changed and tanning salons are starting to pop up in some of the larger cities in China. The dark look is desired now and has become a sort of Chinese yuppie status symbol. However, they don’t come close to the numbers of business where you can get “whitened”. Currently, skin-whitening creams are a multimillion-dollar business in China. How do these tanning sessions compare to the U.S. market? It isn’t cheap.

According to a recent Reuters news report, a month of indoor tanning in Shanghai costs about $700 to $2,000 Yuan or $88 to $255 in U.S. dollars, making it unaffordable to most of the population. It is evident that Chinese yuppies have discovered the glow that comes from a tanning bed is attractive and healthy looking.