The Sunless Scoop
‘06 Market Trend Report

by Judie Bizzozero

Industry statistics reveal that approximately 10 percent of the U.S. population, or nearly 30 million people, currently tan indoors. Sunless provides a new service to existing clients looking to enhance their traditional tanning sessions and may be the catalyst that will attract more non-tanners to the indoor tanning ranks.

Salons that recognize this can boost profits by offering their clients sunless services as a quick fix when they are pressed for time, a tanning booster between traditional UV sessions, to touch up delicate or hard-to-tan areas such as faces, hands and feet, and to even out any pressure points, tan lines or uneven spots on the body.

Offering sunless services give salons the ability to diversify their operations and reach new generations of tanning clients who either choose not to tan or cannot tan. It also allows salons ways to think outside the box and offer some creative packages such as offering a sunless tanning session right after a high-pressure UV session. This allows the customer to see immediate and lasting results, while the salon can upsell for the extra pampering.

It is interesting to note that while sunless has become a staple service, only 40 percent of U.S. tanning salons offer at least one sunless stand-up booth, and 22 percent offer sunless airbrush or turbine tanning, according to results from LOOKING FIT’s 2006 Top 250 Salons survey. Additionally, salons that have added sunless services report an increase in traditional UV-tanning sessions by as much as 30 percent after they introduced sunless services.

What does this mean for the future? Tremendous potential if sunless services are marketed correctly. Many salon owners have reported that sunless sales either are even with or down from last year, however, just as many report an increase. The manufacturers of sunless equipment and solutions echo that sentiment. Let’s take a look at the variables that figure into this phenomenon.

It should be stressed that sunless should be promoted as a complement to traditional UV tanning— not a replacement. The sun-scare coalition spends billions of dollars each year promoting the dangers of UV exposure. Many other industries use blatant scare tactics about UV in order to profit from selling other products or services.

As an industry, we should welcome the opportunity to explain to our customers, and potential customers, the benefits of sensible, responsible and moderate tanning. By doing so, we will gain respect and perhaps a large number of new customers.

If a salon owner can cross-sell and educate clients about the healthful benefits of UV tanning and provide them with the cosmetic benefits of sunless, then it is a win-win situation. Salons also have the opportunity to introduce a whole new group of customers to the luxurious pre- and post-tanning skincare products formulated specifically for this industry.

The past six years have witnessed an explosion of manufacturers offering sunless stand-up equipment, sunless airbrush and high-volume/low-pressure (HVLP) turbine equipment.

As with traditional tanning equipment, sunless units have seen improved technology and healthy competition. A few years ago, salons needed approximately $30,000 to purchase a sunless stand-up spray booth. That was quite an investment, especially for a previously unproven ancillary service. Now that manufacturers have refined their products, salon owners are shopping around for the best units at competitive prices.

Today’s sunless stand-up equipment can still be purchased for $30,000 or more, but those units contain state-of-the-art components to deliver more bang for the buck. One of the biggest windows of opportunity has come at the lower end of the price range. High-quality booths selling for as low as $12,000 allow more salons the opportunity to add sunless services.

Sunless stand-up sessions range from minutes to just a few seconds and can generate the same price as, or much more, than a traditional UV session. These automated units often take up the same space as a traditional tanning unit, so salons can maximize their space.

Technology in sunless spray booths is vastly improved. Some are fully automated including voice commands and touch-free technology. Some have the option of carrying more than one type of solution at once, enabling salons to serve a wide variety of clients more easily. Today’s sunless booths have evolved on the outside too—their sleek designs provide an attractive fixture in any salon.

Interestingly, many speculate that market for sunless stand-up units has become oversaturated with equipment and believe the buying trend will begin to slow. However, if you look at the fact that only 40 percent of salons have a sunless standup, there is room for growth. Many chains and franchises are requiring sunless stand-ups in the salon mix and that will calculate to more equipment sales in the future.

While airbrush or HVLP hand-held systems don’t have the same privacy factor as stand-up units, some customers don’t seem to mind. Many enjoy the personal attention from technicians. In fact, 22 percent of U.S. salons report the inclusion of airbrush or HVLP services.

These systems can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of stand-up units, making them affordable for a large number of salons. Salons also can get up and running quickly and easily, leading to a rapid return on investment. Salons also can charge a premium for the service because it requires the constant attention of a technician who provides the service.

As airbrush and turbine equipment become smaller and quieter, they also are more efficient. Overspray has been a growing concern in the salon environment because it is simply wasted solution. It leads to greater clean-up demands from salon staff and higher costs to the salon owners who are forced to order solution more frequently.

Manufacturers have invested lots of research and development into addressing the issue of overspray, because less overspray means the solution, and the investment in solution, goes further.

Today’s sunless solutions are specifically formulated to provide a luxurious finish and more appealing fragrance. These products allow indoor tanners to stay brand loyal, even when choosing a non-UV approach to tanning.

Due to an increase in sunless tanning, DHA spray solutions have experienced tremendous growth over the past few years. Manufacturers report steady business for solutions that provide a customized range of colors. Solutions can be clear for a delayed tanning effect or tinted with different levels of bronzers for immediate results.

With or without the addition of bronzers, the solutions use roughly the same ratio of DHA—3 percent to 5 percent—and are available in different viscosities for various applications. Airbrush solutions generally are thinner in viscosity for a fine-mist result and spray booth solutions are thicker in viscosity for more body coverage. Advancements in the quality of finish and color are driving forces behind the popularity of solution.

The issue of fragrance has been addressed nicely. For years, one couldn’t discuss sunless tanning without mentioning its unappealing smell. Today’s manufacturers have addressed the problem by adding materials that flatten the odor or add delicate fragrance.

Additionally, sunless prep products help prepare the skin for the sunless experience. These products can include pH balancers, exfoliators and body washes just to name a few. Tan-extending moisturizers that contain a bronzer or a hint of DHA also prolong the life of a tan.

Although sunless services and equipment sales may have started to plateau this season, the allure of sunless also is increasing from the customer’s perspective. There is a greater variety of retail sunless products with new-age ingredients that yield natural-looking, long-lasting tans. Also, session prices for booth and hand-held applications are dropping, and the steadily improving technology of the solution is leading to more realistic results.

Additionally, more and more salons are including sunless services as a tanning staple because they realize the importance of the service. Why should a customer leave a tanning salon to get a sunless tan at a spa? Salons that realize this added revenue stream will keep current customers happy and bring in new ones as well.

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