Tanning Franchise vs. Waxing Franchise: Choosing the Right Investment

If you’re looking to get into the health and beauty industry, joining a franchise is a good way to get started. With multiple types of franchises, there are a lot of options to choose from to find the best one, or best ones, for you. One of these choices is a tanning franchise, providing customers with tanning bed services. But how does this compare to waxing franchises?

To Tan Or To Wax, That Is The Question

A tanning franchise provides customers with one of two types of tanning services: traditional UV tanning beds or spray tanning techniques. A waxing franchise, like Uni K Wax, provides hair removal waxing services. Both services appeal to customers who want to look their best and who want a beach-ready look. Both the tanning and the waxing markets are comparable; market reports show that the hair-removal wax market reached $2.6 billion in the U.S. in 2020, while the tanning market reached $3.9 billion by 2022. While the tanning market is larger, this can be attributed partly to salons that focus on waxing services being a fairly recent development; a larger market may also mean more competition.

Success For Less

The potential success of the two franchises is comparable, with one noticeable difference. On average, waxing salons can bring in around $50,000 in yearly profits. In our most recent Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) for Uni K Wax, the average sales for each of the 29 studios operating in 2020 was $354,890. While a tanning services franchise can make similar profits, it can be more expensive to start. Palm Beach Tan’s starting investment ranges from $629,857-$931,877. Sun Tan City’s starting investment ranges from $563,289-$883,529. In comparison, Uni K Wax franchisees’ initial investments range from $349,050 -$595,975.

Waxing Has An Advantage

While traditional tanning can be profitable, waxing franchises like Uni K Wax do have an advantage over them with a better reputation for customers’ health. Beauty and health care customers have had growing concerns about traditional UV tanning beds and the long-term health effects of excessive tanning bed use. One of the biggest concerns is the risk of skin cancer, especially melanoma; the World Health Organization classified UV tanning beds as a high-risk source of human carcinogens in 2009. Tanning beds have also been associated with eye cancer, cataracts, and immune system suppression. As a result of this, many states have passed age restrictions on tanning bed use.

Waxing services, when properly conducted, are largely free of this stigma. While some are concerned about skin irritation or ingrown hairs that improper waxing may cause, customers are often advised to go to clean, reputable waxing service providers like Uni K Wax to get a safe, hygienic waxing.

Room To Grow, With An Edge

The tanning salon has been around longer than the waxing salon, but that means there’s less room for new concepts. With numerous existing tanning salons out there, a newcomer is going to have a harder time finding viable locations in areas that don’t already have either existing tanning salons or multi-service salons that offer tanning.

A Uni K Wax franchisee has the advantage of being in both a newer market and part of a franchise with a unique selling point. With the franchise’s proprietary elastic wax, franchisees will have a means of drawing in both customers looking for their first waxing and customers looking for an alternative to traditional waxing methods. With more available openings in more local markets, prospective franchisees may also consider multi-unit franchising to broaden their business portfolio.

Get In On A Growing Market With Uni K Wax

The hair removal wax market is growing, and as a franchisee with Uni K Wax, you’ll be well-positioned to get in on the growth. Uni K Wax salons use an natural, skin-friendly elastic wax. Many other salons use painful honey wax and paper strips. Franchisees also offer customers after-care products, which help customers care for their skin between treatments and also help franchise owners drive up the average ticket price. If a waxing franchise sounds like the kind of business you’d like to run, request more information about Uni K Wax today.

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