Total Tan merges with Caribbean Tan, largest salon chain in VA

[Ezliving_Jim]

Total Tan merges with Caribbean Tan

February 28th, 2007
Meg Miller, CT News Reporter

Beginning tomorrow, the Total Tan tanning salons in Blacksburg and Christiansburg will be bought out by Caribbean Tan, leaving only one Total Tan remaining in the area.

Caribbean Tan Manager Desiree Brooke said the change will not cost any of the employees at either Total Tan or Caribbean Tan their jobs, with the exception of Total Tan’s manager, Joe Atwell.

“Everyone is actually getting more hours and everyone is pleased,” Brooke said. “We’re glad it worked as well as it did.”

Caribbean Tan now has 19 different locations in Virginia, making them the largest salon owners in Virginia.

Tommy Hubbard, Caribbean Tan owner and president, said he hopes buying out Total Tan will make them Virginia Tech’s favorite place to tan.

“We want to be number one in Blacksburg, you know, town of the Hokies,” Hubbard said.

Hubbard also said that the tanning market had gotten really saturated, making it hard for any tanning salon to make much money.

“(Total Tan and Caribbean Tan) had been at a price war with each other for a couple of years,” Hubbard said. “They called and asked if I would be interested in buying them out.”

Atwell, owner of Total Tan, would not comment on why Total Tan made that offer. However, he did say that along with the Total Tan that is being retained in Christiansburg, he owns another salon called In Style located beside Pier One in Christiansburg, which opened last year.

Atwell also said that he thought the change would, “diversify the market, keep everything under one roof and provide a better tanning experience.”

Both owners emphasized that all customers who currently have packages at Total Tan will be able to tan at any Caribbean Tan locations. Customers who have electronic fund drafts, a type of payment method in which the price is taken out of the customer’s credit or checking account.

Customers will be able to use it until the 30 days are up and then will have to sign a new contract with Caribbean Tan.

Brooke said she thinks the change is great and it will provide an opportunity for Caribbean Tan to provide better beds and bulbs for their customers.

“A decrease in competition in the area will allow us to provide a better quality product,” Brooke said.

Caribbean Tan will also be consolidating their tanning salon near PK’s with the tanning salon near TCBY in downtown Blacksburg. Hubbard said that the consolidation is mainly because of parking issues.

“There are parking problems at PK’s and people can’t really park there,” Hubbard said. “(The TCBY location) will have a whole lot more parking and it’s just a mile up the street.”

Source