Text: Stuart Anderson

Italian group Whitesun has been established in the aesthetic beauty industry for 20 years. The company is an industry leader in designing tanning equipment, which it operates through more than 400 franchised tanning centres and beauty shops under its COKACLUB and BEAUTYLAND brands.

As well as pilot operations in Budapest, Hungary and Bucharest, Romania, the company has signed an exclusive distribution with importer ETS, which has seen its high-tech equipment established across the USA and Canada. On the back of the proven international interest in its tanning and beauty concepts, the group is launching an expansion drive seeking individuals and companies worldwide to establish new direct franchised locations, supported by the head office team.

"With over 400 centres opened, and the COKACLUB brand becoming the most famous tanning brand in Italy, we are well equipped to support new international franchisees from launch onwards, with a full, turnkey package," reveals Export Manager Carlo Sereno. "With a small capital investment you can have a trendy and enjoyable business where you meet people and enjoy high profit margins."

Committed to encouraging creativity, innovation and design in its business and products, Whitesun has progressed from a company renting mono-facial tanning lamps to beauty centres in 1982, to pioneering and developing new equipment including COKA lamps (the first multifunction face/body tanning seat with incorporated massage), to opening 150 Whitesun centres by 1989. It was at this point the company developed its first franchise package: COKACLUB, bringing together COKA lamps, centre management software, and personalised furnishings made of thermoformed ABS.

"From 1990 Whitesun has been a member of the managing committee of the Italian franchise association ASSOFRANCHISING, and is recognised among the first to have contributed to the development of the franchising system in Italy," reveals Sereno. "We have developed a network of over 200 COKACLUB centres and, since 2002, have launched our second franchise concept - BEAUTYLAND, a chain of high level 360° wellness centres, providing treatments including tanning, aesthetic and slimming."

The range of technology developed by Whitesunenabled franchisees to bring something truly new to their marketplaces, incorporating such features as Hi-Fi stereos that play CDs and MP3s, phototype based power control, massage, auto airing, spray micronisation, aromatherapy, vocal synthesizer, etc. Also, the company's market research has found that 40 per cent of tanning centre customers dislike the closed-in places and heat - which has led to the development of open structure equipment.

"Whitesun equipment is considered the best and most advanced in the world for technology and design," comments Sereno. "Our 3DTAN Ultrapressure and Microtan sets represent the top international level of tanning equipment.

"During its 20+ years of activity Whitesun has always been a step further in designing and producing tanning equipment. In these years the ambition of the Italian firm has broadened, leading to the birth of the franchising brands COKACLUB and BEAUTYLAND, the production of aesthetic equipment, the very new adventure in the UVFree tanning field, and, above all, the enormous success we had in exporting our best machines around the world."