Mason Moore | Hinckley Reporter | 21 October 2021
FOREVER SUN, Hinckley’s newest town tanning salon, who have taken on a newly-created retail space located inside of the Quartz nightclub on Regent Street, are set to open their doors to customers for the first time tomorrow (22 October).
The independent tanning salon firm, who have two pre-existing salons in Lichfield and Aldridge, took to their official Instagram brand accounts, where they shared a post confirming that the opening date of their brand new Hinckley location is tomorrow.
Customers will be able to head on down and get their first tanning session for free on their ‘world class’ megaSun sunbeds.
The Instagram post simply reads: “We are super excited to announce [that] our new luxury tanning shop in Hinckley opens [on] Friday 22 October.
“Come and have a free session and experience [on] our ‘world class’ megaSun beds.”
It will operate under their Autumn and Winter hours, as listed below.
- Monday – Friday: 9am – 8pm
- Saturday: 9am – 6pm
- Sunday: 10am – 4pm
Back in mid-July, when planning notices were signposted outside of the unit and contractors were working on the unit, the Free Press were the first to report that the sunbed salon had lodged planning permission to set up in the town centre.
Their planning permission applications were later given the ‘thumbs up’ by planners around September time, where ‘opening soon’ signs and job vacancies were noticed shortly after.
Then, a social media presence was launched on social media sharing sites Facebook and Instagram to keep customers up to date with progress pictures of the renovation works, seasonal opening hours, and the announcement of an opening date.
Bosses speak a day ahead of launch
Christopher Rowles, Director of Forever Sun, spoke to the Free Press a day ahead of the new location setting up shop.
He told us that Forever Sun had been considering a location in town two years ago, but they withdrawn once they spotted a new sunbed salon opened at a similar time.
He further told of how the unit had to be re-fitted, as it was left untouched by Quartz following their closure.
Mr. Rowles, explained: “Hinckley was first being considered two years ago – we found a site near Rugby Road and we’d placed an offer, but coincidentally, a new sunbed salon set up shop there during the time we were about to take the space, so we pulled out.
“But, earlier this year, we were actively looking in lockdown to further pursue a Hinckley site.
“We came to see this space in our initial viewing, and it was still left with the bar and pillars from when Quartz had it – there was no entrance ramp, so we had to build one, but we later negotiated a lease where we had fundamentally purchased it.
“We fitted it with new cubicles for the beds and new flooring – even electricity metres.”
Speaking on the sunbeds, sessions, and technology, he further added: “Our beds have an iPad-like touch screen, and give customers the ability to play their music straight from their phones using Bluetooth technology.
“The beds spray a ‘fine mist’ for three minutes, then every other three minutes that is followed by an ‘aroma spray’.
“We have collagen tubes and they are replaced 20 per cent before every use, rather than the end of the day like other tanning salons do.
“We have disclaimers signed by our customers, they tell us their skin type and then they can choose how long the sessions are, but we recommend a good start time.
“Sessions range from three, six, nine, 12 or 18 minutes.
“We’re starting with five beds, but as demand dictates we will still go up to a total of eight beds.”
Benito’s Hat – Forever Sun’s potential neighbour
Forever Sun are not the newest brand to take interest in the Highcross Building’s new retail spaces, though – this week, an alcohol licence was noticed in the adjacent unit to Forever Sun, for London-based Mexican restaurant Benito’s Hat.
Benito’s used to have a short-lived Leicestershire location, housed inside of the Highcross shopping mall, which traded from June 2018 to April 2019.
If approved, it would mark their fourth location in total and first outside of London and Oxford, as they currently have two London locations and one in Oxford.
Now, only one of the three retail units remains up for grabs – 1A – the former entrance to the Voodoo Lounge club, opposite the now-closed shots bar Vis-a-Vis.