In what may sound like a ridiculous move, more and more video rental stores have been adding tanning beds to their locations in order to remain in business. The Hollywood Reporter tells us that 3,500 indie video stores have installed tanning beds, and that those beds are bringing in 40% of the income at each location.
I don't know about you, but I've never thought to work on my tan while I'm looking to rent a video, though I suppose if the option was there I might think about it for a few moments before making fun of the people actually doing it. (Yes, I'm one of those people against tanning beds, but we'll leave that for another discussion.)
It's an interesting idea, though, especially since more and more video rental stores are going out of business thanks to online operations like Netflix and Video-On-Demand. I could see these stores offering customers something other than movies in order to stay afloat, though I never imagined tanning beds being the answer to these tough economic times.
What do you think? Have you ever rented a movie and got your tan on at the same time? Is this a smart idea, or can you think of a better alternative to help these video stores stay in business?
