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Articles
Swimwear
Tailor-made for Tanning Pros:
by John P. Ribner
Chica Rica Bikini Company
is the premier swimwear company that supports
the indoor tanning industry with a cutting edge
line of swimwear products. The
Florida-based swimsuit manufacturer is a member
of the Indoor Tanning Association, supporting
the success of tanning salon operators
nationwide. And, to make selling swimwear a
profitable option, Chica Rica offers competitive
prices, and keeps
their products stocked all year long. All this
should be music to the ears of salon pros
looking to boost their retail revenue with the
company’s hot, new styles.
Chica Rica Bikini Company was formed in 1989 and
is operated by the husband and wife team of
Shelby and Greg McDougall. The venture
represents a combination of Shelby’s love of
fashion and her college business degree. “I’ve
had an interest in fashion since I was in high
school, and I always knew I wanted to work in
that field,” Shelby commented. “In Florida,
there’s always a market for new and exciting
swimwear styles, so we definitely saw a niche
for high-quality swimwear at an affordable
price, and we sought to fill it. We began our
involvement with tanning salons after noticing
an upward trend in the tanning industry, and
it’s been a great partnership because tanning
and swimwear go hand-in-hand.”
Chica Rica produces three
swimwear lines – Chica Rica, Patriotic Prints,
and Jelly – offering plenty of variety for salon
pros to choose from. The flagship Chica Rica
line consists of many vibrant and exotic prints,
while the Jelly line focuses on the ever-popular
solids – currently, there are 14 colors and more
than 22 mix-and-match styles in sizes up to
DD/XL. The Patriotic Prints line consists of
Camouflage, Stars N Stripes, and a Navy/Silver
USA flag print, offered in two top and eight
bottom styles, as well as a micro-thong bikini
set.
All of the company’s swimwear is made in the USA
at Chica Rica’s 10,000 square-foot production
facility. “Manufacturing in the U.S. shows we
support our country and it also helps us
maintain quality and pass our savings on to our
customers,” Shelby commented. “All of our products are stocked to
ship, which means any style is available right
away. As always, we have the best fit, best
quality and best prices!” Tanning pros can take
comfort in the fact that Chica Rica does not
compete with its salon customers by offering its
swimwear at retail.
Of all Chica Rica’s strong points, and there are
many, perhaps its biggest value is the sales and
marketing advice it offers tanning salon
clients. “Since purchasing swimwear is a
personal experience, we recommend salon pros
allow their clients to browse the swimwear
selection on their own,” she said. “Just let
them know that if you don’t have their size in
stock, it can be ordered. We also recommend
they leave the catalog on the counter for
clients to look at.” For additional swimwear
sales tips, Shelby and the Chica Rica staff make
themselves available to assist tanning salons.
“Call us anytime!” she exclaimed.
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