Hello, this is Dr. Alan Weidner from Massage Chair Relief. Thank you for waiting a few extra minutes for us to get started, and thank you for attending this live broadcast.

Our guests today are Jim Coppins—sorry about that, Jim—President of Infinity Massage Chairs, and Michael Malone, Vice President of Retail Sales for Infinity. Both of you have joined us on previous broadcasts, and honestly, we haven’t done many of these over the past six to eight months. It feels like the right time to reconnect with distributors like yourselves, especially with new products coming out and with the industry evolving.

So thank you very much for being here. Welcome to the broadcast.

Jim: Thanks for having us, Doctor.

Dr. Weidner: You bet. You’re in New Hampshire, I’m in Utah, and it feels like we’re sitting in the same room. I’m grateful for the clarity.

Let’s start with what’s been a somewhat tumultuous year—tariffs. It’s been a bit of a moving target. At the beginning, no one really knew what the tariff rates would be, and they seemed to change frequently. That created a lot of uncertainty for distributors, retailers, and of course, consumers.

Jim, can you share your perspective on the current state of tariffs and how they’ve affected the industry?

Jim: Yeah, sure. You really hit the nail on the head. It’s been extremely difficult to run a business when you don’t know what your final costs will be. At one point, tariffs were so high—around 150%—that it felt almost like an embargo.

When things settled closer to 30%, that became more manageable. Still, it impacted everyone. Prices had to increase across the board. We tried to absorb as much as possible, and our manufacturers did as well, but ultimately, the consumer saw price increases.

Now we’re in a somewhat similar situation again. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the original tariffs illegal, and rates have fluctuated since—down to 20%, now around 10%, with talk of possibly going to 15%.

At this point, those levels are manageable, but the constant fluctuation makes it difficult. We don’t want to raise and lower prices every couple of months—it’s not sustainable. So we’ve tried to maintain stability since coming out of that earlier period, and we’re optimistic things will level out in that 10–15% range.

As for the overall state of the industry, there’s been some uncertainty, but health and wellness remains a strong category. We haven’t seen significant softness in sales. Infinity is very diversified across multiple channels—retail, wholesale, and more—so we’ve felt good about where the business has been over the past 12 to 24 months.

Michael: I’d agree with that. Since around November, we’ve actually seen things pick up. Sales have been consistent, but more recently, there’s been renewed confidence—especially in retail. Consumers seem to have more faith in the economy and are more willing to spend.

And like Jim mentioned, health and wellness is always a priority. People continue to seek out massage chairs, which is a great sign.

Dr. Weidner: Yes, absolutely.

From Infinity’s perspective, we’ve always considered ourselves a leader in product innovation and support. I know support is something that’s especially important to you, Doctor.

We’ve invested heavily in that area. For example, if you look at just our customer service and tech support team, we currently have about 15 people dedicated to those roles. Some of our competitors don’t even have that many employees total at their headquarters.

Dr. Weidner: And that consistency really shows. People like Ian—he’s been with you forever. I know I can rely on him. That’s important to us because we take a very hands-on approach with our customers. We don’t just hand them off—we stay involved.

We’ve had experiences in the past where support fell through, and customers came back months later upset. We don’t want that. So your responsiveness and consistency mean a lot.

Jim: That doesn’t happen by accident. Our turnover is extremely low. We focus heavily on company culture—monthly events, team-building, and creating a great work environment. That leads to stability, and that stability translates into better customer experiences.

Dr. Weidner: And it shows. As companies grow, maintaining support and logistics can be challenging. We’ve seen that with other distributors. But you’ve done a very good job.

Jim: Growth has been our biggest challenge—keeping infrastructure aligned with demand. I remember you once told me, coming out of COVID, that our service had slipped a bit. That was tough to hear, but we took action.

We invested in a new phone system with callback capability, so customers don’t have to wait on hold. We also maintain a large live support team—something not everyone in this industry offers.

Dr. Weidner: I didn’t realize you had the callback feature—that’s great.

From there, the conversation transitions into a broader discussion about off-brand or “no-name” massage chairs entering the market, and the challenges they create.

Dr. Weidner shares examples of customers who purchased these chairs and later struggled to find parts or support.

Jim: We see that all the time. The back end of this business—support, parts, logistics—is massive. Our warehouse in New Hampshire is largely dedicated to parts. Massage chairs today are incredibly complex, with sensors, motors, and circuit boards.

People underestimate what it takes to support these products long-term.

Dr. Weidner: Exactly. We sometimes call them “disposable chairs.” When they break, there’s no recourse. Customers either come back for a quality chair or leave the market entirely.

The discussion continues with insights into product development, emphasizing that Infinity chairs take 12–16 months to develop, with extensive quality control and planning—including stocking parts before launch.

Later, the conversation shifts to industry growth.

Jim: Historically, the industry has doubled every four years, and that pace is accelerating. Health and wellness is booming. In countries like Japan, massage chairs are mainstream. In the U.S., we’re just getting started.

Dr. Weidner: I agree. I think the industry will naturally refine itself. The companies that do things right will rise to the top.

Finally, the discussion moves into new product introductions, including models like:

• Zanara ($2,999)
• Solstice ($3,999)
• Celebrity Elite ($5,499)
• Sensation Dual Flex (~$8,499)
• Circadian Dual Flex (~$11,999)

Each is described with improved features, broader accessibility, and better value across price points.

Dr. Weidner: It’s great to see more options at lower price points while maintaining quality. That’s exactly what the market needs.

The conversation wraps up with appreciation and light humor.

Dr. Weidner: Thank you both for being here today. We appreciate it.

Jim: Thanks for having us.

Michael: Appreciate it.

Dr. Weidner: We’ll be out to visit soon. Looking forward to trying the new chairs.

All: Goodbye!