According to the Spa/Salon Performance Index, retail seems to be one area where spas are not growing at this time. Spas may need to start looking at retail differently. If Valerie Jacobs is correct and customers are looking to participate in creating their own retail products, spas have a unique opportunity to participate in this trend. A spa is the perfect place to have custom made aromatherapy bath/massage oil and other skin care products. There is also the opportunity to custom create a hair package with shampoo, conditioner and styling products chosen by your stylist at a discounted price. Since spas/salons work so closely with their clients this makes customizing after a treatment easy.
The Coyle Spa Sentiment report also mentioned that 63% of spa goers purchase products regularly at the spa. What I found interesting was that the most popular products purchased at spas were face (72%) and skin care (60%) products. In spas with salon services the largest amount of retail space seems to be taken up with hair care products although only 39% of respondents who make purchases at a spa reported buying hair care products. I wonder if the disconnect may be because estheticians and massage therapist are more reticent about recommending spa products. This is an important training issue to help staff feel comfortable making recommendation especially because their clients may be looking for customized suggestions.
