Pulse June 2017 | Page 30

TRENDING Where Technology is Headed and How the Spa Industry Can Jump on Board IN THIS AGE OF CONSTANT INNOVATION in technology, it’s hard to remain at the brink of it all; especially while running a business that tends to tout “unplugging.” Unfortunately, remaining comfortably in the dark ages isn’t an option for the modern spa. But how do some of the biggest business technology trends fit into the spa industry? TOP TECH 1. TRENDS IN 2017 MOBILE PAYMENT Whether it’s your first time experiencing the magic of tapping to pay for groceries or leaving behind the headaches of manually splitting up a dinner bill among friends, chances are 2017 is the year that you have become a member of the mobile payment economy. BI Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, finds that mobile payment volume will reach $75 billion this year. That figure should swell to $503 billion by 2020 thanks to advancements in mobile payments technology. If your customers are getting used to paying for everything else in their lives via their smartphone, they’ll start to expect it of their spa and wellness services as well. “Today’s guests do not prefer to pick up the phone or wait for a response to an email inquiry to know what services are available for a certain date,” says Frank Pitsikalis, 28 PULSE ■ June 2017