Pulse January 2023 | Page 47

wellness industry . They have the potential to become your most profitable guest base . Now is the time to re-evaluate your marketing strategy for men from top to bottom including your service menu , retail offerings and even easily overlooked areas such as intake and home care forms . Being more conscious regarding how you attract , serve and retain the male guest can have a significant impact on your business now and in the years to come .
Increased Demand , Decreased Personnel
The global wellness industry is forecast to reach $ 7 trillion by 2025 , according to the Global Wellness Institute . 2 Clearly the current labor force is not sufficient to meet this demand . The 2022 ISPA U . S . Spa Industry Study estimated 45,000 spa positions are currently open . 3 While shortages of massage therapists are at critical levels , the labor shortage extends to all positions — including spa support and welcome desks . But some exciting innovations in technology can provide a viable workaround to these shortages . The acceptance of touchless techniques and technologies has grown and now is part of the landscape in many spas .
Ranging from salt cabins , red light chambers , cryotherapy and hyperbaric chambers to compression devices for lymphatic drainage and muscle recovery , float pods and more , “ hands-off ” therapies minimize the need for a specific spa therapist . Many options are self-directed wellbeing experiences . The mind-body connection is not overlooked as technologies incorporating aromatherapy , light and sound therapy , visualization and meditation can be offered as a stand-alone or multifaceted treatment . Expect to see more spas , salons and wellness centers offering these therapies as an evidence-based option to what we have traditionally thought of as spa services . Touch is not “ out ,” but learning to pivot our perception of what constitutes a spa service has great potential for your bottom line .
Man , Oh Man !
During the pandemic , one target market grew at a rate more significant than expected : men . As shared in the 2021 Mindbody Wellness Index , men not only increased the amount of time spent on beauty and grooming during the pandemic , their annual spend on the categories of fitness , beauty and integrative health now exceeds that of women . 4 No longer will men seek to enter a med spa through the back door or come only on “ Men ’ s Night .” In fact , they are driving much of the growth in the spa and
Spa , Beauty and Wellness : It ’ s Personal
The growth in men ’ s services is just one driver in the trend to hyper-personalize the spa and wellness experience . From AI-assisted skin analysis and body mapping to personalized nutritional and fitness coaching , this trend gained traction during the pandemic when a lack of access to bricksand-mortar services forced spas and retailers to design personalized DIY regimens and retail products . Today ’ s guests expect this highly specialized approach now that they can return to the physical space of the spa . Some spas and skin care studios are meeting this trend by moving away from pre-set body or facial menus by allowing guests to book a specific amount of time with a therapist who then customizes the treatment to their specific needs at that moment in time . Guests are asking for services to be built on their individual needs . Fulfilling these needs can be just one way to drive brand loyalty and guest retention .
Retail is No Longer an Afterthought
While doors were closed , retail sales kept many businesses afloat . Innovative spa owners and therapists devised everything from DIY facial kits to remote skin consultations to virtual special events promoting retail products . The importance of retail sales
JANUARY 2023 n PULSE 45