According to a Nielsen report, baby boomers are poised to make up half of the
U.S. population by 2017. Globally, a report entitled Why Population Aging Matters: A
Global Perspective—commissioned by the National Institute of Aging, National Institutes
of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—estimates that one
in every eight of the world’s population will be 65 and older by 2030. The most rapid
increase in this age group is occurring in developing countries.
Given the size of the older demographic, it makes good business sense to
meet their demands and help them
manage the process of aging. “As our
population continues to age and the
Western [population] lives longer, [there’s
a need] to offer specific support to this
age group through education and services
that can help to keep them fully functioning mentally, physically and emotionally,”
says Tracy Willis, marketing and public
relations director at Gwinganna Lifestyle
Retreat based in Queensland, Australia.
Wee Wei Ling—chief operating officer
at St. Gregory Spa at PARKROYAL on
Beach Road in Singapore—has seen the
business potential of serving the older
demographic. On average, Ling estimates
that 40 percent of their guests are 50
years old and older. “Apart from Singapore
evolving [into] an aging country, we
believe it is important to take good care of
the body in the aging process, in order
to age actively and gracefully. This belief is
embedded in one of St. Gregory’s four
core pillars called ‘active-aging,’” Ling
says.
She observes that baby boomers value
the safety and security of the spa premises
as well as the recommended wellness programs. “They tend to prefer treatments of
a longer duration and more holistic in
nature. This is because they have the time
and income to spare on taking care of
themselves,” Ling says. “We have also
noticed them taking a liking to traditional
healing therapies, such as Chinese Tui Na
and Foot Reflexology.”
Mikki Melinda Anderson, vice president, director of holistic services at
StressBusters Wellness Day Spa located in
Laguna Hills, California, has seen a similar
trend on baby boomers’ preference on
holistic treatments. “They have very specialized needs that are different from
[other generations]. This includes treatments for body aches, pains and effects
from repetitive stress, years of poor
posture, life and body changes related to
the aging process such as illnesses, the
passing and/or care-giving of parents,
losing a job, poor eating habits, insomnia,
depression, and so on,” she says.
She estimates that 25 percent of their
spa guests are baby boomers and thinks
that one of the challenges spas face is
finding ways to offer treatments that truly
extend beyond pampering. “We are
seeing our older clients expecting us to be
well-versed in wellness services and be
Gwinganna LIfestyle Retreat found success in its first-ever Optimum Wellbeing
50 Plus program, designed specifically for its senior guests.
St. Gregory Spa at PARKROYAL on Beach Road says loss of skin elasticity is one
of the most visible evidence of aging.
July 2015
n
PULSE 49