at the spa is front of mind for consumers—the majority (58
percent) stated they made a purchase on their most recent
visit. That means, however, still well over a third did not.
So, spas can still do more to drive the sale of retail products
to customers—especially for female customers, who the
research showed are more likely to spend nothing on retail
(39 percent compared to 32 percent of men). retail is a
huge area of opportunity for the industry, and spas without
a retail offering in-house are potentially missing an
additional revenue stream—one that appears to be
positively contributing to the spa-going experience as a
whole.
While 58 percent said they bought a retail product on
their most recent visit, only 42 percent said they actually
go to the spa intending to buy products “some or all of
the time.” Therefore, the role of the therapist (and the
thorny topic of upselling) cannot be underestimated in all
of this, with almost three quarters of spa-goers saying
they value education on product suggestions (73 percent)
and the products used in a treatment (74 percent).
millennials, with their ever-increasing spending power,
are a prime target and are more likely to have made a
purchase than any other generational group, as well as
being most welcoming of product suggestions. This data
suggests that ‘spontaneous sales’ of products are not
uncommon and that a greater focus on training and
techniques for upselling could help grow retail revenues
in spas.
much is said about the growth of online retail and this
study highlights some useful new findings on the role of
internet shopping in the spa industry. a considerable
number of spa-goers (more than half—51 percent) reported
purchasing products online ‘some or all of the time’ after
visiting a spa—once again, millennials surpass the other
HOW DO PEOPLE VISIT A SPA?
51%
ALONE
59%
37%
WITH MY PARTNER
16%
15%
AS PART OF A GROUP OF FRIENDS
21%
MALE
FEMALE
8%
WITH MY PARENTS/FAMILY
14%
2%
FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION
7%
1%
FOR A BACHELOR(ETTE) PARTY
OTHER
0%
1%
1%
jUnE
■
PULSE 2019
17