“ We have gotten very good about creating last call sales , cutting way back on unnecessary ordering , and being deliberate on what we do bring in . We have a waitlist for items clients want to purchase and those that are out of stock . We perform monthly inventories for our property , which gives us insight into our inventory counts ,” Keith says .
Furthermore , the spa has a strong system in place that allows them to create reports that give a better insight into their sales trends .“ This helps me not be emotionally reactive or attached to any specific product line . I look at where our ‘ Top 10 ’ sellers are and manage our inventory based on our needs ,” she says .
For Prescott , tightening assortments was critical to keeping inventory levels right without missing potential sales . “ For some ancillary retail items , we have diversified vendors to not have only one source and also to support the variety needed in a member club environment ,” she says .
Rising costs and inflation have also impacted spa retail . With vendors increasing prices , spas needed to follow suit . “ We only increased pricing on those items where vendor increased their prices . Our spa services also saw a price increase due to the higher cost of some back bar products . For a luxury spa , we have to ensure that back bar products are up to our standards , so no compromise there ; hence , higher prices to keep the integrity of our services ,” says Milic .
TEAM TRAINING Because retail sales go beyond products , pricing and inventory , spas need to ensure that they provide their team with best-in-class sales and customer service training . After all , what often closes the deal is the personal connection built by the sales team with their clients .
At Spa Internazionale , they take advantage of their non-peak season to train staff .“ In the summer , we hold a weekly training session for our spa concierge team that
OCTOBER 2022 n PULSE 17