WITH RETAIL SALES TRENDS the hottest topic in the spa industry this summer , ISPA ’ s August Town Hall focused on successful retail and product inventory strategies . Several spa professionals shared insights relating to best practices , team training , inventory techniques , post-pandemic ordering practices and more . Panelists included Jennifer Wayland- Smith , owner of Wayland-Smith Consulting ; Jamee Taylor , vice president of spa and retail at Tricoci Salon and Spa ; Maylin Rojas , director of spa and retail at Nobu Eden Roc Miami ; and Timothy Williams , director of spa and resort shops at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne , Miami . Kelleye Martin , ISPA vice chair , participated as moderator . ISPA thanks Body Bliss for sponsoring this Town Hall .

TWO BIG QUESTIONS IN RETAIL ARE : 1 How can spas determine how much inventory to stock ? 2 At what point in the year should spas begin buying for the next season — or even for the next year ?

Wayland-Smith addressed the question of how to determine how much inventory to keep on hand .“ Look at cost of goods by vendors ,” she said .“ You don ’ t want to have a high cost of goods from one vendor and low sales from the same vendor . Finding that sweet spot can take a little bit of time .”

Rojas stated that “ seasonality is a big factor in determining the amount of inventory .” She shared ,“ I usually keep six to 10 items , especially body and skin products . It ’ s important to watch how frequently a product sells and then determine how long it ’ ll take for the next order to come in .”

Williams addressed the question of when to start buying for the upcoming season or year .“ I ’ m pretty much buying every day , I do a lot of orders in advance ,” he said .“ For one of my boutiques , I ’ m buying now for next spring . I have to be strategic about what I buy since I ’ m a resort destination . Since a lot of our clientele fly to the resort area , I have to be conscious about looking at products that can be put on an airplane .”

54 PULSE n OCTOBER 2023