We must pay attention to our spa spaces all the time, but retail displays can generate more per square foot than even your treatment areas. Sight is the first sense that clients will use as they walk into your spa; take an honest look at your retail shelves: Do they inspire clients to buy things? In-store experiences are powerful, as found in Mood Media’s “The State of Brick and Mortar” survey. The report revealed that:
- 72% of Americans surveyed mentioned the ability to touch, feel and try products as a top reason to shop in store.
- 26% chose brick and mortar stores over online shopping for the ability to speak to an in-spa professional.
- One in five preferred to shop in an enjoyable atmosphere over shopping online.
- 48% listed the ability to browse and discover new things as a top reason to choose brick and mortar stores.
If you want some initial in-spa-ration, take a stroll through a big box store. It’s a great source of ideas! They spend a lot of time and money on their displays for good reason. No matter the size of your retail area, you must get creative and delight all five senses whenever possible. Here are some considerations for optimizing your spa’s retail displays.
“Vision is by far our most dominant sense, taking up half of our brain’s resources.” —John Medina
The Importance of Sales
There are a number of reasons why selling retail is necessary for spas’ long-term financial sustainability. Firstly, it allows your clients to continue the spa experience at home and keeps them connected to your brand. Selling retail significantly increases profits and, when done well, it can increase the client ticket by up to 50%.
When guests buy something from you, their loyalty to your spa increases, meaning they’ll continue booking appointments and buying products from you. Loyal, repeat clients are the best form of referrals for your spa, and they’re the perfect audience to either ask or test out potential new products or services you’re considering before you make a full financial commitment.
So many spas have realized that we’ve had to shift the way we operate our businesses during this global crisis. For many, retail has been the only steady form of revenue—especially online. Although online sales are critical, according to retail-focused publication Retail Dive, “62% of consumers say they choose to buy from physical stores because they want to ‘see, touch, feel and try out’ items.”
Tazeem Jamal is a master esthetician and award-winning spa business coach. She has been in the spa industry for more than three decades and has owned her own boutique spa.Jamal supports spa professionals to increase profitability using her signature “Purple Carpet Experience” philosophy, and she offers multiple memberships, small group programs and one-to-one coaching to clients globally. Jamal is also an Amazon best-selling author, an international speaker and a frequent contributor to many industry publications, including Dayspa, Skin Inc., and Lipgloss and Aftershave.
