Your retail area is potentially the most profitable space per square foot in your spa or beauty business. Let’s take a look at the numbers…
Current trends show that we can expect the average client to regularly use three skincare products. Further, let’s assume the cost of each averages about $40. If a client replenishes these products three times per year minimum, annual retail spend per client is $360.
Even for those of you beginning to build your client list, twenty clients will increase your bottom line by $7,200 per year. Depending on your retail commission structure, that could equal $720 to $3,000+ take-home for you or your staff.
Additionally, you have to think about the time retail sales take when compared to your service offerings. Even without hard numbers, common sense will tell you that it takes a lot less time to sell someone a product than to perform a service – especially if you build some of your “selling” into your service time.
Even better, from a client retention standpoint, your retail offerings promote brand loyalty. When your staff takes the time to educate clients and develop tailored maintenance programs with products they use in your spa on a daily basis over generic products from big-box retailers, you build trust.
Finally, the at-home routine you recommend serves as a kind of insurance plan on the hours of treatment time clients have already purchased.
You can help make the most of your retail space by making a few on-trend updates. Try these simple yet effective tips.
Spa Music – For main areas, including your retail space, nature sounds and alternating between upbeat, energetic, and more relaxing down-tempo tracks are coming in hot this year.
Do a search, listen to samples, and choose music that reflects the vibe your brand projects best. This update offers big atmosphere for little investment.
Scent – Gone are the days of walking into the spa and getting knocked down by the smell of chemicals or sterilized medical equipment. Even eucalyptus may feel a little medicinal these days with the expansion of natural ingredients in skincare products.
Look to your most popular products’ natural ingredient lists for guidance. If citrus is a primary component in your clients’ line of choice, consider infusing natural citrus scents into your retail space. Floral blossom fragrances of those fruits used in your best sellers is another great option.
On a relate note, depending on where you shop, fresh-cut flowers and ripe fruit slices are a super cost-effective way to freshen the space. Most grocers offer 3- or 4-stem minimalist bunches for under six dollars, and sliced fruit on a wooden or metal platter can achieve an eye-popping, sweet-smelling way to offer refreshments. Speaking of which…
Refreshments – Offering simple refreshments near the retail area makes clients feel more welcome to linger and shop. Besides an in-season fruit tray, one simple, elegant, and inexpensive beverage is infused water.
You can add virtually any fruit that sounds refreshing (citrus, cucumber, or lighter melons like watermelon) to the filtered water of your choice. Pour into an elegant glass beverage dispenser over ice, and voila!
Layout and Design – No, we’re not talking about renovating. There are plenty of resources that offer insight into the best layout within the type of space you have at your spa.
You know your clients’ habits best. With a little research and logical thought about how they should naturally flow through their experience with you, you can figure out how to guide them into and out of your retail space.
As far as 2019 retail design trends, here are a few low-cost, high-impact options you might want to consider for a fresh, modern update:
- Chromatic color with tone-on-tone blocking of a single hue. This is a growing trend in the luxury space.
- Strategic use of natural materials for flooring, cladding, shelving, and plant life. This continuation from 2018 is designed to provide a connection with nature and has proven popular in the health and wellness space.
- Less is more. Netflix’s Marie Kondo show has become insanely popular for a reason. People are really into reducing clutter in their lives. Help them “lessen the cognitive load” during the decision-making process in your retail space by simplifying your product lines.
Other general layout and design tips include:
- Always clearly mark pricing for each product on your shelves.
- Make sure you have plenty of testers that are easily accessible.
- And keep the area clean and well-organized. (Be sure to choose display materials that aren’t prone to collecting dust or showing fingerprints and smudges to help streamline your cleaning routine.)
When clients come into a spa, they are already in the mindset of self-care. With just a bit of time, effort, and money, you can make it easy for your clients to do just that, and the mutually-beneficial returns could be astronomical.
