Research

The results analysis includes answers from all respondents who took the Snapshot Survey in an eight-day period from Friday, August 16, 2019 to Friday, August 23, 2019. During this time, 229 ISPA members responded to the survey. The categories “all spas” and “ISPA Spa Members” referred to within this report include data from all spa respondents (day, resort/hotel, medical and destination spas).

The results analysis includes answers from all respondents who took the Snapshot Survey in an eight-day period from Friday, July 19, 2019 to Friday, July 26, 2019. During this time, 172 ISPA members responded to the survey. The categories “all spas” and “ISPA Spa Members” referred to within this report include data from all spa respondents (day, resort/hotel, medical and destination spas).

The 2019 Survey also collected information on a range of employment related issues, including: compensation levels of full-time employees in the spa industry; compensation structures for service provider employees (estheticians, massage therapists and nail therapists); and unstaffed positions. Those topics are the subject of a separate supplementary report, which is provided only to survey respondents.

The results analysis includes answers from all respondents who took the Snapshot Survey in an eight-day period from Friday, June 21, 2019 to Friday, June 28, 2019. During this time, 178 ISPA members responded to the survey. The categories “all spas” and “ISPA Spa Members” referred to within this report include data from all spa respondents (day, resort/hotel, medical and destination spas).

The May Snapshot Survey inquired about gratuities and service fees for service providers in the spa.While the majority of spa respondents (54 percent) have automatic service fees/charges, the number varied between Day Spas and Resort/Hotel Spas with just 20 percent of Day Spas utilizing automatic service fees or charges, compared to nearly two-in-three (65 percent) of Resort/Hotel Spas. To contrast this number, less than half of all respondents (43 percent) promote an official gratuities policy to guests, with just 14 percent of Day Spa respondents doing so.

The results analysis includes answers from all respondents who took the Snapshot Survey in an eight-day period from Friday, April 19, 2019 to Friday, April 26, 2019. During this time, 181 ISPA members responded to the survey. The categories “all spas” and “ISPA Spa Members” referred to within this report include data from all spa respondents (day, resort/hotel, medical and destination spas).

The results analysis includes answers from all respondents who took the Snapshot Survey in an eight-day period from Friday, March 15, 2019 to Friday, March 22, 2018. During this time, 176 ISPA members responded to the survey. The categories “all spas” and “ISPA Spa Members” referred to within this report include data from all spa respondents (day, resort/hotel, medical and destination spas). Within this survey, “Resource Partners” includes all vendors, service providers and educators.

The results analysis includes answers from all respondents who took the Snapshot Survey in an eight-day period from Friday, February 15, 2019 to Friday, February 22, 2019. During this time, 210 ISPA members responded to the survey. The categories “all spas” and “ISPA Spa Members” referred to within this report include data from all spa respondents (day, resort/hotel, medical and destination spas).

The results analysis includes answers from all respondents who took the Snapshot Survey in an eight-day period from Friday, January 18, 2019 to Friday, January 25, 2019. During this time, 255 ISPA members responded to the survey. The categories “all spas” and “ISPA Spa Members” referred to within this report include data from all spa respondents (day, resort/hotel, medical and destination spas).

The results analysis includes answers from all respondents who took the Snapshot Survey in an eight-day period from Friday, December 7, 2018 to Friday, December 14, 2018. During this time, 208 ISPA members responded to the survey. The categories “all spas” and “ISPA Spa Members” referred to within this report include data from all spa respondents (day, resort/hotel, medical and destination spas).

The most popular duration among spas’ massage treatment offerings are 50-minute treatments (51 percent) and 60-minute treatments (39 percent). Resort/hotel spa respondents were more likely to select 50-minute treatments as their answer (57 percent) than day spa respondents (23 percent). The opposite was true for 60-minute treatments with 59 percent of day spa respondents compared to 35 percent of resort/hotel spa respondents.

Profit change trended in a positive direction as well with only 18 percent of all spa respondents experiencing a decreased when comparing the third quarter of 2018 to the third quarter of 2017. For resource partners, this same segment was only 13 percent of respondents.

With nearly all respondents utilizing social media as an advertising method, the breakdown of usage by platform for spa respondents included 94 percent utilizing Facebook, 85 percent utilizing Instagram and 63 percent utilizing Twitter. LinkedIn, Pinterest and Snapchat are used by less than half of all spa respondents.

The majority of all spa respondents offer training of the following types to their employees: in-house, hands-on vendor training (93 percent), virtual vendor training (72 percent), customer service training (83 percent), leadership/management training (69 percent), new employee orientation (95 percent) and retail sales training (79 percent.) On the other hand, a minority segment of resource partner respondents receive training in the following areas: complimentary hands-on training at the client’s spa (48 percent), complimentary hands-on training at your company office (20 percent), hands-on training at your company office (33 percent), training/tutorial videos (45 percent), live virtual training (43 percent), web-based training (43 percent). In addition, 18 percent do not offer training opportunities at all.

Over three in four spa respondents (77 percent) also reported an increase in profit change between the second quarter of 2018 compared to the second quarter of 2017. All day spa respondents (100 percent) reported an increase in profit change. Sixty-two percent of all spas reported that spa visits were up in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the second quarter of 2017. For day spas, this figure was 80 percent, while for resort/hotel spas, it was 55 percent.

Spa respondents were asked to name their most successful revenue generating ideas for retail, marketing promotions, special packages and special events respectively. Common responses for retail included buy one, get-one deals and other bundled packages. Making use of social media and email campaigns were common tactics for marketing promotions and special packages, with seasonal specials performing well for a number of respondents. Hosting events for local spa guests was a popular response in the special event category as well.

Most spa respondents, 57 percent, plan to introduce between one and three new product lines in 2018. On the resource partner side, just 35 percent of respondents plan to introduce that many new products in 2018.

Spa visits also continue to increase with 72 percent of all spa respondents reporting that spa visits were up when comparing the first quarter of 2018 with the first quarter of 2017. For day spas, this figure was slightly higher at 78 percent.

The number of day spa respondents taking the step to use energy-efficient light bulbs was noticeably higher than resort/hotel spas, at 83 percent and 72 percent respectively. Sixty-five percent of spas noted it was very important or extremely important to offer natural or organic products for their consumers. Well over half, 65 percent, offer a treatment that is promoted as organic (compared to 57 percent in 2010).

Over half, 54 percent, of all spa respondents have a formal guest policy for technology usage, which can include cell phones, tablets and other mobile devices. This number is low compared to the 81 percent of spa respondents having a formal employee technology policy. Conversely, just 20 percent of resource partner participants have a formal technology policy for employee cell phone usage.