At Wahanda, we love European Spa magazine – there’s always a scuffle in the office whenever a new copy appears. Our CEO Lopo was therefore very happy to share some of his tips for therapists regarding the festive season in Issue 24. Here’s what he had to say…
Though we’re still reminiscing about our summer holidays, Christmas is close and it’s important to plan early as it’s a busy period. According to an ISPA study, it’s suggested that as much as 36 per cent of all spa visits are gifted*.
For Christmas promotions, there are three factors for spa operators to consider: Who is my target customer? What is the package I am creating? And how should I price it?
Know your target customer
Are you creating a gift, or is this for personal use? At Christmas, people buy presents and get themselves ready for the party season. You can service both needs, but rarely with the same package – so it’s important to know your objective.
Women want to look their best for the party season, so focus on maintenance and beauty. At Wahanda, buying trends shift towards hair, nails, or facials rather than relaxation and fitness.
Make sure you have a gift range of pampering experiences that someone wouldn’t necessarily buy for themselves, such as massages or spa days.
Make it special
Too many spas rely on gift vouchers. These are popular (especially if beautifully packaged) but try to think creatively. Here’s what we find works:
Bundles: Create packages designed for a day with you. You may want to consider creating something with another business that you can both sell, for example, spa with a shopping experience.
It’s more fun to share: Make packages for two so that a mother and daughter, husband and wife or two friends can enjoy the experience together. At Wahanda, our 2-for-1 deals work especially well.
Add some extras: Include afternoon tea or champagne to make it a more personal experience.
Don’t forget the products: I am always surprised how rarely we see services and products packaged together. Include something that the customer can take home and they may return to buy more.
Educate: We are seeing a strong trend towards people wanting to learn about their health and wellbeing, so try including consultations or a class.
Boomerang offers: Include a discount for them to use next time and a reason to come back.
Gifting: Ultimately, this is a gift, so make sure it looks like one and make it easy for the customer. A great wellness gift experience begins long before the person arrives at your spa.
The price is right
Pricing is hard to get right. You don’t want to discount too much as it might hurt the image of the package but, given the current economic climate, you want people to feel they’re getting good value.
We help to create packages with a high-perceived value but low marginal cost, for example, use of facilities.
Make Christmas count
The festive season should be your highlight of the year. Getting the right package, at the right price, targeted at the right customer is key to making Christmas successful.
If you need help, agents and marketing sites like Wahanda have experts who will work with you to craft the right promotion and even help promote it afterwards.
*(ISPA Global Consumer Data Study, 2008)
For more great advice and articles, head over to the European Spa magazine website.
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