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PROFILE


MINISTRY OF WAXING MARKETING


“Brazilian waxing is a very intimate treatment, so our light-


with diff erent types of spa. “T e waxing industry has had a resurgence, whereas the spa industry has just been existing and really needs someone to inject a breath of fresh air into it,” she says. In 2007, she introduced HOUSE – a


35,000sq ſt (3,252sq m) spa combined with a bar and restaurant – in Singapore. Two years later she added the Beauty Emporium, which includes six Browhaus stations and fi ve MOW treatment rooms plus a large retail area showcasing all the products in the Spa Esprit Group portfolio. “It’s a huge beauty supermarket that brings everything together with a fresh tone.” Singapore is a test bed for diff erent ideas, she says, and she’s excited to tell me that the big London department store Selfridges is showing inter- est in the Beauty Emporium concept. With many spa operators now turning to beauty services – which attract a regular


SPA ESPRIT GROUP BY NUMBERS


■ T e 33 Ministry of Waxing (MOW) outlets typically cover between 900-1,200sq ſt (84-111sq m)


and have up to eight rooms ■ A Brazilian wax costs around sg$26-58 (us$20-45, €16-35, £13-29)


and takes only 30 minutes ■ T ere are 25 Browhaus salons worldwide and these usually cover 600-800sq ſt (56-74sq m) and include fi ve to eight stations


■ A Brow Resurrection, which takes up to 90 minutes, costs sg$1,200 (us$935, €717, £597) for a full brow. T e aſt er care kit is strongly recommended


and costs sg$150 (us$117, €90, £75) ■ Brow Resurrection can last up to two years and maintenance


costs sg$150 (us$117, €90, £75) ■ A 60-minute massage at Spa Esprit costs around sg$95-120 (us$74-94, €57-72, £47-60)


44 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital


local clientele and revenue – what are Chua’s tips on integration? “It’s a diffi cult question,” she says. “If you have too many brand mes- sages it would be confusing. MOW or Browhaus wouldn’t work in a


spa environment because the experience is far removed from a typical spa vibe – they are funky, fun and fast paced. Can a spa ever be upbeat? We’re looking at a model that might appeal to a younger clientele with a lower price point, which might work. “However, there’s a demand for grooming


right now compared to fi ve years ago. So if operators were to introduce waxing and eyebrow services, their spend per customer would go up and it would defi nitely help if a guest wants everything done in one place.” Recruitment and training are two chal-


lenges operators should be aware of, she adds. “Manpower is always an issue – we need up to 15 staff per MOW outlet and


10 for Browhaus salons – but the problems vary from city to city. In London, we’re able to get local aestheticians who we can eas- ily train because the professional courses there give them a strong beauty knowledge. In Singapore, however, we’re going through a severe shortage in service staff because people don’t want the jobs. So I tend to fi nd spa therapists from Indonesia, and for Brow Resurrection – which involves intri- cate embroidery and artisan work – we fi nd that the Chinese have strong technical skills. For the front desk, a lot of service staff come from the Philippines. It can be tough and we’re constantly in talks with the govern- ment about our foreign worker quota.” When it comes to training, the Spa Esprit


Group’s academy in Singapore sees 80-120 staff each year. T ere are dedicated train- ing departments for spa therapy, waxing and brow work, and courses last between four to eight weeks depending on the students’ capabilities and what they’re learning about. Brow Resurrection, for example, is one of the most complicated procedures, so stu- dents would take longer to master this. “A brow tidy is easy enough, but brow


shaping and construction is more compli- cated,” says Chua. “You need to understand about facial shapes, balancing and shades and it’s not as simple as ‘oh, it’s just plucking a few hairs out’. And if Brazilian waxing isn’t done properly, it can be very traumatic for the customer. So the training – covering eve- rything from hygiene and contra-indications to bed-side manner – is very important.


SPA BUSINESS 1 2012 ©Cybertrek 2012


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