RESEARCH
If a spa visit is to be completely stress-free, some businesses might consider reviewing and publishing their tipping policies
respondents – frequent and infrequent spa-goers and non-spa-goers – strongly agreed that going to a spa involves being ‘pampered’. That word has both positive and negative connotations – some people love to be pampered, others associate it with being spoiled. What they all seem to be able to agree on, however, is that going to a spa is a method of relaxation. The one outlier in perceptions of
spa came – once again – from British consumers – 47 per cent of whom believe that ‘wellbeing’ is an important part of spa-going. That’s a significantly higher proportion than the 32 per cent of Americans, 34 per cent of Canadians and 38 per cent of Australians who agreed.
Different attitudes There was one area where national stereotypes are reinforced: tipping. While American and Canadian consumers are not entirely comfortable tipping their spa staff, they are much more comfortable than British or Australian consumers. The difference in tipping culture in the US and Canada clearly means that doing so causes less stress than in the UK or Australia. If anything a visit to a spa ought to be completely stress-free, some businesses might consider reviewing and publishing tipping policies. Tipping spa staff may also be influenced
by the person who’s paying for the spa visit. While most consumers from all four nations pay for spa visits out of their own pockets, 9 per cent of Australians and 14 per cent of British consumers had their experience covered by a friend of family member. Americans pay out of their own pockets more frequently and are likely to visit spas more often, suggesting that they perhaps form more meaningful relationships with staff. The research even gave some insight into the attitudes of two generations
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Millennials are more likely than any other group to be interested in treatments that involve both body and mind
at each end of the spa consumer age spectrum. The oldest spa-goers are more likely than anyone else to turn up without an appointment, taking advantage of less formal structure in their lives and more free time, while millennials are more likely than any other group to be interested in treatments that include both body and mind, such as meditation. This is food for thought in regards to where the industry may head in the long-term.
Cause for optimism Previous research on the spa industry conducted by PwC on behalf of the ISPA Foundation concentrated solely on the US market. The fact that attitudes are broadly similar among the four nations in this first international survey is not a huge shock,
although each market clearly has its own nuances, strengths and weaknesses. The spa industry has shown
considerable resilience and has recovered admirably since the global economic recession. With economies returning to growth and consumers once again more confident about the future, this research data gives spa owners the opportunity to fine-tune their marketing and convert a new generation into frequent spa-goers. ●
Colin McIlheney is the global research director at PwC and has headed up a number of studies for ISPA. Email: ispa@ispastaff .com Tel: +1 888 651 4772
STEFANOLUNARDI/
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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