SNAPSHOT SURVEY
BY JAMISON STOIKE
QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE/COVID-19
APRIL 2020
l l l
KEY TAKEAWAY:
SHAKESPEARE SAID THAT BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF WIT,
and this month’s key takeaway is as brief as can be: 99 percent of
spa respondents were closed at the time of the survey.
The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spa industry has been
profound. Only 8 percent of respondents have made no changes to
their staffing levels. Resort/hotel spas were more likely to furlough
employees (68 percent), while day spas were more likely to have laid
off employees (49 percent). Approximately one in five spa respondents
implemented salary reductions.
This Snapshot Survey also covered quarterly performance, which
was—until mid-March, generally—strong for most respondents. Even
with shutdowns, 43 percent of spa respondents saw revenue increase
in Q1 year-over-year. Compared with previous Snapshot Survey results,
however, that number is meager: last year, 83 percent of respondents
indicated their Q1 revenue rose year-over-year.
of spa respondents were closed
at the time of the survey
of spa respondents saw revenue
increase in Q1
MENU MAKEOVER
MANY SPAS ARE USING MANDATORY CLOSURE as a time to
tackle tasks too time-consuming to typically undertake. Most
commonly, ISPA members are reworking their menus in response
to shifting consumer expectations after COVID-19.
Here’s a sampling of what they’re adding to their list of services:
l “Launching spa self-serve option for guest, focusing on
meditation and including meditation within new services.
l “Increasing outdoors fitness classes and massages.”
l “Select menu options such as two types of massage [and]
few facial treatments to start with. Simplified menu to
minimize back expense and allow the team to recalibrate
to the ‘new’ operational flow.”
l “Will add Reiki to the menu. Removing hot stone massage.
Remove the steamer in facials. No double services or spa
parties.”
60 PULSE ■ JULY 2020