W
ith the popularity
of flash sales, online
promotions and
deal-a-day websites,
the idea of using discounting as a
marketing or retail strategy, whether
through the use of online websites or
other channels, continues to be a hotly
debated topic, especially among spa
professionals.
According to ISPA’s June 2011
Snapshot Survey on “Discounting and
Sales Strategies,” the majority of spas
(day, resort/hotel, medical and
destination) who responded to the
survey promoted some type of discount
strategy in 2011. Still, results indicated
that some respondents steered clear
from the use of discount tactics to
avoid “de-valuing their spa brand”.
Popular discount strategies currently
being used include flash sales, in-house
discount methods such as percentage
off cards for multiple treatments,
percentage/dollars off vouchers for retail
packages, as well as promotions via the
company website, social media sites,
Spa Week, SpaFinder's Wellness Week
and SpaRahRah!, and daily deal websites such as Groupon and LivingSocial.
August 2012
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PULSE 27