Massage Heights operates more than 76 franchise locations with nine more under development.
Massage Heights: Upscale Experience
with Membership Model
Wayne Evans founded Massage Heights in 2004 after a 14-year
career in the physical fitness field. Joined by his wife, Shane
Evans, the duo established their first location in San Antonio,
Texas and the company has since taken off.
Today, Massage Heights operates more than 76 franchise locations with nine more under development. The company is
founded on providing “five star resort” service and a membership
model that makes therapies more affordable to guests—a
monthly membership fee is US$49.99 per month, which includes
a full one-hour massage. Each additional one-hour massage
booked with active membership is pegged at US$39.99.
“The upscale, retreat-like experience that our guests receive is
one of the key differentiators of our brand among other valuepriced massage and massage membership companies,” Shane
Evans says.
The average cost of a Massage Heights franchise comes in at
around US$390,000 with an average per unit sales reaching
US$736,000 in 2011, up 20 percent from 2010. The potential for
future growth has Massage Heights’ franchises opening across the
United States and Canada. With the investment, franchisees are
benefitting from the company’s brand recognition and training,
which includes guides and manuals on tested operational and
marketing strategies. Each Massage Heights franchise is expected
to follow operating guidelines aimed at enticing guests to become
monthly members.
“The ground work has already been done for them, all they
need to do is execute,” Shane says. “All Massage Heights franchisees know that if they give the guest the best experience
possible, the guest will become a member, come back for additional services and products; thus, increase average store sales.”
Massage Envy: Partners in Growth
Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Massage Envy Limited, LLC is also
founded on a membership model that allows clients to receive
massage and spa services at a special member rate. The monthly
membership ranges from US$49 to US$69 and includes a onehour massage session each month as well as discounted rates on
additional massages and facials.
Founded in 2002, Massage Envy began franchising in 2003.
Today, the company boasts 800 locations nationally with 250
future locations planned.
“Massage Envy chose the franchising model early on to allow
for faster expansion and gather partners committed to business
growth and development. This has contributed greatly to not only
our national expansion growth but also the refinement of operational processes,” says CG Funk, vice president of industry
relations and product development for Massage Envy franchising.
With a streamlined menu that offers services at an accessible
price, Massage Envy’s business model is thriving. The average
investment for a Massage Envy franchise is US$460,000, which
includes the franchise fee, an estimated year’s worth of operating
costs, construction and build out as well as soft and hard
September 2012
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