How to Spot a Spa Trend like a Kardashian
Recently the Global Wellness Institute projected a 42% employment growth in the spa industry by 2018. I don’t know about you but I find this absolutely mind-blowing. They reported;
“In 2013 the spa industry employed about 1.1 million spa therapists and 200,000 spa managers and directors. So it looks like it will need at least an additional 500,000 trained spa therapists and 80,000 experienced spa managers/directors (above those levels) by 2018.”-GWS
I wonder what the impact of this surge will mean to the existing hospitality industry? How will middle management be affected? What about massage and facial academies? Is the next big trend spa training? Will online retail programs become the big hot ticket item? Will conferences be built around discussions of retail sales, customer engagement and social media? I’d say yes to all of the above.
I don’t think that your last name needs to be Kardashian to spot this trend.
The need for more trained spa therapists is not occurring in a vacuum. It is because globally, there are more customers purchasing products and services. India is a perfect example. In 2014 spas generated 567 million dollars. Projected revenues in 2018 are 954 million dollars. With customers willing to spend that much in the quest for wellness, isn’t it incumbent upon the spa industry to deliver a higher level of service? Shouldn’t training be at the top of critical needs for 2016?
Sometimes it’s not difficult to spot approaching trends. In 2011 I knew that an upcoming trend would be ethnic skin. Why? Because as an African-American I’d had difficulty locating knowledgeable professionals for my own skin care needs. As an experienced esthetician, my rapidly growing customer base of ethnically diverse women and men proved that I wasn’t alone. When I created www Ethnic Skin Aficionado it took off quickly. Women around the world had questions about their skin and I provided answers. Within three months of inception 230,000 views confirmed that my hunch was correct. Not surprisingly, two years later, top industry publications listed “global beauty” and “ethnic skin” as trending.
Now along with spa industry growth is the concurrent growth of social media. Spa review sites and mobile technology are the new means of global communication. Social media is the new watchdog and its bark can be heard around the world in a matter of minutes.
It’s not difficult to recognize why training should be trending. Nor is it hard to imagine what will happen if it doesn’t.
Sometimes it makes sense to stay ahead of the trends.
Linda Harding-Bond
