MONEY MATTERS
BY G U Y W E I S M A N T E L , S V P M A R K E T I N G , Z E N OT I
Ways to Turn Gift
Card Users into
Repeat Customers
With the holiday crush of presents in the rearview
mirror, you’ve got the presence of mind to start thinking
ahead to how you’ll convert gift card users into repeat
customers. After all, customers are great, but repeat
customers are even better!
IT’S NOT UNUSUAL FOR AMERICANS TO GIVE GIFT CARDS.
According to personal finance website Wallethub, the
gift card was the most popular gift for the 13th consecu-
tive year in 2019, and spas in particular rely heavily on
gift cards. According to the 2019 ISPA U.S. Spa Industry
Study, 91 percent of spas offer gift cards; among those
spas, the average spa receives 10 percent of their
annual revenue from gift cards. Gift card sales at day
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spas alone total US$1.36 billion, nearly 9 percent of total
spa revenue. Many of the people using gift cards in your
spa or salon in any given month are walking in for the
first time, based on a recommendation, referral or
thoughtful gift from a friend or family member. As a
spa operator, you want to do everything you can to give
them a positive experience so that they become regular
spa-goers.