NotE: Number of spas rounded to the nearest 100
capacity of the industry to meet ever-increasing demand from
customers.
The lack of qualified talent is far and away the single most
important issue in the industry, cited in some form or other by 40
percent of respondents. Particular shortages are reported of
massage therapists, but also notable spikes in shortages of nail
technicians and people with management skills. Smaller spas,
rural operators and those with seasonal demand find recruitment
especially challenging.
Aside from the battle for talent, two issues were identified in
the regulation space by respondents. The first issue is the
difference between states in licensing regulations. The second is
the impact of regulations on benefits. For example, it was stated
that contract and part-time staff not being regarded as full-time
employees with health benefits is a barrier to hiring and keeping
good people.
Looking ahead, spas across the board are aiming to expand
the range of choices available to their clients. Three in five spas
said they would be adding or creating new treatment offerings
while almost one in two said they would be introducing new
product lines. The creation of a new spa menu is planned by 28
percent of spas.
Spas are also focused on strengthening their business
through internally focused measures. A large majority of spas
(59 percent) said they plan to introduce new or revised
standard operating procedures. Almost one in four said they
will introduce new spa management software.
Staffing and employee development also loom large in spas’
plans for 2018, with 54 percent saying they intend to introduce
new employee training opportunities, while one in three spas
stated their intention to create new jobs. All of this plays into
the need for more work on the employee experience as
evidenced by the 2018 ISPA Spa Workforce Survey.
Client-facing and marketing issues are also on the agenda,
with 43 percent of spas planning new community partnerships,
41 percent saying they will be introducing new promotions
targeting the male audience and 18 percent of spas indicating
an intention to introduce new spa branding.
The survey is a snapshot of a key U.S. industry at a moment
in time—where the key metrics are all on the rise, profitability
is strong and the main barrier to even faster growth is simply a
lack of qualified, experienced people. All eyes are on the initia-
tives being undertaken to solve this key piece of the jigsaw
puzzle. n
October 2018
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