As a spa owner, you rely on repeat clients for the majority of your business. If you’ve done the work to cultivate a relaxing and memorable spa experience, keeping those loyal clients coming back month after month shouldn’t be an issue. Repeat clients tend to have their favorite services they keep coming back for, but you still need to shake things up from time to time. Some clients enjoy trying new services and changing your spa menu once in a while can help bring in new business.
The best way to keep your spa menu fresh is to time your adjustments to coincide with the changing of seasons. Each new season brings different concerns for your clients, so it’s not a difficult task.
Here are some suggestions for changing your spa menu with the seasons.
1. Focus on the key concerns relevant for each season.
The changing of the seasons brings with it new concerns for your clients, especially skincare concerns. In the fall and winter, your clients will be concerned about dry and dehydrated skin. In the spring and summer, sun damage is a key concern. You don’t necessarily need to revamp your entire spa menu with each season but making a few tweaks here and there can make a big difference. Don’t forget to adjust the wording of your treatment descriptions to fit seasonal skin concerns as well.
2. Work some seasonal scents and ingredients into your services.
Adjust some of your spa services to incorporate the scents of each season. During the spring and summer, incorporate floral fragrances and, during the fall and winter, work some holiday scents like peppermint or pine into your treatments. You might even feature seasonal ingredients in your spa services and highlight the benefits in the verbiage of your treatment descriptions.
3. Take advantage of holidays to offer special promotions.
The holidays are the perfect time to offer special promotions to new and existing clientele. You don’t necessarily even need to change your spa menu – simply work in some of your most popular services into a seasonal promotion. For Valentine’s Day you might play up couples massage or offer mani/pedi packages as a gift option. During the Christmas season, spa packages are a great promotional item.
4. Play up skin repair and protection during the spring and summer.
During the spring and summer, your clients are going to be concerned about protecting their skin from the sun and from environmental stressors. Be sure to offer a facial that focuses on repairing damage and protecting the skin against sun and pollution. Take the opportunity to upsell products that contain SPF and consider offering packages for popular summer services like waxing and spray tan.
5. Focus on warming treatments during the winter.
When the weather turns cold, it’s time to break out the table warmers and extra blankets. Now’s the time to feature warming add-ons to your spa treatments such as heating pads and hot stone treatments. These are simple add-ons that can create value for your clients and it’s an easy way to adjust your spa menu to suit the season without making drastic changes.
6. Keep up with current spa industry trends.
Trends in the spa and wellness industry are constantly changing and it’s a good idea to stay up-to-date if you want your business to be competitive. If you’re looking for a way to change your spa menu with the seasons, one option is to add new services that appeal to current trends. Be sure to weigh the cost of adding these new services against the potential gains and don’t bite too hard on a trend until you see how your clients respond and you’re sure the trend is going to stick around.
7. Create themes within your spa menu for each season.
Each season comes with an opportunity to redesign your spa menu without actually having to make too many significant changes. Play up seasonal themes like renewal for spring or hydration for summer. Feature products that incorporate seasonal scents and ingredients, building your treatments around that’s season’s theme. You can even work the season’s theme into your spa décor, featuring fresh flowers in the spring and summer or pine boughs and garland in the winter.
8. Shift gears from facials to body treatments in the summer.
Over the winter your clients will spend most of their time bundled up, so body treatments may be less popular than facials. When the summer returns, however, it’s time to bust out the body scrubs. Highlight treatments that feature exfoliating and hydrating products to give the skin a soft summer glow. It’s also a good time to recommend your clients refresh their stock of at-home products.
9. Ask your staff for ideas and incorporate their input.
As a spa owner, you have the final say when it comes to your spa menu but keep in mind that your staff spend the most time with your clientele. Involve your staff in the planning process, especially when it comes to adding new treatments – after all, they know your clientele best and can share feedback they’ve received directly from clients.
10. Work with your product partners to create seasonal promotions.
Any spa owner understands the importance of partnering with a strong product line. To get ideas for seasonal menu adjustments, talk to your product partner about upcoming product releases or to get insight about which products are most popular. You may even be able to work out a deal for bundled product packages you can use to create a featured facial and upsell the products to your clients.
No matter what the season, it’s important to gather feedback from your clients. It’s much more expensive to bring new clients onboard than to keep existing clients coming back, so take the initiative to make your clients feel appreciated and consider their feedback when making adjustments to your menu. It can be as simple as leaving comment cards at the front desk or sending out email surveys.