There's no doubt that the grand recession has taken a bite out of skincare services, but it's not the only reason that requests for this category have declined. Living life in the fast lane, where every minute of every day is already spoken for, is also a major contributing factor. If you're repeatedly hearing things like, "I need a facial, but I just don't have time," or "My son's braces are my facial services," you need to take heed and action.
Three-13 Salon, Spa and Boutique in Marietta, Georgia, dealt with tightening time and money budgets four years ago, by introducing a facial bar where clients receive complete services. Since then, the company's skincare business has been so brisk, that it now has two facial bars within its 14,000-square-foot space.
"Three months after introducing our ‘Facial on the Go' service, this portion of our business increased by 12% and related retail by 18%," beams Three-13 Managing Partner, Lester Crowell. "Our facial bar treatments take 45 minutes to complete and include all the steps that are done in our treatment rooms with the exception of an abbreviated paraffin treatment (hands only). We can offer our Facial on the Go services for less money than those done in our treatment rooms because there are no dress-out and room clean-up times, and linen usage is reduced to towels and drapes."
Regarding retail sales, Crowell comments, "In a treatment room, clients aren't focused on retail opportunities. They're lying prone with their eyes closed and become so relaxed that many of them fall asleep. At our facial bar, clients are reclined in a semi-upright position with our retail displays within their lines of sight. In terms of marketing, aside from clients seeing facials being done on the service floor, we give every new client a $25.00 certificate for a Facial on the Go service and offer a 13% discount to all clients when they purchase three or more Repechage skincare products. We finish every Facial on the Go with a basic makeup application—using either Repe^chage or TIGI Cosmetics—making it a true lunch-hour service that allows clients to leave looking polished and ready to continue their day."
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