Men spending significantly more on wellness treatments

Indian consumers are used to directly walking to the salons without any pre-booking. However, this trend is changing of late. New age salons and spas in the country now operate largely on pre-booked appointments. This is helping wellness businesses improve overall capacity utilisation, manage demand spikes better and consistently achieve their daily revenue targets. The best performing spas get 3X in advanced bookings.

These are some of the interesting findings from a survey conducted by Zenoti, one of the leading cloud based enterprise software providers to spas, salons and fitness centers across the globe.

It is a common perception that women spend more than men in salons and spas, but in its detailed study on “trends in Indian wellness industry”, Zenoti found that men spend more than women in Spas in spite of availing fewer services than women.

It was also found that with the help of technology, most spas, salons and medical spas in India are now able to compete with larger global brands. These brands have adopted the US model of business like memberships, series packages, implementing a loyalty point program, and selling gift cards. But, when it comes to online/mobile bookings, Indian providers have a long way to go. Currently, online/mobile bookings make up less than 1% of booked appointments. Mature markets like US see upwards of 50% in online and mobile bookings.

Trends to watch out in 2017

-Workplace in Wellness

Yoga classes at the office, subsidised gym memberships or a general investment in wellness, is becoming more common in the workplace. Companies want healthier and happier workers, lower healthcare costs, higher productivity, less absenteeism and less turnover. The Gallup-Heathways Global Wellbeing Index (GWI) estimates that workplace wellness will explode in the next 5 to 10 years, which is now $40 billion globally. This shift will create new opportunities for wellness practitioners and educators, as well as establishments that deliver spa and wellness services.

-Wellness On Demand

Whether last minute manicure or express blowout or even a session with a personal trainer, these on-demand services are revolutionising beauty and wellness industry. Their options offer flexibility, immediacy, and convenience.

Earlier considered a luxury, visiting a spa has now become more of a routine exercise than an extravagant experience. Greater awareness around wellness, rise in disposable income among the middle class population and rising demands from consumers, are all resulting in a positive growth trajectory for the spa businesses.