In a spa, two revenue centres generate income: treatments and retail sales. Even though treatments are the core of business of most spas, healthy retail sales create a better margin for the spa (because the profit ratio of selling a product is much higher than for a treatment). All consultants agree that to have a balanced income, a spa’s retail sales must generate at least 30 per cent of the overall revenue. And the more the better.

Most spa owners will tell you that they are in this industry to help people, to make clients feel good, to improve their clients’ skin conditions, to enhance their clients’ lives. But the truth is that the primary reason they are in this field must be to make money— because if they don’t make money, they won’t be able to improve their clients’ lives for very long. Therefore, productive retail is essential to just about any spa operation.

Read more about the science of retail design.