Ms. Fenard

Spas, Health & Fitness

Spa Marketing: The use of Feng Shui principles to increase retail sales

By Elaine Fenard, Partner & Chief Operating Officer, Europe and U.S., Spatality

Looking for fresh new ideas to market the spa has become an everyday challenge for the Spa Director. In today's world everyone needs a competitive edge and is constantly looking for ways to reinvent themselves and the service platform. This is usually done with creative menus and special offers, designed to appeal to a new demographic or to encourage repeat guests to purchase additional services. We all know that holding on to the repeat guest costs less in marketing dollars than bringing in new guests. So we look for ways to keep them interested and increase their pleasure. Focusing hard on service, we can easily forget the extension of service and opportunity that comes from our retail platform.

For fresh new ideas in retail therapy look to the old; the ancient art of Feng Shui makes perfect sense for Spas whether you apply the 'feel good now' principles of immediate gratification, or the 'change your lifestyle' principles attached to learning how to live a healthier lifestyle.

Feng Shui is an ancient art and science developed over 3,00 years ago in China. Although the interpretation has become complicated over the years, and there are many advanced formulas to study, it's origins are relatively simple. Basically the Tao or the way, the philosophy that underlines Feng Shui, shows how to order our lives to live in harmony. Yin and Yang positive and negative forces act together to create Chi (positive energy.) I do not profess to be an expert in the art of Feng Shui, and there are many experts available, consultants in this field can be found, to advise on how to design the spa so the chi (energy) flows and the financial success follows. If you decide to seek advise from a Feng Shui consultant, make sure that you also have a reputable spa consultant on the team, the chi will not flow if the operational alignment does not work!

Applying Feng Shui to a new build can provide a harmonious environment and goes a long way to supporting/creating a concept using the five elements Fire Water Wood Earth and Metal. That being said there are many ways for an operating spa to apply the basic principal of Feng Shui especially to the retail area and sales protocols for immediate results.

The retail section of the spa is always considered a high-energy area; it can help you attract new customers, resulting in a marketing vehicle for the spa as well as higher sales from spa guests, not to mention, it will ensure a pleasant working environment for the staff.

The principles of Feng Shui make really good sense when planning or rearranging the retail space. Cut the clutter (a solid Feng Shui principle,) translates to minimalism, allowing your guests to see the products and be drawn to the items that will enhance their own personal spa experience.

Generally we shop to enhance the experience not for a specific item. Shopping (retail therapy) is an emotional experience -we buy things for all sorts of reasons. For example because after a treatment we feel so good we want to take the experience home, or because we want to share the experience with a loved one by buying a gift. Good Feng Shui energy (Sheng Chi) takes many forms, it is uplifting. It is about creating the energy that feels good and works for the purpose of a given space. In spa retail placing the retail in an area that is conducive to the experience is the first step. The retail space is best located where the guest outside the spa is tempted to come inside, and where the guest completing treatment feels comfortable and encouraged to browse. Having some form of activity such as a tea bar or product bar will help to create the uplifting environment that gently encourages the guest away from the relaxed state of the treatment and into the feel good state of extending the experience.

Basic Feng Shui Principles as applied to spa retail spaces

Creating a good first impression is really important, so look at the entrance of the spa first. A strong flow of Feng Shui energy is created by a well-lit clear name and logo placement at the entrance, as well as fresh well-lit displays.

The check in/out point (POS system) should be clearly seen by the guest while the POS attendant needs to have a clear view of the space in order to minimize staffing on off peak periods.

Create pathways to the retail area that flow from the point of entry and the spa. There should be no pockets or dead ends. The objective is to create a natural path that will draw the guest in and create opportunity for them to explore and sample the products. You want the guest to be aware of the space on arrival and encouraged to peruse after the treatment. In a hotel environment it is also wise to make sure there are not multiple points of entry/exist from the spa, as this will create staffing issues.

A primary focal point will draw the guest toward it. There should be one primary focal point with several secondary focal points your guests can 'discover' without ever realizing they are contrived. This will encourage the guest to move from one to the other along an instinctive path. Rearrange your displays regularly.

Focus on lighting. One of the easiest Feng Shui tools to enhance the space is light. Light is said to symbolize fire, which produces earth, enhances itself and causes wood to blossom. Light as Yang also helps to achieve balance and harmony and attracts good Chi flow. Crystal chandeliers are excellent for this purpose. If chandeliers do not suit your esthetic than focus on several levels of lighting, using soft discreet lighting well placed. Try to avoid angular designs with a pointed shape. The quality of the air and the aroma in the spa affects your sales. Many large corporations spend large amounts of money working out which scents should permeate the air. In the spa industry we are lucky in that our world is filled with the wonderful aroma of essential oils. Just the same, it is important that we not rely on our own preferences and do the research to make sure the retail area is not overwhelmed and that it is conducive to the environment. This can usually be done with guest feed back.

Frequently remove all clutter, this includes over stocked shelves, overstuffed receptacles; including trash cans; exposed electrical cords etc. Sound, while spa now extends into many avenues and the soft tones of Enya are not always the preference. It is still essential to make sure the music or sound your guest will hear in the retail space is a reflection of your guest and is what you want it to be. It should mask other noises that may interfere but not be overwhelming or jarring to the energy flow. Water can be very effective, and used creatively can fit into every budget.

The Five Elements

Fire, Water, Wood, Earth and Metal can provide interesting groupings, it is said that placing certain items in accordance with Feng Shui principles ensures the energies do not become static. For example candles represent fire, when fire reaches its maximum potential it starts to diminish and can be artificially created in the form of candles. Candles are best placed along a south wall. Jewelry is of course, metal, metal is synonymous with gold and silver, and these precious metals have always symbolized wealth and prosperity. Placing jewelry in the northwest or the west magnifies the energies of these sectors and adds to the harmony and flow of energy in the space.

Further product placement help, can and should, come from your vendors. Introduce the idea of using Feng Shui principles to your vendors asking them to help you by coming up with the best placement of their products according to Feng Shui principles and by giving you a brief sentence that will help the therapists and or sales associates to introduce the product to the client.

Ying and Yang

We never want our guests to feel pressured into purchasing retail so it is extremely important to balance the experience.

Chi

Create Chi (energy) among the staff using workshops and incentives. Your therapists are your sales team. Therapists in general are healers who are not inclined to promote anything that is not perceived, as beneficially to the guest. This is a good thing, honesty and sincerity produces the best result. Most therapists understand and believe in the principles of Feng Shui. Assist the therapists to translate that positive energy to sales by engaging their professional knowledge to apply the principles to the product and tell the story. It is of little relevance if the guest understands the principles of Feng Shui, what matters is that the guest feels the positive energy and the enthusiasm of the staff. Good energy (Sheng Chi) nourishes and supports.

Incentives are the prosperity that Feng Shui can bring to everyone in the spa, money is always a good incentive and creating the right balance between targets and bonuses means everyone is supporting the initiative to succeed. In summery many positive idea can come from this ancient art, further exploration will provide your spa team with a myriad of ways to reinvent your retail space and create the chi to help your business succeed.

Elaine Fenard is an integral partner in Spa Strategy, one of the world's leading spa consulting and design firms. Joining in the Spa Strategy quest to create innovative and profitable spas, Elaine brought to the team more than 25 years experience in spa development and operations with one of the world's largest hotel companies and the leading international spa operations company. As an industry pioneer and recognized expert, Elaine is a frequent speaker at many conferences, and is a regular guest speaker at Cornell University. Ms. Fenard can be contacted at 303-573-8100 or Elaine@spastategy.com Extended Bio...

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