The formula for maximizing a spa's retail business lies in building a solid foundation of training, supervision, accountability, reward, customer service, guest experience and product selection. Sure, it sounds like a lot, but the model is really no different from that of any product-focused business model, and it's a very achievable formula in that it focuses primarily on changing the culture of how retail is perceived among spa managers, directors, therapists and aestheticians as opposed to simply throwing money at the problem. If you think of your retail program as a low-cost opportunity to increase revenues then you've already taken the first step. Of course, the pivotal player in making this a reality is the spa director, the one person who is in the best position to orchestrate the retail program to success.

Much like the general manager of a hotel, but in a slightly different aesthetical universe, the spa director wears many managerial hats: HR, operations, customer service representative, marketing director and retail manager to name a few. It's an extremely demanding position that requires the skill sets of a unique professional who not only understands the business of spa, but who also is an exemplary organizer, planner and people-person. ...