Savvy day spa management finding ways to capitalize on that growth

According to recent research, the number of men going to spas continues to increase – and the industry continues to adapt to this trend.

According to an article on Complex.com, Mashable reported that the number of men who are undergoing spa treatments has greatly increased within the past few years. Much of that can be attributed to the male grooming boom.

From 2007 to 2012, beauty and skincare products geared towards men increased about 70 percent, the article noted. The spike is yet another indication of how men are becoming more concerned with their personal appearance, and they’re consequently adopting grooming habits that were once solely associated with women. This is also reflected in the recent menswear surge, which actually surpassed the growth of the women’s market just a couple of years ago.

“I think that guys are becoming a little more comfortable with taking care of themselves and realizing that beauty and taking care of things such as aging in the future isn’t such a feminine thing,” Jose Girona, manager of Living Fresh Spa in New York, told Mashable.

On top of that, the skincare industry has begun to offer products formulated specifically for men.  Instead of using their girlfriend’s moisturizer, they can now find products formulated for their skin (Did you know that a man’s skin is 20% oilier than a woman’s?) and marketed to their masculinity.

There are those who see this trend as a real opportunity.  Because the skincare needs of men are different than those of women. OM4Men has introduced the first skin-type and condition-specific line that addresses the biological differences in male and female skin.

“At OM4, men are our core business – not an add-on to a shave line, not a repackaged set of SKUs from a women’s line. Made for men by men,” the company says.

Mike Bruggeman, founder and CEO of OM4, grew up on an organic dairy farm in Wisconsin and enjoyed a career in hospital administration before following his passion. In creating Organic Male OM4, he has made it his mission to help men understand the importance of skin health and nutrition and help them make the connection between looking good, feeling confident and achieving results at work and in life.

Mike doesn’t just talk the talk.  He walks the walk, making sure the standards at Organic Male OM4 are rigorous – from green chemistry formulas using only the purest, ethically sourced ingredients to the socially responsible and eco-coconscious corporate culture.

For some men, adopting good grooming habits in the privacy of their own homes is just the first step. The next step is to explore what spas have to offer.

Day spa management across the country has taken note of this trend and has begun to accommodate the guys with an assortment of treatments, like massages, hair removal, laser treatments for acne scars, and less extreme chemical peels. Some businesses have even revamped their interior to resemble a sleek man-cave, complete with low lighting, dark wooden accents, TVs that play sports games, and in-door plants in lieu of flowers, Complexreports. (The spa consultants and spa architects working on those projects must have had fun breaking new ground!)

According to the International Spa Association, the number of males who have visited spas over the past few years has gone from 31 percent to 47 percent. “There’s something about being attended to,” Topper Schroeder, owner of Gendarme Fragrances and the Gendarmerie Spa in Los Angeles, told Mashable. “I think men’s spas relate more to their mental health.”

Men still make up a small portion of salon customers in the United States, but their numbers are growing, especially in the 18-34 age group, a global market research group said.

In a report aimed at the salon industry, Mintel said that 52 percent of the men it surveyed had gone to salons, which it broadly defined as anything from a luxury spa to a corner barber shop. Fifty-eight percent said they’d gone for a mere haircut. But among males aged 18-34, 25 percent said they had gone for a manicure or pedicure, and 20 percent had treated themselves to a facial.  The report of this study appeared in the New York Daily News.

Developing products and services aimed at this younger male demographic
represents a real opportunity.

Has your hotel spa management taken steps to assure male guests wanting a mani/pedi will feel comfortable? Have you spoken with spa consultants about introducing a line of products geared just to the guys?

If you’d like to talk to the internationally recognized spa consultants at ISM SPA Management Company about ways that your spa can take advantage of this opportunity for growth or have questions about other industry trends call ISM SPA Founding Partners Christina Stratton & Ilana Alberico at 828-242-4415.