New ISPA Research Measures Consumers’ Spa-Going Habits and Approaches to Self-Care

(LEXINGTON, KY.  May 24, 2022)

The International SPA Association (ISPA) Foundation has released the volume XI of its Consumer Snapshot initiative, titled “New Era, New Consumer”. This study, commissioned by the ISPA Foundation and conducted in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers, sought to examine the habits, attitudes and expectations of consumers (spa-goers and non-spa-goers alike) as they consider the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to evaluate concerns surrounding their physical and mental well-being.

“Consumer attitudes, like so much else, have shifted significantly in the last two-plus years,” said ISPA President Lynne McNees. “This research provides insight into those shifts and will allow our members to make data-driven decisions for their businesses as they seek to bring the benefits of spa to more people and continue the industry’s robust recovery.”

This edition of the Consumer Snapshot series establishes a wide spectrum of habits, concerns and preferences for both spa-goers and non-spa-goers, evaluating them in the context of respondents’ income levels, age and gender. For example, the largest portion of respondents (47 percent) said they use a hybrid approach to receiving spa services, which includes receiving some services at a spa location and supplementing those with at-home service options.

The study also highlights respondents’ attitudes toward self-care activities, the factors that influence their decision to visit (or not visit) a spa, their spa-going habits, their purchasing trends, their outlook on the future and how they make decisions in the age of high demand for spa services and low staffing levels.

“Understanding how consumers view their relationship with spa—and, importantly, how that relationship may have been changed by the events of recent years—will afford leaders and professionals around the spa industry the opportunity to step into this new era with greater confidence,” says PwC Global Research Leader Colin McIlheney. “That starts with understanding who visits the spa, what they want from the experience and why they value it.”

The data indicates that the spa industry is well-positioned to meet the needs of consumers now and going forward. More than half of current spa-goers (58 percent) said they visited a spa for the first time in the past two years, and 39 percent said they visit the spa more often now than before the pandemic. Combined with respondents’ apparent dedication to their health and well-being (65 percent of spa-goers noted they will focus more on their health and well-being now), those figures suggest that the industry is in a strong position.