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The spa industry in 2021
Spas are an oasis away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Once seen as a luxury, spas have become an investment in self-care to the rising middle class. In a survey of approximately 7,500 consumers, McKinsey found that consumers across six different countries prioritized wellness significantly more in the past few years [1]. Furthermore, almost 80% of respondents believed in the importance of wellness.
A spa in Vietnam, Photo by The Anam on Unsplash
The spa industry is principally booming in two regions: Asia Pacific and Europe. Asia Pacific held the largest revenue share in the spa industry in 2020, while the spa industry in Europe is expected to grow the fastest from 2021 to 2028 [2].
Hence, although COVID-19 has slowed down the spa industry’s growth, the deeply rooted lifestyle changes of consumers worldwide will get it back on its feet.
What software do spas use?
Spas, like other retail stores, rely heavily on point of sale (POS) systems to operate efficiently. POS systems comprise two interlocking elements: hardware and software. Thankfully, most software providers have teamed up with hardware companies or own proprietary hardware, so spas can primarily consider the right software provider.
The top POS software considerations for spa are appointment scheduling, customer relationship management, and employee oversight.
This article will highlight three spa software providers which stand out in the industry.
EGG POS
About EGG POS
Based in Thailand, EGG POS considers itself a “modern store management system”. Its user applications are versatile, from working as a POS system for nail salon to spas and other businesses.
Getting started with EGG POS
Businesses new to EGG POS can easily sign up for their free trial online. Alternatively, businesses can test the products onsite through a showroom visit. There is no contract, which is great for businesses looking to get their feet wet without committing.
EGG POS has three pricing plans: Free, Pro, and Premium. The pricing plans vary in how advanced the business features are, and how many devices or stores it can support.
In terms of hardware, EGG POS features two types of desktop POS, the “Starter Kit” and “Ready to go” packages. The “Starter Kit” comprises a compact desktop POS, suitable for small or mobile businesses like food trucks. In contrast, the star of the “Ready to go” package is a multi-functional booster POS, which can print receipts, be connected to cash drawers, and more.
Two desktop POS options from EGG POS, the iMin D2 and D4
Which spas should choose EGG POS?
EGG POS has a solid set of sales capabilities, including comprehensive reports of real-time sales and analysis of sales data by bestsellers and payment channel.
Customer loyalty is crucial to spas, which often sell their services in long-term packages. EGG POS comes with a customer relationship management system, making it suitable for spas. On the EGG POS interface, spas can easily create a variety of promotions and review the status of campaigns.
Spas which use EGG POS can also sign up for additional packages, with useful marketing features such as SMS notifications for appointment bookings, QR coupons, and loyalty points systems. For instance, QR coupons enable spas to collect customer surveys and share a discount in return. All in all, EGG POS is great for spas which hope to expand their marketing tools.
Amongst the POS software providers, EGG POS also highlights its support for franchises. Its sales and customer relationship management systems can be linked across different stores, and owners can see a real-time overview of how all businesses are operating. Thus, EGG POS is recommended for spa conglomerates with many stores.
Loyverse
About Loyverse
Loyverse, an abbreviation of “Loyalty Universe”, is a global POS software operator. Loyverse believes in uplifting small and mid-size businesses by helping them with customers, employees, and inventories.
Getting started with Loyverse
Business owners can start using Loyverse for free, but will have to pay for advanced features. The add-ons include employee, integrations, and inventory management. All add-ons have a free 14-day trial period, but business owners have to pay per employee or per store every month after the trial.
Which spas should choose Loyverse?
Loyverse software on iMin’s POS hardware
Loyverse’s inventory reporting and employee management systems stand out.
Loyverse’s inventory tracking system is a cloud-based business solution which can be connected to multiple devices. Using integrated inventory management, spas can easily transfer goods between locations and check the inventory history of any store.
Another useful feature for spas is Loyverse’s “production” feature. Using this feature, a business owner can group raw materials with the final product, so the inventory for the group will be automatically deducted when a sale is made. Spas use a large variety of skincare products per session, so grouping inventory makes it much easier to track stock levels.
Loyverse’s employee management system is equally thoughtful. Spa owners can assign employees (e.g. cashiers and therapists) to different groups with separate access rights. This helps business owners to control employee access to functions and sensitive information.
Also, Loyverse’s system touts its ability to track the workload of employees per hour, making for more accurate commission tracking of individual staff.
Large spa chains and franchises can keep Loyverse in mind when selecting a POS software. However, the pricing system may not be within the budget of smaller spa establishments.
Loyverse also offers a solid group of support services, including 24/7 live chat and step by step guides in 17 languages. Quick response rectifications can prevent unanticipated issues from affecting normal spa operations, a useful tool for any business. Thus, spas which prioritise customer support can also consider Loyverse.
SG Data Hub
About SG Data Hub
SG Data Hub was founded in 2013 with the vision of providing small and medium enterprises with the best software solutions. They provide many sales and marketing management functionalities, including POS systems under the banner SG Data POS.
Getting started with SG Data Hub
SG Data POS prides itself on being user friendly and easy to pick up. This is evident from its website, where a business owner can sign up for a demonstration on the front page.
SG Data POS Customer Relationship Management System
Which spas should choose SG Data Hub?
One benefit of SG Data Hub is its strong integration capabilities. For instance, the software can be integrated with Quickbooks, an accounting software which is popular in many industries.
Another unique benefit of working with SG Data POS is access to its full suite of software solutions, including developing mobile applications and website hosting.
A real-world example of how one entrepreneur in Singapore has done this is the story of Theraply [3].
The founder of Theraply, Valerie De Costa, wanted to put a stop to the common but unprofessional practice of hard selling in the spa industry. To do so, she developed an on-demand massage booking app in 2018. The app transparently shows the prices of all services, and prevents aggressive sales and differential pricing by masseurs. Consumers can easily make an online booking and wait for their spa therapist to arrive. As the app grows, Valerie hopes to become “the Grab of massages”.
This may be the way for all spas to digitalise and appeal to consumers in future. Thus, fledgling spas which can benefit from a retainer of software solutions can consider SG Data Hub.
What is the best spa software?
Adopting the right POS software can go a long way in helping spa owners to manage their business.
Aromatherapy and towels used in spas
This article has shared three different POS software with their own outstanding features. Ultimately, the best POS system for spa is contingent on the business needs of the spa establishment. Choose the right all-in-one solution!
Interested to know more about POS Solutions? Clink here to explore more.
*All information obtained from websites of software providers, accurate as of September 2021.
References
[2] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/spa-market
