DAYSPA is the magazine of spa management. Spa owners and spa managers turn to DAYSPA for spa management trends, spa management tips and more.
Issue link: https://dayspamagazine.epubxp.com/i/398023
T he surveys and studies have been done, the results are in and there's little question as to which developed nation is the hardest working in the world. According to the International Labour Organization (ilo.org), U.S. workers toil "137 hours more per year than Japanese workers, 260 hours more per year than British workers and 499 more hours per year than French workers." Why? As much as we'd like to think it's our solid work ethic, the truth is that as the only industrialized country with no legally mandated annual leave, and one of only a handful providing fewer than 20 paid vacation days per year (we average 13)*, we've given our workforce little choice. It just can't afford to work less. Of course, as a spa professional, you probably don't need statistics to know that your compatriots are overworked: you see it in clients' sleep- deprived eyes and their ravaged skin, and feel it in their knotted neck, shoulder and back muscles. Your average client no longer comes to you simply to feel pampered and special: he or she may need you just to get through the long work week. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that every reliable source for information on trends in the spa industry is pointing in the same direction, and that's toward overall wellness—physical, mental and spiritual. The lavish, '90s-era, rose-petal-sprinkled spa treatment has given way to in-pod naps, intensive reiki sessions and full-blown detoxifi cation programs. Your hard-working American clients need to get their money's worth, and that translates to treatments that provide long-term results and facilitate true healing. If you need more convincing, look no further than page 40 of this issue ("Future in the Balance"), where 10 of the top industry trend-watchers share their insights and predictions with regard to where "spa" is headed. Here's a taste from Annet King, director of global education for Dermalogica: "People are thinking more often about needing a treatment, a getaway, to unwind. 'Mindfulness rooms' are great spa additions that enable people to leave behind their devices, go in and stretch and do yoga." You'll also want to check out this month's Marketing Savvy column (page 86) to learn about day spas' burgeoning role as community educators, and Trend Watch (page 14) to discover three spas that grow their businesses by addressing local residents' socialization needs. (Don't miss DAYSPA's feature article on how spas can tackle our increasing "isolation epidemic" coming in the December issue!) All of this may seem like a brave new world to those who entered the exploding day spa arena in the late '90s and early '00s, but when you consider spa's origins, you realize that it's really just coming back home to its original purpose: to sustain and heal human beings. And clearly, this is needed now more than ever. Linda Kossoff Executive Editor Spas on the Job EDITOR'S PAGE 12 DAYSPA | NOVEMBER 2014 The healing role of spas is more important than ever, especially here in America. On page 78 of the October issue, we incorrectly identifi ed Éminence's Cornfl ower Recovery Serum as an offi cially recommended product in the Oncology Esthetics ® treatment technique, and technique founder/educator Morag Currin as a doctor. We apologize for these errors. CORRECTION *Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics