Nails, as you’re no doubt aware, are big. Global sales of nail polish totalled nearly US$6billion (£3.7bn) in 2011, an 11% increase year-on-year, with 2012 figures showing the nail polish market to be worth US$768million (£475m) and US$370 (£229m) in the US and the UK respectively. With nail polishes now replacing the ‘lipstick effect’ as an economic indicator, becoming the key luxury makeup product consumers are likely to splash out on even in hard times, the nails sector is going from strength to strength. While nail services have traditionally constituted a relatively small part of the spa offering, with manicures and pedicures often viewed as more suited to the salon market, the segment’s unstoppable success makes it an area of increasing interest for spas.  
While prices naturally vary depending on venue and geographic location, the typically lower price point of nail services compared to the majority of spa treatments make them a potentially great option for attracting the younger and often cash-strapped 16-24 demographic into your spa. The Mintel data that found the UK nail market to be worth US$370 (£229m) also revealed that 72% of the country’s 16-24 year-olds wear nail polish and that the overwhelming majority of US tweens and teens – 92% of nine to 17-year-olds – regularly use some type of nail product. While teenagers and those in their early 20s are not traditionally a core spa clientele, they constitute an additional, and still largely untapped, customer group.

“Nail services are a great way to entice a younger clientele into your spa,” says Mandy Cooke, sales director at Gerrard International, UK distributor for nail brand Jessica. “Generally at a lower price point than other spa treatments, manicures and pedicures allow clients to enjoy the luxury of a spa visit without the costly price tag,” she adds. Lisa Bennett, director of Lena White, which distributes nail brand OPI in the UK, agrees that nail services can make for ideal introductory spa treatments.

Read the full article on page 24 of the November issue of the Professional Spa and Wellness digital magazine for FREE here, or access the digital magazine by selecting your chosen platform here