The impressive rise in Chinese people’s purchasing power is positive for the market. Because they earn more money they are able to spend more money on pleasure activities. This evolution has a positive impact on sales of beauty products and on beauty services, especially those who suggest a distinctive offer. The higher social category in China expresses its new living standards. We can see that in their lifestyle. They feel the need to show their difference from the other people in Chinese society. There in the spa business, only a few can offer personalized and specific services.
Features of the Spa market in China
China finally becomes a place to be for many spa-related companies in different parts of the world and also a new source of inspiration for the global spa industry. The financial potential of the Chinese market pushes several international spa companies to open a branch in China.
We can distinguish two different kinds of spas. On one hand, there are standard day spa body treatments and lifestyle services. On the other hand, you can find medical spas that offer traditional spa services as well as services that imply the possession of a specific medical practitioner license.
Challenges you might face
According to a study by Mc Kinsey, challenges in this industry are not only for normal spa brands but also for luxury brands. However, the market seems to be profitable for the spa and wellness industries. What is good about this business is the fact that it’s flexible and allows companies to design a unique experience for even the most demanding clients. Then you need to work on two concepts. The first one is the surprise factor and the second one is about being absolutely special. Never forget while you are starting this business that you will always have to deal with sophisticated consumers.
Therefore, it means that I will ask you for a lot of investment, both financial and physical involvement. However, since this market shows enormous potential and growing stability it is worth it. Regulations enshrined in this industry are quite strict and represent a significant challenge for international companies. Nonetheless, considering some special illegal cases, this industry is very regulated. However, it does not make life easier for mainstream spa operators and suppliers.
The spa business sector in China, even if it knows significant evolution, It still small and spas are disturbed by the bad reputation of some massage parlors So Chinese consumers might confuse that kind of massage center and real high-quality spa center.
Spa services requirements
Spa in China remains something a luxury activity that only privileged people can afford. Customer with high income is even more demanding. Because they want that people feel the difference in their social category, you have to treat them differently. Actually, they want something more special than traditional VIP services. One advantage in this industry is that you can always manage to propose something specialized that will fit perfectly the demands of the client. This is the reason why you need to pay attention to all single details such as location, the coherence of the spa concept, quality of products used in treatments, customization of the therapies offered, etc.
In other to fulfill the demands of these prestigious clients, you need to make sure that your staff has a high degree of professionalism and customer service must include perfect facilities. The time that your consumer will spend in the spa will have to be a synonym for a unique experience and high-level services especially conceived for them.
Concerning technical skills, most Chinese spa is able to offer a very good experience to Chinese consumers even though they miss a bit of sophistication regarding facilities and design. Another point is that they fail to deliver a great surrounding treatment from the start to the end of the spa experience. These two elements are often what is lacking in many domestic spas.
What strategy to adopt in order to be successful?
Before deciding to start a spa business in China, there are many things you need to consider. First, it is really important to do some deep research about the spa environment in China and also in different regions because China is a big country and they might be some differences between areas. Furthermore, it is important for both the leading local and top foreign, spa brands to provide guidance to the industry.
Baidu, Why not?
With over 82% of the Chinese market share, You should wonder why wouldn’t you choose Baidu. Baidu has a lot of competitors within China and Asia, but none of them can are as popular as Baidu. close to matching their reach.
Baidu is used by over 90% of Chinese internet users which represents around 700 million users. This is a huge potential audience for your product. Some Research has shown that Chinese consumers actually believe that any company able to pay to promote their products in Baidu must be reputable. With Baidu ads on over 600,000 Chinese web pages, the potential marketplace for new business is colossal.
Online advertising has by far the largest reach in China and many companies report great success from it when compared to returns from other forms of advertisement. The main asset of Baidu is that both, PC and Mobile users can access your ads which are growing year after year.
Branding is always the key
In China, your reputation and how famous is your brand really influence your success. It is always a question of perception and also about what people say about you in real life but also on social media. This is one of the reasons, you need to be careful about the image you reflect. Therefore, you need to think about the values behind your brand and the experience that your consumers will have in your spa. We can help you to build a solid plan, using different tools like Social Media, PR, the cosmetic platform to construct or deepen your notoriety.
E-reputation: You have to be “Clean”
The image of your brand is directly linked with your e-reputation. People will always check others ‘ opinions before going to your spa. If you are recommended by some magazine or famous people you have a higher chance to get more clients. The best ambassadors of your brand are obviously your client. However, you can hire KOL in order to promote your spa business. They can make promotions on some platforms such as Douyin. This one can be good support since the public is educated and has a high income. Thanks to KOL you will get more lead generation.
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