To create a solid roadmap to further success in 2026, Shiri Sarfati, Chief Marketing Officer of Repêchage and Guest Speaker NYC Influencer Liana Davydov, founder of LIDAV Beauty shared spa business insights in the Master Class, Success Starts with Smart Marketing. Here, we are providing key takeaways of this informational session packed with the latest statistics and information on client preferences and marketing insights to inspire and inform your spa business.

Are You a Glow-Getter?

As spa owners and estheticians, we are usually most concerned about getting our client skin to glow, but how do you become a successful business owner?  By being a glow-getter, says Shiri Sarfati.

The face of the spa-goer, your key market demographics, is always evolving. The most important factor to business success is becoming an authoritative expert in your field and knowing your markets.

For example, more and more men are coming to the spa for skin care health, to promote wellness and overall wellbeing. Research shows a 346% increase in men booking spa treatments since 2018. We are finding that this involves the younger generation of men, who are getting into better skin care habits with their partners. What are we doing to deliver this message this segment in the spa?

The really exciting news is that 54% of spa-goers have had a facial in the last 12 months (ISPA 2025). This is a growing segment over 50% mark and indicates a perfect opportunity for your facial business.

96% of active spa-goers have purchased an annual subscription (ISPA 2024).

How do we get clients in the door on a frequent basis, not just for birthdays or special occasions?

Spa or Salon Memberships: Sarfati and Davydov note that, especially with the younger generation, memberships are a viable way to entice loyalty.  Just as with gym memberships, this generation understands that they need to spend a little bit to save, and become return clients in order to not lose points.  This keeps clients on a three to four week regimen and creates loyalty.

Become the Expert: Fully educate yourself on natural and preventative ingredients and function. Young adults are well educated and tend to be more aware of what’s in the products they use, and about the long-term effects certain chemicals have on their health.

But while they are savvier, their education can be a little scattered, because the sources of this education may not be optimal. As licensed professionals, it’s really important that you become that expert to cut through the noise of what your clients hear on social media. Be educated on all the new treatments that are happening so that you can be above the fad and trends and really give them that expert advice.

Satisfy their needs, focus on the WOW!:

“Remember it is about the entire experience, not just the facial” says Lydia Sarfati.

Cleanliness: From the moment they walk through the spa door they are assessing the cleanliness and hygiene of the space, If it’s not clean, they are walking out the door.

Décor: How are your products presented? What does the receptionist sound like, how you are greeted? Shiri Sarfati noted, “Every time I visit Liana’s spa, she’s really taken care of that in terms of the customer service team, the people who greet the clients, that offer them a matcha or coffee,  or even a little champagne, whatever it is to satisfy their needs. And the look of the environment is always top notch and always clean, and that’s what is going to get your clients back in the door.”

From going to their homes, Davydov knew what her clients liked, and knew what was in their homes.  She replicated that at her spas so that when they came to her spa they felt like they were entering their own home. It felt elevated—exactly who her clientele is.

“You need to understand that if you are an existing spa, or the sole owner of just a room that you are renting, you can’t really create this entire vision sometimes, but I do strongly believe that you can find things that can create the energy and the ambiance,” says Davydov. “So whether it’s lighting a candle, music, to the blankets you use, our spa beds have heated blankets, we make sure that the room is really cozy and warm, that the lighting is right, that the music is right and just adding something as small as a picture or a little fixture from Amazon.  It is not always about spending a lot, it’s about creating an environment.  And I’m a strong believer in mirrors as well, because if there is a mirror, they are more willing to take a selfie, and then post it, and then that’s how you get “I’ve just had the best experience,” in whatever spa or esthetician I saw.”

Who is Your Client?

Number one, it’s important to fully understand your target client and then make sure you are customizing every single one of their needs and senses.

Baby Boomers (1946-1964) 70 million

Over 80% of all demographics are relying on word of mouth as their primary source of referrals, but Baby Boomers rely most heavily on this. This generation trusts their friends, associates, and colleagues to find out everything from the best places to eat in their area to where to get the best facials.

Boomers focus on value and not cost, so provide high value service and value added promotions vs. discounting promotions.

Education is key so make sure your staff is well-versed in ingredients features, and functions of the products. If you don’t know the immediate answer, follow up so they know you are of value to them.

This demographic goes to the spa to relax and enjoy the quiet so make sure your space is cozy, luxurious and quiet as described above.

To counteract the signs of aging, the demographic benefits from the Vita Cura® treatments and collection.

Gen X (1965-1980) 65 Million

This generation has the highest spending power, especially in wellness, treatments, retail and gift cards.

Their focus is going to be anti-aging and skin care. They value self-care and mental wellbeing, and they prefer proven methods over trendy fads.

Their loyalty is strong, so once you get this customer through your doors, and you convince them with incredible treatments and products, 67% of them are likely to stick with their spa and their treatment and service that they enjoyed with you.

Yet, they do like to keep it simple. The Repêchage Triple Peptide Collection is the perfect solution for this demographic, with a simple routine that shows results

Millennials (1980-1996) 74 Million

Millennials are the largest demographic in the population today. For them, keep it simple and mobile friendly.  It is within this group that we are seeing the rise in male spa-goers, making up nearly half the spa visitors (49%),

Creating customized services and products and focusing on holistic wellness that address both physical and mental well-being is key.

Millennials are also going to a spa to have fun. This is where collaborations with other venues or creating fun social wellness events within your spa to increase social experiences is key.

Gen Z (1997-2010): 70 Million 

Gen Z is the most mobile-dependent consumer. They do want a spa treatment for health and wellness reasons, and self-care is a priority, but they want to see results. They will take pictures after treatment—they want to post about it and show the results.

This generation is really blurring the lines between beauty and wellness, so they might want to see a facial incorporated into some form of mediation, or some anti-aging skin care. This is where experience driven events that are immersive, Instagramable and social can drive traffic to your business.  Combining facial treatments with workouts, yoga mediation and even cold plunges creates these immersive experiences for them.

And this generation is increasingly comfortable with spa subscriptions. Be sure to create a subscription program to capture this important demographic.

This demographic benefits from a wide range of skin care collections, based on their own skin’s individual needs, and can especially benefit from holistic, seaweed based skin care such as the Hydra Blue® Collection, as well as the brightening Biolight® Collection.

Gen Alpha (2010-2024) 50 Million

These are your tweens, also known as the Sephora kids.  53% can define what niacinamide is!

This upcoming generation has tremendous influence on family spending habits.  They are highly digitally exposed, making them savvy consumers who gravitate towards premium, desirable brands. We’re going to have the longest time with Gen Alpha. They will become your very key generation in the years to come. Be sure to market safe, age appropriate products to this group to suit their developing needs,

Their parents are seeking experiences for them that offer digital detox, to get them off their devices, which we know is causing extreme stress.

This is where creating Mommy and Me treatments really can really be beneficial. Repêchage introduced the Fusion Facials several years ago for just this reason, with age-appropriate ingredients suitable for 8 to 80 year olds.  The T-Zone Collection is also beneficial for this client.

Implementing the latest marketing strategies is key for business success in 2026. You can view the entire course here for further information and inspiration.  For more business building Master Classes go to lydiasarfati.com for courses on  How To Turn Your Salon Into A Profit Center and The Art of Recommendation.   

To learn Lydia Sarfati’s  own step-by-step method to creating and maintaining a successful business in an ever-changing world, read Success at Your Fingertips: How to Succeed in the Skin Care Business.

And be sure to follow Shiri Sarfati @shirisarfati and Liana Davydov @lidavbeauty.