Champneys closes underperforming high street day spas
Spa operator Champneys closed its day spa in Bath, UK, on 31 March after six years of trading. Its day spa in Brighton will also shut its doors on 22 April due to underperformance.
Owner, Stephen Purdew, explained the company will be focusing on developing its four destination spas and its six remaining day spas in Chichester, Enfield, Guildford, Milton Keynes, St Albans and Tunbridge Wells.
He added that the development of the company's online retailing is important for the brand’s growth, but the decision to reduce its portfolio of day spas – as part of a strategic business portfolio review – highlights the wider challenges facing day spa operators: “Like any other retail outlet on the high street, we're subject to the vagaries of the economy, changing customer demographics and local parking restrictions," he said.
“As a result – despite the best efforts of our expert staff over the last six years – unfortunately, these locations have not been as successful as we'd hoped.”
Nine staff have been made redundant at the Bath site. Customers who had booked pre-paid treatments have been refunded, however, while gift vouchers can be redeemed at any other Champneys spa, the closest alternative to the Bath spa is almost 80 miles (128.7km) away, in Chichester.
Champneys spa director Jo Parker concluded: “We have a robust programme of product launches planned as part of our partnership with Alliance Boots, which will enable us to introduce new body and skincare treatments for our destination spas and other day spas.”
In spite of the closure of two of its day spas, Champneys has out-performed day spa operator Sanctuary Spa, which rolled out branded day spas in Richmond, Cambridge and Bristol, UK, modelled on its iconic women-only spa in London's Covent Garden. The day spas closed in 2013, and the Covent Garden location will cease trading on 31 May this year after 36 years.
PZ Cussons, which owns The Sanctuary told Spa Business it intends to focus on retail sales of its Sanctuary Spa branded products, explaining that one of the factors in the decision to shut the Covent Garden spa is that more day spa guests are choosing to spa at home.
Catherine Ferma, Sanctuary Spa Director, said: “As the trend towards spa-ing at home is growing, our Sanctuary Spa product business is thriving. We're launching the Sanctuary Spa products in new markets globally.”
Ferma said that development of the product range will be a key focus for the brand moving forward.
www.champneys.com
www.sanctuary.com/en-gb
READ MORE:
Alliance Boots, owner of UK high street chemist chain Boots, is one of the partners in B&B Investment Partners, the company which acquired spa product house Aromatherapy Associates in February this year. Read more here: http://lei.sr?a=e9i7s
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
From flooding old shopping malls to revolutionising housing, MVRDV’s founders like to do things differently
Designing an eco hotel for the Galapagos Islands that allowed the stunning natural surroundings to take centre stage while minimising its impact on the land presented its own unique set of challenges, Ecuadorian architect Humberto Plaza tells Kathryn Hudson