Traditionally, the day spa was only for the very upper crust clientele. But now, even ultra-luxurious day spas are appealing more and more to the general public. This is because over the last three to four years, natural holistic wellness therapies have been embraced by the masses.
The day spa tenant works best in a higher-end shopping center that attracts a large number of female customers, so co-tenants such as beauty retailers, coffee and juice bars and women’s apparel are ideal. Most day spas offer membership options, which guarantees continued traffic to a retail center. The national day spa chains that are revving up their expansion goals include MassageLuXe, Spavia and Woodhouse Spa.
MassageLuXe is on track to open up to 25 new units in 2024, with that number bumping up to 70 new units per year for 2025 and 2026. Areas targeted for immediate growth include both Oklahoma and Nevada, the latter state of which will get its first ever unit this year. The luxury spa franchise will also continue to expand into key markets within Georgia, a state which was first penetrated in 2023, as well as Michigan, Indiana, Colorado, Tennessee, Texas and Arizona.
The real estate parameters for MassageLuXe are inline or end cap spaces in the 2,200- to 3,500-s.f. range, in growing affluent suburban regions within major metropolitan metros. Higher-end power centers, lifestyle centers, strip malls and grocery-anchored centers are targeted, as well as ground-floor spaces of mixed-use buildings. Preferred co-tenants include other health-oriented brands such as Clean Juice or F45 Training, and beauty service tenants such as Amazing Lash Studio. MassageLuXe offers multiple different therapeutic massages — including some on its revolutionary HydroLuxe dry water massage tables — as well as facials and waxing.
Spavia anticipates opening between 15 and 20 new units per year over the next 10 years. The spa franchise will be especially focused on targeting growth into the major metropolitan areas of Texas and Arizona. After these are established, Spavia will then fill in the untapped areas of highly populated metros where it already has a presence, especially in Chicago, Orlando, Fla., Cincinnati, Seattle, Boston, Los Angeles, Nashville, Tenn., and Philadelphia.
Spavia seeks units between 2,500 and 3,000 s.f. in lifestyle centers and neighborhood power centers in higher-end suburban towns. Co-tenants should include other nationally known wellness-health brands such as Crunch Fitness, as well as retailers women gravitate toward such as Ulta Beauty. The retail center should also have at least one major high-traffic anchor such as Hobby Lobby or Rite Aid. Spavia also wants to roll out a new prototype, to be called SWAY by Spavia, which will be slightly smaller, between 2,000 and 2,500 s.f., and positioned in more urban areas such as retail street-front sites and ground-floor spaces of mixed-use buildings. SWAY by Spavia hopes to attract a younger audience — in the 21- to 30-year-old range — by offering more affordable options such as quick-treatment facials and massages. Spavia, which also provides a retail store on the premises that sells various wellness products, offers massage therapy, facials and beauty treatments, such as spray tans or waxing.
Woodhouse Spa expects to open between eight and 15 new units per year over the next two years, and then hopefully see that number bump up considerably by 2026. The day spa brand was acquired in 2020 by Radiance Holdings, the same company that is currently overseeing the rapid expansion of its other acquired brand Sola Salons, which expects to open up to 70 new locations per year. Look for Woodhouse Spa’s franchise expansion to be targeted in all regions in Florida and Ohio, as well as top-tier markets such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Scottsdale, Ariz., Chicago and Boston.
The ideal location for Woodhouse Spa is an inline or end cap unit, between 4,500 and 6,000 s.f., in either a lifestyle center or a retail street-front space. The site can include the ground floor of a mixed-use luxury residence building or office building. Downtown urban and upscale suburban locations are both sought after. Co-tenants should include mid- to higher-end brands that female shoppers gravitate toward, including Lululemon, Sephora and Pottery Barn. Woodhouse Spa, which also sells skincare and bath products, is known for its wide range of luxury spa treatments including massage therapy, sleep therapy, waxing and manicures/pedicures, as well as such specialty services as a meditative mineral bath.
