Spa and pampering businesses thrive in spite of recession

Number of corporate clients down, but demand is expected to hold up

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By Anna-Riitta Sippola
     
      So far so good: the pampering business is still thriving in Finland, despite the economic downturn. Both beauty parlours and spas and wellness centres alike seem to continue to attract a commendable number of clients.
      But several such businesses have also taken note of the fact that these days companies no longer bring their corporate clients to receive the beautifying and relaxing treatments on offer as frequently as they once did.
     
"November and December were good, January is nice”, says Erja Lätti-Vehkaluoto, who manages the EL-Salonki beauty parlour in central Helsinki.
      But she, too, has observed a couple of changes: there are more last-minute cancellations than before, and corporate clients have all but completely dropped out of the mix.
      From last autumn Lätti-Vehkaluoto remembers an incident where a corporate client was supposed to bring a seven-strong group to the beauty parlour. At the last minute the order was cancelled: the entire group had been called into staff-management co-determination talks instead. Instead of pampering, they found their jobs in jeopardy.
     
In the beauty therapy and spa treatment fields there is little fear of recession, all the same.
      It may well be that a bulk of the branch's regular clientèle will not even be affected by it.
      The general notion is that if need be people will first give up large acquisitions and holidays abroad. “Taking care of oneself will continue though, as this is beneficial to everybody”, business spa manager Meeri Ferrer of Helsinki Day Spa reasons.
      “Cosmetics are even seen as refreshment for the mind. And that is something women will not give up easily”, Lätti-Vehkaluoto adds.
      “During rough times there is a clear demand for pampering”, agrees spa director Heleena Övermark-Lehto of Palace Kämp Day Spa.
      Övermark-Lehto was already in the business during the previous recession. The client figures dropped, but one managed by “tightening our belts”, she recalls. The biggest concerns at that time were the interest rates and foreign currency loans.
     
The water in the relaxation pool at Vantaa’s Flamingo Spa is 38 degrees Celsius.
      Brothers Markus and Mikael Marila are enjoying their Saturday afternoon in the pool.
      Neither one believes that the economic downturn might have an effect on their spa hobby. Markus Marila recalls that he visited various spas four times last year.
      Instead, he believes that generous corporate visits where everything is put on the company tab will become fewer.
      “Other than that there will surely be enough clients”, Marila says, and he moves on to the mineral water pool, where one can listen to music under water.
     
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 25.1.2009


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Heavy swing attracts people to Vantaa´s new Vegas on Fridays (9.12.2008)

Links:
  Flamingo website (in Finnish)
  Palace Kämp Day Spa
  Helsinki Day Spa

ANNA-RIITTA SIPPOLA / Helsingin Sanomat
anna-riitta.sippola@hs.fi