The Booming Market for Massage & Facials

The market for massage & spa services is surprisingly huge… and growing.

You may be surprised (as I was) that despite these tough economic times the demand is booming… and strong, continued growth is projected.  No longer considered a luxury reserved for the affluent or the splurging vacationer, massage and related spa services have gone mainstream.

According to industry statistics provided in Discovery Day (and which I independently verified), massage is now a $12 billion industry, and has experienced a 15% compound annual growth rate over the past three years.  An estimated 24% of all US adults had a massage in the past year. 32 million active spa-goers made 138 million spa visits last year alone

Fueling industry growth is the use of massage for health and wellness reasons, in addition to enjoyment alone.  According to industry sources, 85% of consumers believe massage is beneficial to health and wellness.  Of the people who had at least one massage in the last five years, 31 percent report they did so for health conditions such as pain management, injury rehabilitation, migraine control, or overall wellness.

According to a recent survey,  13% of adult Americans reported discussing massage therapy with their doctors or healthcare providers. Of those 13%, more than half (57%) said their doctor strongly recommended or encouraged it.  More than half of massage therapists (69%) receive referrals from healthcare professionals. Almost one-fourth of adult Americans say they’ve used massage therapy at least one time for pain relief.

According to statistics cited at  Hand & Stone’s Discovery Day presentation,  as long as your physician prescribes it, 74% of HMOs are now reimbursing their members for massages.

The market for Hand & Stone Massage & Facial Spa also includes skin care, which has an even more compelling story.  The skin care industry achieved $18.7 billion in revenue in 2007 and is projected to grow 40% by 2012.

Sources: American Spa Industry Insider, August 2009; Massage Magazine Buyer’s Guide 2009 – AMTA Study; Spa Finder Survey 2009; 2009 U.S. ISPA Industry Update