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

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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.
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