Fast fact: Despite a post-Covid slowdown, U.S. salons, spas, and medspas in the top quartile achieved double-digit revenue growth: 15% (Sept. 2024 – Aug. 2025). How do they do it?
Let’s find answers in Nikita Nain and Sampath Thodupunuri’s session at Innergize 2025, the Zenoti-hosted industry summit. This post recaps the key takeaways.
3 pillars for salon and spa revenue growth
To accelerate growth for your business, focus on three pillars:
1. Attract more guests
2. Encourage more visits
3. Increase spending per visit
The first pillar: Attract more guests
Welcoming new salon and spa clients doesn’t always require a large ad budget. Here are some more ideas:
Launch a referral program
Why not encourage your happiest clients to become your best advocates? For brands with a referral program, nearly 29% of new guests are acquired directly through it.
Pro tip: When a guest leaves a glowing review (4 or 5 stars), have Zenoti trigger a personalized referral code via email or SMS. This facilitates sharing and makes it easy for both the referrer and the referred guest to receive their rewards.
Implement Reserve with Google
With stats showing that 18% of new guests schedule appointments from Google, this integration is a must-have. It gives guests “an easy way to start their online booking process,” says Sampath.
Make it effortless for potential clients to book with your salon or spa the moment they find it online. When you enable “Reserve with Google” in Zenoti, a “Book Online” button appears in search results, removing friction from the customer journey.
Leverage gift cards
When a loyal client buys a gift card for a friend, they’re essentially introducing someone new to your brand. This is especially powerful for spas, where gifting an experience is common, but it works across all beauty and wellness verticals.
Sampath highlighted three reasons to love gift cards: they bring new customers, expand brand reach, and drive repeat visits when paired with promotions.
Use Zenoti’s digital and in-store gift card features to track, promote, and automate these offers especially around peak seasons.
The second pillar: Encourage more visits
After gaining a new guest, the goal is to have them book appointments regularly. Retention is about building loyalty and making your business their go-to.
Implement a digital waitlist
A full schedule is great, but what about the clients you have to turn away? An automated waitlist captures that demand. Instead of losing a booking, give clients a way to add themselves to a list. Zenoti texts the next person in line when a spot opens, giving them time to confirm.
“We’ve seen tremendous impact on busy salons or spas that have challenges with capacity,” says Sampath.
Offer series packages and bundles
By grouping a set of your most popular services, like six waxes or four facials, you lock in future visits. The payment up front secures guest commitment, making them less likely to visit a competitor. To make high-value packages more accessible, offer installment payment options.
Pro tip: Create bundles of commonly paired services (like a manicure and pedicure) to simplify the booking process and increase ticket size ahead of guest visits. Another example of bundling is service-product combos, such as a take-home essential oil following an aromatherapy massage.
Zenoti insight
Data shows Brazilians and brow waxes are often booked together. Consider bundling them to boost per-visit revenue.
The third pillar: Increase spending per visit
The final pillar focuses on enhancing the value of each appointment. It’s about truly understanding guests’ needs, delivering the results they seek, and exceeding their expectations.
Perfect the add-on upsell
Did you know add-ons can account for 15% of a beauty business’s revenue? Present those opportunities at multiple touchpoints:
1. Online booking
2. A pre-visit email sent after booking
3. The check-in kiosk
4. Service providers using their mobile app
5. Your AI Receptionist
The more channels you automate for add-ons, the higher your average ticket.
“Customers booking online tend to have higher average ticket sizes because they get to pick the add-ons – somebody else is not telling them.”
– Sampath Thodupunuri
Pro tip: Have your AI Receptionist configured to suggest additional services when guests call to book. Here’s how that might sound: “Your microneedling session is booked. Would you like to add a booster serum to enhance your results?”
Use real-time recommendations
When a guest regularly books the same service, the system can suggest a series package tailored just for them. For another guest, it might recommend a retail product that complements their service.
These personalized suggestions take the guesswork out of the equation, creating a 5-star experience for your guests and revenue opportunities for you.
Harness product sales at checkout
A guest who loves his beard trim will likely buy styling balm that lets him extend the results of his barbershop visit, as an example. Use Zenoti to prompt your front desk staff with product suggestions at checkout.
There you have it! Three pillars for revenue growth along with strategies for each.
A quick pulse check before you go: The average beauty business saw a 4% drop in revenue between September 2024 and August 2025. If you can relate, you now have a handful of ways to turn the tide.
Featured image: Zenoti product experts Nikita Nain and Sampath Thodupunuri presenting at Innergize 2025
