Spa trends 2026: 6 data-backed trends driving revenue growth in 2026

At a glance:

• Non-membership spas grew location count 13% in 2025, one of the strongest expansion rates in the industry, with same-store revenue and cancellation rates both improving
• Membership spas saw same-store revenue drop from 5% to 2%, the largest same-store decline of any vertical in the dataset
• Membership spas saw existing guest visits decline 2% and new guest visits fall 11%; for non-membership spas, new guest visits fell 8% while existing guest visits grew 3%
• Among spas where guests were rebooked once, 23% of those appointments were later cancelled
• Spas using Zenoti's AI Concierge (HyperConnect) achieved 3 to 4% sales growth versus approximately 2% for non-users

About the two spa segments in this report

Not all spas are the same, and the benchmarks in this article reflect that. The 2026 Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Report tracks two distinct spa segments:

Membership spas generate at least 30% of their revenue from memberships. Their business model is built around recurring loyalty — members who visit regularly and pay on a predictable schedule.

Non-membership spas operate primarily on a per-visit basis. They're growing quickly by location count and are increasingly attracting operator and investor confidence.

Where the data applies to both, we say "spas." Where it differs meaningfully between the two, we call each out separately.

With that context in mind, here's what 2025 looked like for both.

Spas are navigating a challenging moment. New guest visits are falling across both segments, and at membership spas, even existing guests are visiting less often.

Non-membership spas are expanding actively and improving on key metrics. The spas outperforming right now aren't waiting for acquisition to recover. Here's what the data from Zenoti's 2026 Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Report shows, and what it means for your spa.

1. Guest visits are declining , and for membership spas, that's the most important number to watch

New guest visits fell 11% for membership spas and 8% for non-membership spas in 2025. Neither figure is surprising given the industry-wide pattern — new guest acquisition declined across all eight verticals tracked in the report. However, the spa story has an additional layer.

Membership spas are also seeing existing guest visits decline by 2%, putting them alongside medical spas as the only verticals where returning guests are coming in less often, not just new ones. For non-membership spas, existing guest visits grew 3%, a positive result in a year when existing guest growth was under pressure for some verticals.

Source: Zenoti 2026 Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Report

For membership spas, the existing guest decline is the more urgent signal. A membership model depends on members visiting consistently. When existing guest visits decline in a segment built around recurring loyalty, the program itself deserves a closer look.

What to do about it:

• Look at your lapsed client list. Any guest who hasn't visited in 60 to 90 days is worth a direct, personalized outreach before they disengage entirely.
• For membership spas specifically: Track member visit frequency separately from non-members. If members aren't visiting more often than non-members, the program needs attention.
• Build between-visit outreach into your standard operations — check-ins, treatment follow-ups, and personalized recommendations all give guests a reason to come back sooner.

2. Membership spas: The infrastructure is in place, but it needs active management

Membership spas posted the largest same-store revenue decline of any vertical in the dataset in 2025, dropping from 5% growth in 2024 to 2%. That's a 3-percentage-point fall in a single year, and for a segment defined by recurring revenue, it's a signal worth taking seriously.

Source: Zenoti 2026 Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Report

Membership sales themselves grew 7% year over year, which isn't a bad number in isolation — but it's the lowest membership growth rate of any vertical except waxing centers, and it's coming alongside declining visit frequency from existing members.

The picture that emerges is of a segment where the structural advantages of membership are real but not automatic. Having members isn't the same as having engaged members. A client who signed up for a membership and isn't visiting is generating recurring billing in the short term but is at serious risk of lapsing. Re-engagement before lapse is significantly cheaper than re-acquisition after it.

What to do about it:

• Set up automated triggers that flag members who haven't booked within their expected visit window, before they reach a cancellation decision.
• Look at whether your membership is still delivering enough value to keep members motivated to visit. Refreshed offerings, exclusive perks, or proactive outreach between visits can all strengthen the case.
• If cancellations are rising, talk to members before they leave, rather than after. Proactive outreach could save a reacquisition campaign down the line.

Zenoti's membership tools help spas manage, engage, and retain members from sign-up through renewal. Learn more.

3. Non-membership spas: Strong expansion, but competition is coming

Non-membership spas had one of the standout stories in the 2025 dataset. Location count grew 13%, same-store revenue improved from 2% to 3%, and cancellation rates dropped from 11% to 9%. Those three metrics moving in the right direction simultaneously is a meaningful signal.

Source: Zenoti 2026 Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Report

However, 13% location count growth cuts both ways. It reflects operators and investors betting on the model, and it means more competition is entering the market than the year before. Non-membership spa operators who are already established in their markets are now facing more new entrants to compete with.

The question for existing non-membership spa operators isn't whether the category is growing. It's whether your location is positioned to hold its ground as more competitors open nearby.

What to do about it:

• Review your retention metrics now. Existing guest visit growth of 3% is a positive signal. Understand what's driving it and make sure those practices are consistent across your team.
• Consider whether a membership or package offering could add a retention layer to your business model, even if memberships aren't your primary revenue stream.
• Track your online booking rate against the benchmarks in this report. Operators who make booking frictionless are better positioned to hold clients when new options appear nearby.

4. Watch out for the rebooking trap

Spas have lower first-rebook cancellation rates than salon businesses, but the pattern still costs real revenue.

Among spas where clients were rebooked once, 23% of those appointments were later cancelled. Among those not rebooked at all, 9% cancelled. The first rebook is the highest-risk moment. Once a guest completes a second rebooked visit, cancellation drops to just 2%.

Source: Zenoti 2026 Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Report

What's notable about the spa data is that the majority of bookings — 69% — are not rebooked at checkout at all. That means most spa clients leave without a future appointment scheduled, which puts the entire retention burden on outreach and marketing rather than on the scheduling process itself.

Getting that first rebook confirmed, and then following through with a confirmation workflow, is a practical place to focus retention efforts.

What to do about it:

• Make rebooking part of your standard checkout process. The majority of spa clients currently leave without one.
• Send automated reminders before every rebooked appointment, with an easy option to reschedule rather than cancel.
• Require deposits for higher-ticket services to reduce low-commitment cancellations.

5. Technology is creating a measurable gap between spas

Spas using Zenoti's AI Concierge (HyperConnect) achieved 3 to 4% sales growth in 2025 versus approximately 2% for non-users — a 1 to 2 percentage point advantage. That's a smaller gap than medspas or salon businesses show, but it's consistent and it's growing.

Source: Zenoti 2026 Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Report

Across the industry, locations with high technology adoption had nearly three times the share of new clients compared to low-adoption locations — 27% versus 10%. In a year when new guest acquisition is declining across every vertical,that's a meaningful differentiator. The pattern holds directionally for spa businesses, where the gap between adopters and non-adopters is already showing up in the revenue numbers.

The practical impact for spas is less about sophisticated features and more about not missing clients when your front desk is busy. When someone calls to book and no one picks up, they don't always call back. An AI-powered booking tool answers immediately, 24/7, and converts that intent into a confirmed appointment.

What to do about it:

• Check the percentage of your appointments currently booked online. If you're below the median for your segment (27 to 29% depending on spa type), online booking is one of the most actionable places to start.
• Enable after-hours booking if you haven't already. Clients who can't reach you in the moment don't always call back.
• If your front desk regularly misses calls during busy periods, an AI booking tool helps ensure those calls convert to appointments.

Zenoti's AI Concierge (HyperConnect) is built for the way spas operate — from booking to client communication. Explore Zenoti for spas.

“The businesses pulling ahead right now are the ones turning one-time visitors into regulars: through memberships that keep clients coming back, digital tools that deepen every guest relationship, and experiences worth repeating.
- Sudheer Koneru, CEO and Co-Founder, Zenoti”

6. Utilization is one of the most actionable levers in the dataset

The gap between top-performing spas and the median on staff utilization is significant, and it's an area where spa operators have real room to improve.

Source: Zenoti 2026 Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Report

Two things stand out. First, the membership spa median dropped from 64% to 42% year over year. That's a 22-point decline that’s consistent with the broader picture of declining visit frequency in that segment. Second, non-membership spas show a wider spread between top performers (76%) and the median (47%) , suggesting meaningful variation in how operators in that segment are filling their schedules.

Utilization fell across most verticals in 2025, consistent with declining new guest visits industry-wide. For spas, where revenue scales with treatment room fill rates, utilization becomes one of the most direct levers available. Better booking tools, waitlist automation, and smarter scheduling all help fill gaps as they appear.

What to do about it:

• If you're below 50% utilization, filling the schedule is the priority. Waitlist automation fills last-minute gaps; AI booking tools capture demand outside business hours.
• Look at utilization by therapist or treatment room, not just as a location average. Gaps between your busiest and least-used capacity are worth examining individually.
• For membership spas specifically: Declining utilization alongside declining member visit frequency suggests the two problems are connected. Re-engagement outreach and membership value improvements address both simultaneously.

What this all adds up to

The two spa segments are at different points in their stories right now. Non-membership spas are expanding with strengthening fundamentals — the challenge is holding ground as competition increases. Membership spas are navigating a more difficult moment, with visit frequency and same-store revenue both moving in the wrong direction despite having a loyalty infrastructure in place.

What both segments share is the same set of levers: keeping existing guests engaged and coming back more often, making the most of every booking opportunity, and ensuring that rebooked appointmentsactually happen . The benchmarks in the full 2026 Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Report give you exact numbers to compare against for your segment.

Find your gap and close it. That's the story behind every spa that outperformed last year.

See how your spa compares

The 2026 Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Report includes spa benchmarks across revenue per location, average ticket size, staff utilization, online booking rate, and more — with top 10%, 75th percentile, and median figures for both membership and non-membership spas.

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