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STRESSFUL TIMES A BOOST FOR WELLNESS INDUSTRY WITH MORE SEEKING RELIEF FROM
ACHES AND PAINS


The massage industry in Singapore is humming along nicely. PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
Amanda Chai
Updated
Sep 25, 2020, 1:40 PM SGT
Published
Sep 24, 2020, 5:50 PM SGT
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https://str.sg/JBUE


SINGAPORE - It used to be an indulgence once or twice a month but lately, Ms
Susan Lim has been going for weekly massage sessions at a parlour in Ang Mo Kio
Central.

The frequent visits happened after the circuit breaker, when she found a
masseuse she trusts near her home in Ang Mo Kio. The $75 90-minute sessions
bring her monthly massage budget from $80 a month to around $300.

But it is still affordable, says the sales manager for an electronic components
company. Suffering from chronic back pains, she has spent the last few years
trying massages at various places.



The 45-year-old would also go for rub-downs in Malaysia, China, Bangkok and
Batam when on holiday.

"Now, I found a good masseuse - it's near my house and it works for me. I go
often because of convenience," says Ms Lim, who works from home more these days.

"I'll keep going until my body starts to feel better - or when my budget needs
to be cut down."




Despite, or perhaps because of, the pandemic, the massage industry here is
humming along nicely, after being badly hit when Covid-19 first surfaced in
Singapore. Wellness and beauty services, which were suspended during the circuit
breaker, have since resumed - although operators must observe safety guidelines.



Now with more facing aches and pains working from home, and with borders still
closed, many are turning to local operators to get their massage fix.

A check with several establishments shows that demand for wellness treatments is
slowly but steadily picking up, though not entirely back to pre-Covid levels.

While some of its former clients did not return after the circuit breaker, tuina
massage clinic Ji TCM Health and Wellness in Ang Mo Kio Central has new ones to
make up for it.



"Some of them used to go to Malaysia and Indonesia because it's more economical,
but now they can't," says the clinic's operator Ang Chong Peng.

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He has also had new customers tell him their posture working at home worsened as
they lack "the right tables and chairs".

Business, meanwhile, has been brisk at local massage operator Natureland.

Founded in 2012, the massage chain has seven outlets islandwide, and will open
its first premium outlet at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands in October.


Business has been brisk at local massage operator Natureland. PHOTO: COURTESY OF
NATURELAND

Managing director Fion Wu says: "During the circuit breaker, even though our
operations were halted, we still maintained our full staff strength and provided
training for them to get ready for the new norm. Thanks to our loyal customers
and good staff, our business has recovered after the circuit breaker."

At a beauty services industry event in August, Minister of State for Trade and
Industry Low Yen Ling pointed out that there remains a strong local demand for
beauty and wellness services here even during the pandemic.

Speaking at the launch of the Beauty Services Competency Framework (BSCF), which
aims to build a skilled workforce and ensure consistent service standards for
the industry, Ms Low said: "People still want to look good and feel great. In
fact, given the current travel restrictions, more people are having to look for
spa and beauty services locally."

CHANGING CONSUMER PREFERENCES

New trends impacting the beauty industry have emerged in this time.

Like with the retail and food industries, there has been a shift towards
embracing technology for wellness operators.

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Other trends include a growing consumer preference for flexibility and
convenience in services, personalised experiences, and higher expectations of
in-salon experiences, according to a press release from the Beauty Services
Alliance, which launched the BSCF.

Players have been quick to catch on. Two digital platforms - mobile massage app
Theraply and beauty booking portal Tropika Club - sprang up in the last seven
months to give consumers a more seamless experience when they want to get a
wellness fix.

In July, Natureland Care acquired medical aesthetics chain The DRx Group, which
offers a range of skin and body treatments.


In July, Natureland Care acquired medical aesthetics chain The DRx Group. PHOTO:
COURTESY OF THE DRX GROUP

The marriage of both brands paves the way for a new realm of aesthetics and
wellness. The Natureland Premium outlet at MBS will be the first to offer both
DRx facials and Natureland massage treatments.

A patron herself of DRx "since its early days", Ms Wu says: "Since 2018, we were
exploring the aesthetics business as a possible diversification that has synergy
within our group.

"In every crisis, there will be some interesting opportunities in the market.
Organic growth and expansion planning was possible for us because of our prudent
management during the good times."

Mr Frank Thong - CEO of The DRx Group - predicts that more in the industry will
follow suit.

Such mergers allow the entities involved to benefit from each other's customer
databases, as well as shared resources and joint-marketing exercises.

"One can expect to see more massage spas offering beauty services. The DRx Group
and Natureland naturally share many strategic and operational capabilities," he
says.

The DRx Group, founded 21 years ago, recently opened a new clinic in the East
Coast this month, one unit down from a Natureland branch.

This will help cater to consumers who prefer to travel less these days, to get
their grooming fix all at once, says Mr Thong, predicting "reduced shopping
frequency and a preference for trusted brands" as other significant changes in
post-Covid consumer behaviour.

"For us, being able to offer more at one encounter by two prominent name brands,
sets new standards that would ultimately benefit the local wellness and beauty
industry, and consumers."

CREATING THE 'GRAB OF MASSAGES' TO COMBAT ERRANT PROVIDERS

Mobile massages are no longer a novelty, but how would you like to book your
in-home treatment as easily as you order food delivery?

With her on-demand massage app Theraply, launched in February, founder Valerie
De Costa, 43, hopes to eventually become "the Grab of massages".


Madam Valerie De Costa hopes to eventually become "the Grab of massages". PHOTO:
COURTESY OF THERAPLY

The mother of three boys has been offering facial and massage services, mostly
to mothers, for 19 years at a brick-and-mortar establishment called Nouri Face &
Body Concepts in the Lavender area.

Over the years, she had toyed with the idea of rebranding, but it was the
preponderance of "errant practices" in the massage industry that finally pushed
her to do it.

Since 2011, she started noticing more new clients with the same complaints -
having overpaid at other parlours without seeing results and being pressured to
upgrade their packages.

"I observed that the market had opened up to less-than-capable freelance
therapists and (copycats)," she says. "Wellness spas were using aggressive and
dishonest tactics and forcing people to sign up for expensive packages that did
not produce results."

As consumers lost "trust" in the industry, this impacted her own business, she
adds. "Pushy salespeople made it harder to speak to clients and convince them on
what treatments they need. Customers looked at us with fear and lumped us
together with errant providers."

To address this, she began developing the app in 2018, wanting to create a
transparent platform where customers could book what they wanted with no risk of
being upsold. Users have a virtual wallet and calendar to manage their sessions,
and can browse available packages at their discretion.

While Theraply started out focusing on postpartum and prenatal massages, it is
branching out with more general treatments such as deep-tissue, Swedish and
aromatherapy massages. Prices range from $90 for a lactation massage to $110 for
a postnatal massage; deep-tissue massages are $98.


Theraply is branching out with more general treatments such as deep-tissue,
Swedish and aromatherapy massages. PHOTO: COURTESY OF THERAPLY

With no physical outlets, a therapist goes to the customer's home with a massage
bed, towels, and oils. "When you have brick and mortar, you transfer the cost to
customers," says Madam De Costa.

Besides looking out for customers, the former therapist hopes Theraply can
create a better working environment for massage therapists.

"Many often spend long hours at work and are pressured into hitting high sales
targets, having to bear their own transport and meal costs," she says, adding
that she has seen poor work-life balance take a toll on many a therapist's home
life.

"Most people don't respect the trade and are not willing to pay for it," adds
Madam De Costa, who employs around 15 locals and permanent residents.

Her staff can choose their work hours and are paid by the number of jobs they
take. They are ferried to assignments via the company van, which is deep-cleaned
every two hours.


Staff are ferried to assignments via the company van, which is deep-cleaned
every two hours. PHOTO: COURTESY OF THERAPLY

Launching just before the circuit breaker might have seemed like bad timing, but
Madam De Costa made the most of it, using the downtime to do online training
with her therapists.

The pandemic may have even helped business. Customers are "more open than
before" to having treatments done in the comfort of their homes.

Many also avoid visiting spas, she adds, to minimise the risk of catching
Covid-19.

"But when we go to their homes, it's more controlled. Clients know they can vet
the visitors they accept into their homes. They get to see us sanitising our
massage beds and keeping ourselves clean in front of them."

She plans to expand her team and will provide basic training to anyone who wants
to join, "especially Singaporeans looking to make a career switch or who just
got retrenched". New therapists must fulfil a minimum of 300 hours of training
before they can serve customers.

She hopes to see more in the industry pivot to offering mobile services.

"I feel our industry is lacking in the integration of tech. We hope to lead the
way for more companies to digitalise their business and come up with more
ethical practices."

ONE-STOP PORTAL BRINGS BEAUTY SERVICES ONLINE

For those itching to explore a wide variety of beauty services at a steal, newly
launched Tropika Club collates everything in one place.

The platform has more than 4,000 listings of beauty, wellness and fitness
offerings from a growing pool of more than 200 merchants. Services range from
massages and eyelash extensions to hairdressing and body waxing.


The platform has more than 4,000 listings of beauty, wellness and fitness
offerings from a growing pool of more than 200 merchants. PHOTO: COURTESY OF
TROPIKA CLUB

And at certain times of the day for certain providers, you can snag discounts of
up to 50 per cent off. For instance, a massage at Impression Beauty salon in
Stamford Road is half-price any time before 6pm.

If the concept sounds familiar, Tropika Club founder Louis Lye, 33, and his
partners are not afraid to admit where they found their inspiration.

"It originated from our use of restaurant reservation platform Eatigo," he says.
"We were impressed by the concept - for cafes and restaurants to fill up their
off-peak capacity by offering discounts. We figured this could also be applied
to the beauty, wellness and fitness industry."

The banker by training indulges in beauty and grooming packages frequently. Over
the years, he befriended salon owners and developed a better understanding of
the industry.

He saw an opportunity to plug a gap when beauty booking app Vaniday announced
its closure in November last year. Vaniday relaunched earlier this year.

It took six months to develop the Tropika Club portal and onboard merchants. The
platform launched officially at the end of July.

It was an opportune time to launch and help businesses given the current
climate, says Mr Lye, who works full-time as an agency development manager with
a financial and wealth planning firm.


Tropika Club founder Louis Lye saw an opportunity to plug a gap when beauty
booking app Vaniday announced its closure in November last year. Vaniday
relaunched earlier this year. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

"When Covid-19 happened, it disrupted many businesses. They wanted to embrace
digitalisation, but many were not sure how to list their services online.

"We realised that while they are aware of the market and consumers shifting
online, they do not understand intricacies such as SEO (search engine
optimisation) or backlinks. They weren't sure how to begin and were not ready to
invest large sums to establish an online presence," he adds.

The platform hence helps to list merchants' profiles and services online in one
place, with merchants free to set off-peak promotions. Tropika Club earns a
small booking fee when a customer successfully books and pays via the portal.

To ensure authenticity, all merchant listings are integrated with Google
Reviews, allowing potential customers to make informed decisions. The platform
also has the ability to search for services by location - a commonly requested
feature from early customers.

Since its launch, Tropika Club has crossed 1,000 sign-ups. It saw around 700
bookings within the first month, and the top merchant, beauty chain Wellaholic,
received 110 bookings with a total revenue of $19,000.

The discounts are a big draw. So far, nine in 10 customers book services with
off-peak discounts, says Mr Lye. "More customers are working from home and hence
are able to indulge in off-peak beauty and wellness services."

Eyelash salon Perky Lash, which is also listed on other beauty booking
platforms, has seen business improve by 15 per cent since getting onboard
Tropika Club.


Eyelash salon Perky Lash has seen business improve by 15 per cent since getting
onboard Tropika Club. PHOTO: COURTESY OF PERKY LASH

Half of its weekly bookings at its two outlets are for off-peak timings, which
are currently at 50 per cent off, says the brand's marketing executive Angelina
Foo.

"It has helped us gain more new bookings and reach out to new customers. The
platform is user-friendly, so we are able to set promotions on our own. It is
also more flexible, where customers can choose their preferred date and timing,"
she says.

There are plans to develop an app version of Tropika Club in the future.

"We recognise that beauty booking apps and portals have come and gone over the
years. What makes Tropika Club different is our focus on creating relationships
with merchants," says Mr Lye. "We support them with featured listings and
priority search features as well as articles, video content creation and social
media.

"It will take us some time to gain traction with Singaporeans. But we hope to
continue engaging both merchants and customers on a regular basis and grow our
user base on both counts."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Correction note: This article has been edited for accuracy.


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