Massage Studios Tap Into Recovery, Tech Trends
The Now
Benefiting from recovery’s rise, the massage business is booming.
- Booked by 25% of Mindbody users, massage was 2023’s most popular wellness service.
- Consumers spent $20.1B at spas in 2022, averaging $111 per visit, per ISPA.
- Employment for US massage therapists will rise 18% over the next decade.
A mainstay of retreats, hotels, and day spas, the massage industry is poised to grow as consumers prioritize preventative wellness.
Feel Good Inc. Traditionally a premium service, franchise concepts are making massage more accessible.
Taking a page from boutique fitness, brands are elevating the bodywork experience.
- Adding to 1K+ US outposts, Massage Envy introduced its first clinic-style concept with skincare and recovery tech last fall.
- Squeeze, an app-driven studio from Drybar’s founders, will count 20 sites by year’s end.
- Ritual-oriented, retreat-like boutique The NOW opened its 60th location this year.
All hands. Since Hyperice and Therabody introduced massage guns to the masses, gyms and wellness studios have adopted percussive tech. A step further, Equinox added Aescape’s robotic massage beds at 10 sites.
Elsewhere, Remedy Place debuted a $12K full-body massage device, while Myodetox uses massage as a physical therapy tool.
Looking ahead: As recovery, self-care, and holistic healing converge, massage is moving from extravagance to mainstream ritual.
