People rarely just leave a job. They leave the feeling of being unnoticed.
Every GM and spa director knows the two-part problem by heart: finding good people, and keeping them. The second one is quieter, harder to diagnose, and — according to the industry's own research — the one keeping leaders up at night this year.
What Does the 2026 ISPA U.S. Spa Industry Study Say About Staffing?
Staffing was named the single biggest challenge facing the spa industry by one in three respondents to the 2026 U.S. Spa Industry Study, the annual research commissioned by the International Spa Association (ISPA) and conducted by PwC. That concern spans recruiting, retention, training, scheduling, and payroll costs — not one isolated issue, but the whole employment lifecycle.
It's a notable finding inside an otherwise strong report. The same study recorded a record $23.5 billion in industry revenue for 2025, up 4.2% year over year, with spa visits nearly back to pre-2019 levels at 191 million. The business is growing. The workforce behind it is the part leaders are most worried about holding onto.
A separate industry survey adds weight to the concern from the other side of the equation: one in three spa practitioners have personally considered leaving the profession, citing wellbeing and physical exhaustion. Put the two findings together and the picture is clear — operators are worried about keeping people, and a meaningful share of practitioners are already weighing whether to go. Retention isn't a future risk. It's a current, two-sided conversation.
What Actually Keeps People? It's Rarely the Raise.
Compensation matters. So does scheduling, growth path, and recognition. But what keeps someone showing up, engaged, and proud of the work often comes down to something smaller and less discussed: how they feel the moment they arrive.
A uniform reaches an employee before anything else does. Before the guests. Before the shift begins. Before the schedule has decided what kind of day it will be. The uniform they put on says something about how the brand sees them — whether they were considered, or simply issued a size.
Retention isn't only built in performance reviews. Some of it is built quietly, in the mirror, each morning.
How Does a Uniform Program Support Retention Strategy?
A uniform program signals investment in a way policy documents can't. For directors evaluating where to spend limited retention budget, three things separate a program that supports retention from one that's merely functional:
Fit and quality that lasts a shift, not just a photo. Teams notice when garments are built for twelve hours on their feet, not built to look good in a catalog.
Consistency across a team, without erasing the individual. A uniform should read as "this team was outfitted with intention," not "this team was issued the same box."
A program, not a one-time order. Turnover means new hires arriving mid-quarter. A team collection that's easy to reorder into keeps the standard consistent without a procurement scramble every time someone starts.
None of this replaces fair pay or reasonable scheduling. But in an industry where it can take up to two years for a new hire to reach full productivity, anything that shortens the distance between "new hire" and "invested team member" earns its place in the retention conversation.
The Bottom Line for GMs and Directors
Retention strategy usually starts with compensation and scheduling — and it should. But the daily, physical experience of the job is part of the equation too. What a team wears is one of the few retention levers a GM or director controls directly, without waiting on a budget cycle or a corporate policy change.
Explore the Noel Asmar Uniform collections and Team Orders page — built for properties and practices outfitting teams small or large, with the consistency, durability, and quiet polish a team notices every morning.
PC: Eden Spa & Salon, Democratic Republic of the CongoFrequently Asked Questions
What did the 2026 ISPA U.S. Spa Industry Study find about staffing?
Staffing was named the single biggest challenge by one in three respondents to ISPA's 2026 study, commissioned with PwC — encompassing recruitment, retention, training, scheduling, and payroll. The finding stands out against an otherwise strong year for the industry, with revenue reaching a record $23.5 billion in 2025.
Staffing was named the single biggest challenge by one in three respondents to ISPA's 2026 study, commissioned with PwC — encompassing recruitment, retention, training, scheduling, and payroll. The finding stands out against an otherwise strong year for the industry, with revenue reaching a record $23.5 billion in 2025.
Does a uniform program actually affect employee retention?
While pay and scheduling remain the primary drivers, a well-fitted, consistently maintained uniform program signals investment and professionalism to staff, which supports engagement and pride in the role — both known contributors to retention.
What's the difference between a stocked uniform order and a Team Collection program?
Team Collections are designed for organizations outfitting ten or more employees, offering consistency across a team with an easy reorder path for new hires — without the lead time of a fully custom program.
Are spa and hospitality practitioners actually at risk of leaving the industry?
Separate industry survey data shows one in three spa practitioners have considered leaving the profession over wellbeing and burnout concerns. Paired with ISPA's operator-side staffing data, it points to retention being a live concern for both leadership and staff — not a one-sided management problem.
Sources:
International Spa Association (ISPA). 2026 U.S. Spa Industry Study, commissioned by ISPA and conducted by PwC, released July 22, 2026.experienceispa.com
Snishko, H. Therapist Wellbeing Report 2026. Conducted by Mind Body Touch Training and Massage4mentalhealth, published in association with The Power of Touch (TPOT), July 12, 2026. Based on 159 respondents across the spa, beauty, wellness, and therapeutic sectors.
