Express service is the new wellness and health trend

The concept of Express Service has been introduced for those in a hurry to meet daily deadlines of home and office.  Even these services has been expanded to serve ‘luxurious add-ons’.

After understanding the consumers’ need of getting desired results, that too in a shorter span of time, wellness brands have introduced the concept of Express Services with some innovative products at-use in wellness space, which caters to the time-strapped buyer.

The idea of ‘Express Service’ has become increasingly ingrained in conventional notions of what constitutes a monthly grooming, complementing existing scientific and medical approaches to health.

Based on the lines of global wellness industry trends, India’s wellness biggies have also introduced express services in salons, spas and healthcare units, to trade-off time.

Beauty & spa services

To bring down the time of 30 minutes pedicure/manicure to a quick 10 minutes effective service, Indian beauty salons are offering customised grooming packages for the busy lot. Big salons like Lakmé are whipping on new express services that significantly cut down the time required for a certain grooming procedure.

Commenting on the same, Pushkaraj Shenai, CEO, Lakmé Lever said, “Time is the new currency. Today, customers are looking for innovative services that give desired results and a great experience in lesser time. Our portfolio of services at Lakmé Salon is reflective of this change in consumer needs, wherein we offer hair and beauty solutions that give substantial outcome in relatively lesser time.” Salon brands have also introduced 10 minute hair colour option along with couple of more quick facial choices.

On-the-go therapy

Not only salons, but some spas have also come up with express therapy options by installing a seated massage chair for neck, shoulder and scalp therapy, incorporating the stress-fix aroma clinically proven to relieve stress.

Some corporate and airport spas have also introduced quick spa menu, encouraging add-on sales, while helping penny-pinching clients to treat themselves with cost-effective therapies and treatments in one go. These spas menus have also included additional minute charges for those who can afford to increase the massage time and are willing to pay for it. The trend is a hit among Corporate and Airport spas across India as busy consumers prefer to utilise time massage chair and get going with their meetings and travel plans.

“The rushed and time-pressed lifestyle that corporate professionals are leading today, has led to a demand for on-the-go and convenient therapies. Being into marketing, I often travel and to beat the exhausting travelling schedules, I often take express therapies at airport spas which give me enough space to beat the stress,” shared Prithvijeet Ghosh, Zonal Marketing Manager, DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance.

Walk-in Centres (WICs) in healthcare
Addressing the issues pertaining to a number of tailor-made services that take healthcare beyond the confines of a hospital or a clinic, walk-in healthcare centres have created a buzz in the market. This newly introduced concept in healthcare space caters to the need of those individuals who lacked the requisite support when grappling with chronic health issues.

Lifespan, a chain of clinics that specialises in managing diabetes and cardiometabolic disorders is the best-suited example for the trend which monitors day-to-day diabetics or patients requiring dialysis to making travel easier and hence, transforming health care.

The WICs are usually managed by a nurse and are available to everyone. Patients do not need an appointment. Most centres are open 365 days a year and beyond office hours.

Online express entry to Indian market
Not just limited to salons, spas and healthcare centres, Express Service is the new term defining quick and seamless entry of international brands’ new range in Indian beauty palate. To explain further, big cosmetics brands like L’Oréal Paris introduced some exclusive product range in Indian market through online retail and see the market demand of the products, seeing the positive response of the same, these brands have introduced these products into the Indian market. 

The perfect recipe for an Express Service in wellness space yields a desirable benefit. Wellness owners, who quickly realised these expedited services, are optimal profit-drivers. Just as a nail polish or a headband displayed at the counter encourages an impulse buy from clients checking out, an express service triggers a nod to an add-on recommendation.