Shopping for spa supplies
This is our reader question for the next issue of ASCP Skin Deep magazine..."When it's time to go shopping for spa supplies, what are your favorite stores, biggest frustrations, or secrets for finding the best value?"
Please answer here and we will use some of the answers in the magazine!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Shelley Dodt on
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You can usually stock up on good specials at trade shows. Some companies require minimum orders but at trade shows you can buy what you want for the year.
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Permalink Reply by coldsalineplexus on
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The biggest frustration for me is having to order so many different things from so many different places to stay on top of my costs. There is no one supplier that can fully service my spa :(
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Well Universal Companies has a lot. Just order what you really need so you won't be stuck having to pay for things you cannot sell.
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I'm talking more about supplies used in the performance of treatments. I go through Sam's club online to get cases of Dynarex gloves, gauze pads, sani-wipes, dose cups, and table paper. I use a variety of small esthetics distributor websites for things like cotton, wax strips, etc. I run to Michael's to get the wooden sticks I like. Then to CVS for the lancets I like. Certain things from Massage Warehouse, particular callus softener from Art of Beauty, certain things that we have to go to the nail distributor for, sharps boxes are cheapest at Wal-Mart, and on and on and on. It is never-ending. I have an 11-page document for my manager who does the ordering about which supplies to order where. I know this is partially because my staff and I are VERY particular about our supplies (I will only use one brand of pellon strips, for example, and it's not the one carried by Universal or our local distro), but also because Universal and Armstrong (our local beauty distro) really seldom have the best prices, and it's tough to keep costs under control in this economy! If I grow the business to multiple locations, I will most likely have to create a separate buyer position. And this is not even counting products that we use in service, products we retail, or general supplies like cleaning and light bulbs and whatever else. Ours is an incredibly stuff-dependent field of work.
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Permalink Reply by Amy Sherman on
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Agreed!
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Permalink Reply by Denise Ivers on
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For items such as gloves, disposables, massage cream and lancets I use Terrybinnscatalog.com
Great prices, very friendly customer service and quick shipments. Better prices than Universal.
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BuyingAmerican has become impossible and directions to tools and some products are in such broken English that even I cannot understand it. I also have a hard time finding a skincare line that I even find decent.
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Permalink Reply by Samantha Maline on
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I agree with this. The only equipment I really want is made by Equipro. I don't mind paying the higher prices for much better performing equipment but their prices are through the roof because they're the only esthetic equipment supplier making products on this side of the world! They're still made in Canada but serviced through America. And they perform better and last longer by a huge margin compared to equipment made overseas.
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This really frustrates me! I bought an 8 in 1 in July. It scrapped out by September. The company I bought it from says to contact the manufacturer but the manufacturer is Korean and they don't have anybody who speaks English. I even tried to phone app and they hung up on me. 1000.00$ down the drain.
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Another frustration I have is our local beauty supply does not support their sales catalog. They run out, that's it. Too bad for you. They also will say thing like "I see your wax is on sale in the catalog but we don't ha v it on sale. Sorry"
I also don't have a reliable place to purchase spa equipment. There isn't a sales person for esthetics. We have one for hair but he knows nothing of my business.
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