Know Your Market and Find a Good Vendor

Knowing your market, what they will buy and how much, and how to find a good vendor are the keys to retail success.

While fitness is your primary business, a well-thought-out retail shop can enhance the experience for members. "The most important thing is to choose retail products that support the services you provide," says Kate Mearns, spa director of the Spa of Colonial Williamsburg, Va., and former president of the International Spa Association, Lexington, Ky. Whether it is equipment such as yoga mats, balls or bands, or spa products such as lotions and skincare products, retail products can lend credibility to your brand, and remind users about where they experienced it first. "Finding products that are unique to the property is so important," says Mearns. "They become a link that takes the guest back to their visit. When they spread that yoga mat out at home, they'll remember their experience."

Patty Ivey, owner of three Down Dog Yoga Studios in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, agrees. "Yoga is our largest source of income, and we base our retail on an extension of that experience in a way that the guest can bring it home with them," she says. Down Dog sells the music it uses, the incense the instructors burn, and yoga mats, props and clothing. "For us, it is about the whole [experience] - the education process," says Ivey. "It's not about the yoga poses, as much as how yoga plays into a person's life."

"We are fortunate that people know our name," says Lara Price, buyer for The Coop, the retail boutique at the Cooper Fitness Center at Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas. "We present such a great message of preventive medicine and wellness that we have always done well with our logo items. The Cooper name stands for wellness and health." It is a message and brand name that members want to take with them.

Log in to view the full article
Page 1 of 148
Next Page
AB Show 2025 in San Diego
AB Show is a solution-focused event for athletics, fitness, recreation and military professionals.
Nov. 5-8, 2025
Learn More
AB Show 2025
Buyer's Guide
Information on more than 3,000 companies, sorted by category. Listings are updated daily.
Learn More
Buyer's Guide