Commack Spa Hosts One-Day Sale to Fight Summer Slump

A Commack business owner has set the date for her fifth annual one-day sale in a creative effort to keep her business thriving this summer. 

in Commack will be hosting its fifth annual One-Day sale on massage and facial gift certificates on June 20. Besides offering clients a discount during difficult economic times, Marla Kaplan-Pelle, director of Hands On, said the sale is a creative idea aimed at making sure her business stays busy instead of facing a traditional summer slowdown. 

"Unless you're out on Long Island's Fire Island or the Hamptons, the summer months tend to be slower," Kaplan-Pelle said. "People have less pain than in the colder months and people are much busier with their kids." 

Kaplan-Pelle, a licensed massage therapist, said that for years she faced difficulty with her massage therapists leaving her and her business behind, to seek work on the beaches to make a paycheck. That was until a fellow massage therapist in Virginia offered a creative idea. 

In 2007, the Hands On director spoke with a fellow massage therapist in Virginia who recommended offering clients a one-day discount on gift certificates. The catch is, the gift certificates must be used by Oct. 15, 2012 or they will revert back to the face value paid.

"it made a lot of sense. I wasn't taking much of a risk, I could sell them, reduce my profits as my therapists still get paid the same, but I keep them here and busy," Kaplan-Pelle said. 

The first year Hands On Healthcare Massage Therapy offered the sale in 2007, Kaplan-Pelle said it was a clear success to helping her small business succeed in a tough economic environment. 

Recently, the spa owner and manager said they have noticed an interesting trend. Regular customers tend to buy multiple gift certificates for theirself, and they are seeing an increase in the number of male customers. 

"We have over 50 percent men here. The reason is we don't do the beauty, the girl stuff with flowers and things, we make men feel comfortable here," Kaplan-Pelle said. 

Also, the licensed massage therapist said she believes men are becoming more comfortable with the idea of having a facial, no longer justifying it by calling themselves a 'metrosexual.' 

The spa has been serving Commack customers since 2000, offering a varsity of pre- and post-natal massage, sports massage, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, manual lymph drainage, sports massage and more. 

On June 20, residents have the opportunity from 6 a.m to 9 p.m. to purchase a range of discounted massages and facial packages. All gift certificates must be purchased with cash and promotional value used by Oct. 20. There is a limit of six per person. 

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