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Groupon Can Fill Your Med Spa. But Can It Build Your Business?
A packed appointment book means little if the clients never come back.
Ava Prescott
October 14, 2026
In partnership with
Welcome to another issue of the Glowelle Spark — Where ambitious spa owners learn how to turn beautiful businesses into beloved brands.
Every edition shares simple ideas to help you:
• attract higher-value clients
• build deeper loyalty
• create a spa people feel lucky to visit
Because the best spas don’t compete for attention.
They become destinations.
✨ In Today’s Issue We Dive Into... the real cost of Groupon for med spas, what research says about repeat clients, and how to turn first-time visitors into loyal VIPs.
Have you watched the 3-part video series Luxury Spa Growth yet?
Learn how top spas are turning one-time visits into lifetime VIPs by clicking here! 💌
The Groupon Numbers Every Spa Owner Should Know
Groupon has one big selling point.
It brings new people through the door.
But new clients and loyal clients are not the same thing.
Research from Rice University marketing professor Utpal Dholakia found some eye-opening results.
In a 2011 study of 324 businesses using daily-deal sites:
About 80% of deal users were new customers.
Only 19.9% returned to buy at full price.
55.5% of businesses said their promotions made money.
26.6% reported losing money.
These figures came from many types of businesses, not just med spas. And the research is older. Still, it shows a risk worth watching.
Groupon may be great at filling the first appointment.
But who fills the second?
That's where the real money lives.
💰 The $200 Facial That Pays Just $60
Here's where the math gets interesting.
Say a luxury med spa offers a $200 facial through Groupon.
The spa gives a 50% discount. Groupon takes an assumed 40% share of the $100 voucher price.
EXAMPLE: ONE GROUPON FACIAL
Regular facial price: $200
Groupon sale price: $100
Groupon's assumed share: −$40
Amount the spa receives: $60
Cost to provide the facial: −$45
💰 First-Visit Contribution: Just $15!
Illustrative figures, not Groupon's standard terms. Excludes fixed overhead and other costs.
That's $15 left before rent and other fixed costs.
The client enjoyed a $200 service. The spa kept $15 in contribution.
Champagne experience. Lemonade margins. 🍋
Now imagine that client never returns.
Was the $15 worth the time, the supplies, and the chance to serve a full-price guest?
Maybe, if the room would have sat empty.
Not so much if a loyal client was turned away.
What if AI made us prove we’re creative?
This year AI shook up creative strategy. Most teams are still working like it didn't.
Ari Murray, Chief Digital Officer at Salt and Stone sits down with Bryan Harvey, Head of Brand at Hightouch, for an honest conversation about what's breaking on creative teams right now, how the roles are changing, and what a day looks like when creatives spend it on ideas, concepts, and craft while agents handle the manual execution.
Leave with new insights from 3 experts in the field and 5 prompts to instantly improve your creative output.
What the Research Says About Retention
A separate 2010 Rice University study found a sharp gap between profitable and unprofitable daily-deal campaigns.
Who Came Back at Full Price?
Merchant-reported return rates from the 2010 Rice University daily-deal study. Not med-spa-specific.
0%10%20%30%40%Profitable dealsUnprofitable deals
The lesson?
The first sale gets the client in. The next sale helps make the campaign pay.
That does not mean all Groupon clients are bargain hunters.
Some may become great long-term clients.
But a med spa needs a plan to earn that second visit.
Without one, Groupon can become a revolving door of discounted treatments.
👑 The Luxury Brand Problem Nobody Talks About
Luxury is built on trust.
Clients pay more because they expect more.
More care. More skill. More peace of mind.
Now imagine a med spa that spent years building a premium brand suddenly offering treatments at 70% off.
Some buyers may see a great deal.
Others may wonder why the price is so low.
A 2018 study in Information Systems Research, based on nearly 20,000 Groupon deals, found that deeper discounts could actually hurt sales.
A low price can sometimes send the wrong signal.
Especially when buyers cannot judge quality before they book.
For a luxury med spa, price is part of the brand story.
A discount should never make clients question the care behind the treatment
The Glowelle Playbook: Turn First Visits Into Lasting Clients
Groupon does not have to be a bad choice.
But it should be a small part of a smart growth plan.
Here's a better way to use it.
Offer a limited number of deals for a service with room in the schedule and healthy margins.
Never cut corners on treatment quality.
Step 2: Make the first visit feel like a VIP visit
A discounted guest should still get a warm welcome, a thoughtful consultation, and great care.
The goal is to make the spa worth coming back to at full price.
Step 3: Follow up like a five-star brand
With the client's consent, send a short, personal email after the visit.
Thank them. Share helpful aftercare tips. Invite them to book the next suitable service.
No endless coupons required.
Step 4: Build a direct relationship
Give clients a reason to book through the spa itself.
That might be a tailored care plan, a thoughtful membership, or access to special client events.
The real perk is belonging, not another markdown.
Step 5: Track the money, not just the bookings
Measure:
How much each new client costs to acquire.
How many return at full price.
How much profit each client brings over 90 and 180 days.
How Groupon clients compare with referrals and other channels.
If the numbers don't work, change the offer or stop the campaign.
🥂 The Glowelle Lesson: Stop Renting Clients. Start Building Relationships.
Groupon can help fill an empty treatment room.
But it cannot replace a strong brand, great service, or a smart follow-up plan.
A luxury med spa does not need a flood of one-time bargain buyers.
It needs clients who trust the team, love the care, and choose to come back.
A full calendar is nice. A loyal client list is priceless.
And as the old saying goes, “All that glitters is not gold.”
The best growth may not come from the next big discount.
It may come from the client who already walked through the door.
🎥 Click HERE To Learn How To Tap Into Your Spa’s Goldmine – And Experience A New Way to Scale Faster
NEED HELP RIGHT NOW?
Here are three actionable steps you can take today to boost your profitability and maximize the potential of your existing customer base.
Order The Growth Accelerator Kit:
It's the science of transforming a first-time visitors into lifetime VIPs who book regularly, spend more, and refer others to your spa without being asked.
➡️ It's a proven system that works specifically for premium spas, even if you've tried "everything" before.
Keep Glowing
✨The Spark Crew