Chicago’s Premier Message Spa Generates More than $250K in Eight Months of Recession

May 26, 2009 (San Diego, CA) – In these tough times, many salons and spas are looking for new ways to generate revenue and keep the doors open. Urban Oasis, a premier massage spa in Chicago, was able to do more than that, bringing in more than $250,000 in new business through the sale of gift certificates online. Utilizing e-commerce technology provided by TheGiftCardCafe.com, the company has seen a 600+ percent return on its investment of less than $400 since September 2008.

“The technology is user-friendly which made it very easy to train my Front Desk staff and the reporting features make it easy for me to reconcile my reports,” said Geoffrey Gross, Manager of Urban Oasis Spa. “And my customers love it – they can purchase a gift certificate for a friend or loved one and instantly print it out or email it. I would recommend this to everyone in this industry - including my competitors in Chicago.”

Mr. Gross added, “We sell most of our gift certificates at the same times that we are fully booked in the spa. This service has enabled us to maintain a key revenue stream without any of the fulfillment time and resources required for processing a plastic card. Now we are free to spend that time on the customers in the spa.”

“It’s amazing how many salons and spas across the country have a website that lists their hours and services, but does very little other than that,” said Gregg Gottschling, co-founder of TheGiftCardCafe.com. “In economic times like these, we say, ‘waste not, want not.’ There is no reason that a website should be a cost center instead of a revenue driver. The fact of the matter is, research shows that one in five companies will grow during a recession, and those who find new ways to bring in sales will be better off than those who just try to survive. We’re happy to be helping our clients be the exception instead of the rule these days.”

TheGiftCardCafe.com is simple and easy to use for any small business with a website. From salons to spas, restaurants, boutiques and hotels, any retail company can offer gift certificates online with minimal time and investment. TheGiftCardCafe.com’s unique e-commerce technology can be set up in a matter of hours, and many companies see sales the same day their gift certificates are available online. Retailers make no upfront investment, paying either a small monthly subscription fee or a fixed pay-per-order fee on sales, which is a very small burden for any company.

Instant gift certificates that can be printed and used immediately or sent as a gift via email give small businesses a technological edge that they could not offer without the help of TheGiftCardCafe.com. Urban Oasis has seen a significant response to this technology, with close to 80 percent of all customers buying gift certificates online choosing the instant option. Clients can also offer to mail hard copies to their customers.

Urban Oasis Spa is at the forefront of a trend that is seeing independent retailers leverage new technologies to grow their brick and mortar business online through e-commerce.

About TheGiftCardCafe.com
TheGiftCardCafe.com was built on the idea that online commerce should be easy. By developing cutting edge automated e-commerce technology that can be used by independent retailers such as day spas, salons, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, and boutiques, the company has been able to offer revenue generating solutions with no upfront investment. For more information, visit www.TheGiftCardCafe.com.