Even the most effective products in the world won't raise your retail revenue if the packaging isn't user-friendly. There's nothing more frustrating to an esthetician than sincerely recommending an under-eye lotion, then having the client return it with the complaint that the lotion keeps gumming up around the flip-top or the pump couldn't pull up half of the bottle's contents. Lisa M. Starr, a Philadelphia-based consultant for Preston Wynne Success Systems, reminds spa owners to test the usability of products before adding them to their spa's retail offerings. She suggests you take home one each of the products you're considering and ask yourself the following questions:

• How does the product look on my countertop?
• Does it stay put, or knock over easily?
• Can I access the product easily from its container?
• Is the package properly labeled with all the info I need?
• Is the print legible?

• Is the opening of the container easy to keep clean?
• Is the package designed to help me minimize the risk of contamination?

Fortunately, beauty industry manufacturers have been working with packaging experts to address these common concerns. Some trends to watch for, according to Starr:

• Dispensing closures and more tamper-proof packages to ward off contamination
• Stable, non-slip and grasp-friendly packages for easier home use
• Large-type print for better legibility
• Scented caps to enable shoppers to smell the product before buying without accessing the actual product
• Secondary packaging for providing information, leaving the container inside nearly free of print and more esthetically pleasing

DAYSPAMAG.com

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