SpaBreaks.com: How marketplace discipline drives wellness ecommerce growth

Opening & Intro

Kailin Noivo: Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives.

Kailin Noivo: Joining us today, we have Marc-André Hade, all over from the UK. We’re really excited to have you on the show. Welcome, Marc-André.

Marc-André Hade: Thanks for inviting me — very happy to be here.

Career Journey

Kailin Noivo: Looks like you started in Montreal, worked with Canadian companies, then jumped to the UK. How did you end up as Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at SpaBreaks?

Marc-André Hade: I’m Chief Commercial Marketing Officer at SpaBreaks.com. I’ve been here over a year. Prior to that, two years at TheFork (a TripAdvisor business); before that, nine years across two divisions of eBay — two years at StubHub in London and six at Kijiji in Toronto. Before all that, I’m from Montreal and spent a few years at National Bank of Canada.

Marketplace Shift at SpaBreaks

Kailin Noivo: SpaBreaks moved from a call-center–driven business to a digital-first marketplace. How did that transition go and how did your marketplace experience apply?

Marc-André Hade: When I joined, the transition was already well underway — ~80% online then; now it’s 90%+. The fundamentals are the same as other marketplaces: balance supply and demand, drive disciplined growth, and watch unit economics — especially LTV:CAC. I always start by understanding the overall category and mapping a full-funnel view. It’s not brand vs performance; it’s how the funnel works together. Fix conversion first (no leaky buckets), then scale. And brand building is key — a genuine growth multiplier that improves lower-funnel ROAS and margin.

Value Proposition

Kailin Noivo: What’s the simple value prop for customers and partners?

Marc-André Hade: For consumers: (1) Discovery — 500+ spas, from destination to leisure, 4–5-star hotels; (2) Convenience — a one-stop shop for search, comparison, and easy booking; (3) Value — best deals, frequent discounts or added value, and our SpaBreaks Rewards loyalty program. For spas: incremental users and revenue, plus yield optimization via dynamic pricing and digital connectivity (API/channel manager) to help the industry modernize.

Why a Marketplace

Kailin Noivo: Why does this category really benefit from a two-sided marketplace?

Marc-André Hade: Many categories benefit from marketplaces when they add value on both sides. Here, we simplify discovery and make booking straightforward — historically it wasn’t. We’ve helped the spa category move from forms and phones to the web.

Growth Unlocks

Kailin Noivo: Growth has been strong in the last 12–18 months. What unlocked it?

Marc-André Hade: No single silver bullet — it’s disciplined execution. First, supply: availability, availability, availability — and the right packages. Second, aligning marketing and commercial: our “venue-funded sale” campaign runs three times a year — we invest upper-funnel while 25–35% of supply offers discounts/added value, pairing brand building with strong direct response. We more than doubled upper-funnel investment in 2025 vs 2024. Third, CRO — conversion is up 35% YoY. Fourth, connectivity — deeper API integrations with spa reservation systems and channel managers. Finally, team: the right people, promoted internally and hired externally, aligned on one vision and shared KPIs.

CAC, LTV & Defending Retention

Kailin Noivo: How do you handle the risk that customers book direct next time?

Marc-André Hade: We’re profitable on first acquisition — important in a low-frequency category. Then we defend repeat with value: the experience, breadth of choice, rich content and reviews, and our loyalty program. SpaBreaks Rewards is 7% cashback, geared to drive the crucial first-to-second booking. We’re seeing repeat rates improve year over year.

Staying Top of Mind in a Low-Frequency Category

Marc-André Hade: Always-on performance captures demand efficiently. We’re scaling the “mid-funnel always-on” using first-party data plus site non-converters, leaning into YouTube and Meta. Upper-funnel ideally stays always-on, budget permitting. Lifecycle marketing and loyalty handle retention. We also work to democratize the category — e.g., “spas under £100” — to counter the perception that spa days are only luxury.

Investing in the Supply Side

Kailin Noivo: Beyond revenue, how do you deliver value to spa partners?

Marc-André Hade: Incremental bookings are #1. We also invest to grow the overall category (brand leadership in UK wellness) and to digitalize operations via integrations. 2025 focused on the website; 2026 we’re exploring more partner tooling.

Accessibility & Inclusion

Marc-André Hade: We offer a broad pricing ladder from entry to premium. We champion body-positive messaging and inclusive programs — e.g., education and support for guests with cancer, and content on spa benefits for women going through menopause. On-site UX reflects this with inclusive tone and filters (such as “cancer-safe” indicators) to make finding the right spa simple.

Balancing Performance & Brand

Marc-André Hade: Put foundations in place: track blended CAC, have an LTV methodology, and speak finance’s language. Start with performance to capture demand, then add brand as you hit diminishing returns. We see brand lift improve lower-funnel efficiency — invest progressively, prove ROI, and keep the funnel unified across shared KPIs.

Macro Trends for 2025

Marc-André Hade: AI is the elephant in the room — SEO traffic shifts won’t be offset by traffic from chat platforms in the near term. The antidote is a stronger brand and reduced dependency on Google, paid and organic. Wellness is going mainstream, especially with younger cohorts — we’re watching that closely. And with economic uncertainty, value-conscious consumers expect clear, transparent pricing and frequent value-adds — marketplaces like ours need a steady mix of discounted or added-value packages.

Outro

Kailin Noivo: This has been a phenomenal episode — thanks for joining us.

Marc-André Hade: Thanks so much for your time.

Outro: The Ecommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives is brought to you by Noibu. To learn more and subscribe, visit noibu.com and find the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or anywhere you listen.