4 Ideas to Beat the Off-Season Revenue Slump When hot tub sales slow down are you ready? Whether your store has an off-season or not, these ideas can help you generate revenue. By Megan Kendrick A television never goes out of season. No matter what the weather does, people find a reason to sit and watch, wishing for a bigger screen, 3D capabilities or whatever the newest TV tech hype ...

Denver’s Hot Tub Retailers Sound Off on the Mile High Market For many industries and professions, New York City is the pinnacle, the “if you make it here, you can make it anywhere” place. But for the hot tub industry, that place may be Denver. The Mile High City is a market that many look at with envy and we explore why. By Sarah Protzman It’s no wonder that ...

Rotomold to the Rescue Over the past few years retailers have been trying to get their feet back on solid ground. Could rotomold hot tubs be the answer? By Rochelle Belsito The stormy economic climate has taken a toll on consumer markets, hot tubs included. During this time of economic downturn, consumers have tightened their budgets and reevaluated spending money on big-ticket items. ...

National Treasures In our third annual Retail Stars edition we have expanded to cover nine regions of North America. Each year we have the pleasure of featuring talented and enterprising hot tub retailers with the goal of passing on nuggets of knowledge that they have learned along the way. It is one of our favorite stories of the year and we hope that you look forward to it as well. By ...

Redemption School A company trip turns into a philanthropic adventure that means a new building for a Jamaican school. By Megan Kendrick The annual Master Spas dealer trip was a little different this year. While they still went to Jamaica to relax and have fun, the company brought along fewer people and the trip became about more than celebrating another year in business. After setting ...

Go Big or Go Home Home shows, fairs and sales – oh my! Off-site events are not for the faint of heart, but these days the sit-in-your-store-and-wait strategy could be far more perilous. by Megan Kendrick There was a time when you could plop 15 hot tubs on the side of the road and have them sold by the end of the day. And people did. In fact, there were several operations ...

New Connections, New Sales Pitching the benefits of a hot tub to local businesses and associations could land you qualified referrals. By Rochelle Belsito In business and in life it is important to remember that it is not about who you are, but whom you know. Connecting with others and maintaining the relationship could be vital to your success. It also can provide you opportunities ...

It Could Happen to You Taking home the lottery jackpot seems too good to be true, but it does happen and the first question everyone seems to ask is: “What are you going to do with the money?” One Roswell, N.M.-based couple that struck it rich chose to makeover their backyard with the help of a local hot tub retailer. By Rochelle Belsito The shock and elation that comes ...

Green Demand Chemical manufacturers are scrambling to meet the demand for green products, but without definitions or regulations, confusion persists. By Abraham Mahshie Ask a spa retailer, spa owner and chemical manufacturer what is meant by “green” or “natural” in water treatment and you are likely to get at least three different answers along with the disclaimer, ...

The Evolving and Revolving State of Customers and Customer Service For whatever reason the game has changed. Customers have changed and their expectations have changed, for better or for worse. And what is a hot tub retailer to do? Well, improve of course. By Megan Kendrick The hot tub industry gets a bad rap for customer service. Words like “orphan tubs” and “fly-by-night” ...

The Future is Here? Swim Spas are being hailed as the new industry superhero. By Megan Kendrick This isn’t the first SR article about swim spas and it won’t be the last. Without a doubt the category has grown – more and more manufacturers are now offering the large hot tub with a variety of various features. What has been interesting over the last year, ...

From the Ashes It has been a tough year for manufacturers, but none would dare say they’ve had a more challenging year than Sunbelt Spas of Houston, Texas. Before they could fix the 1.2 million dollars of roof damage Hurricane Ike did to their buildings, they burned to the ground. By Megan Kendrick Photography by Dan Mohr Robert Markiton had only been home for a few hours ...

Across the Pond With a recession in full swing and hot tubs firmly rooted in the luxury-goods category, you might expect the European market for the product to be in a desperate and near-terminal state. Yet manufacturers and distributors say there is still significant business to be had. By Stephen Delany Economic Hot Water You don’t have to be the most financially aware ...

Ozone Generators Demystified You know they’re good, but don’t know why. Learning exactly how an ozonator works will give you the upper-hand when selling its benefits to your customers. Research By Rebecca Foley and Rochelle Belsito Illustration by Michael Berrelleza For over 100 years ozone has acted as a sanitizer and germ killer; during that time it has grown ...

Keeping Trade Shows Viable in a Down Economy Attendees, Exhibitors and show organizers brainstorm ways to improve the trade shows. by Abraham Mahshie With the cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars range to attend, some of the largest spa manufacturers in the country are finding that exhibiting at the nation’s largest pool and spa trade show is the easiest line item ...

Preview Guide: 2009 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo With November just around the corner, it is time to give you a sneak peak of the Expo’s offerings and help you plan for one of the industry’s biggest weeks. Details Make all your arrangements prior to arriving in Las Vegas. From hotel reservations to setting up meetings with exhibitors, we’ve outlined all ...

Top 10 Service Calls With this service-oriented issue, we wanted to go over the top 10 service issues. Often this is dictated by the spa brand, the season or geographical location. During the winter you might get a ton of potential freeze ups, while in warmer climates it could be heat damage and with brands that use intricate circuitry boards communication issues could be the problem. ...

Passion in all phases of business.NEW RETAILERS, VETERAN SALESMEN, SINGLE STORES, MULTIPLE STORES, STORES THAT FOCUS ON SERVICE OR OWNERS WHO OPERATE LIKE THE ENERGIZER BUNNY – WHAT DO THEY ALL HAVE IN COMMON? THIS GROUP OF RETAILERS HAVE AN INCREDIBLE FERVOR FOR WHAT THEY DO. TO THEM, SELLING HOT TUBS IS NOT A MEANS TO AN END, BUT A PUBLIC SERVICE. BY MEGAN KENDRICK MULTIPLE LOCATIONS FITNESS ...

NO TIME OR MONEY TO TRAIN YOUR TEAM? MAKE THE MOST OF ‘TEACHABLE MOMENTS’ WITH SIX QUICK TIPS ON USING EVERYDAY SITUATIONS TO TRAIN YOUR EMPLOYEES. BY JOANNA BRANDI AS A CUSTOMER CARE TRAINER WHO WORKS WITH COMPANIES of all shapes and sizes, I’m well aware of the extreme caution most organizations are taking regarding purchases – especially when it comes to training their employees ...

DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME OR PRECIOUS MARKETING BUDGET ON ADS THAT AREN’T EFFECTIVE. YOU DON’T NEED TO HAVE A FANCY DEGREE TO DEVELOP A GOOD ADVERTISEMENT, JUST FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES TO SUCCESS. BY DAVID FREY NOBODY CAN GUARANTEE A WINNING PRINT AD. THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW IF IT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IS TO TEST IT. BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL ELEMENTS THAT YOU CAN INCORPORATE INTO YOUR AD TO GIVE ...

BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR MANUFACTURER THAT’S STRONG ENOUGH YOU COULD WEAR IT IN INK. WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH RYAN IT’S NOT EASY OUT THERE FOR THE UNCOMMITTED DEALER. MANUFACTURER REPS SEEM TO BEAT A PATH TO YOUR DOOR, FLASHING ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES, WHILE MAKING CLAIMS THAT THEY ARE THE BEST BRAND OUT THERE • YOU GET INVOLVED WITH ONE FOR A WHILE, ONLY TO LEARN THAT YOU WANT ...

Inventory is either a spa retailer’s bread and butter - or their worst nightmare. "Inventory is one of those things that can chew up huge amounts of resources for retailers," says James Keirstead, Director of Sales and Marketing for Canadian manufacturer Arctic Spas. Like any business, spa retailing is a financial balancing act. Overhead expenses that meet or exceed revenues equals a recipe ...

Service is becoming a more important component to many hot tub stores, regularly bringing in additional incremental revenue. Rob Carter, general manager of Premier Backyard in Tucson, Ariz., says their intense focus on service is one of the reasons why their business is doing so well. (Read more about the success of Premier Backyard on pg. 34) "We’ve increased our service department," Carter ...

For years, we’ve had two primary offerings: inground concrete spas and portable spas. You could dress them up or dress them down, but that was pretty much the whole shebang. Then a while back, in response to the demand for smaller pools and/or larger spas, the perfect-fit spa was born. Voila - instant success in certain markets! You could float, you could relax, but, alas, fitness fanatics were ...

THE ARGUMENT ISN’T NEW; IT’S BEEN TALKED ABOUT AT EVERY HOT TUB SHOW, CONFERENCE AND EXPO. But for some reason, it still hasn’t sunk in for some. To put it plainly: Accessories may not always carry a big price tag, but they definitely are big business. Not only that, they can create a life-long customer. TRUST THE NUMBERS The numbers don’t lie. Increasing each hot tub sale ...

CONFERENCE OVERVIEW Featuring 800 companies filling more than 2,650 exhibit booths, the International Pool & Spa Expo/Backyard Living Expo (IPSE/BLE) takes place November 28 through November 30 in Orlando, Florida. Billed as showcasing ‘innovations in industry,’ the Expo is spread over 265,000 net square feet of exhibition space inside Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. Arriving ...

5 REASONS YOU SHOULD ATTEND THE 2008 INTERNATIONAL POOL I SPA I PATIO EXPO It might not seem like a good time to be spending money on a trip to Vegas, but successful veteran dealers say that it is a valuable experience. But forget about networking and seeing new products, while both in themselves a good reason to attend, there are some other important things that can be gained from heading to Nevada. 1) ...

Since it was announced last year, questions have surrounded the Hot Tub Council’s initiative to increase consumer interest in spas. Recently, top spa manufacturers were given a glimpse into the Council’s effort to create a national ad campaign that will help overcome a three-year sales slump. The September meeting of the Hot Tub Council Strategic Planning Committee was designed to answer ...

It is mission critical to have a retailer's financial and legal health to have the correct insuracne coverages. Leanr the types of policies a retailer needs to carry to protect their employees, their business and themselves.

Learn how 'cloning yourself' will provide multiple benefits to your spa business.

Back in the 1980s, banks figured out that by placing smaller branches in grocery stores, they could create a win-win-win scenario for customers, host retailers and themselves. Shoppers could access banking services more easily, the store could attract increased traffic and the bank could extend its reach economically. Convenience, value and cost-efficiency. What’s not to love? Startup ...

What is the biggest threat to the hot tub industry? Is it the poor economy? Is it the lack of a united front and a national advertising program? Some say it is the failing housing market, high gas prices and freight costs. While the true answer is probably a combination of these things, what is often at the forefront of retailers’ minds is trying to compete with big box stores. When Wal-Mart ...

Gone are the days of record sales, easy financing and showrooms filled with an abundance of tubs. But with consumer demand stalled and financing options drying up, the spa industry is transforming itself into a leaner, more efficient business. So, also gone is the anxiety of guessing at inventory orders, accepting shipments you weren’t sure you could sell, and tying up large amounts of cash in ...

Our name is SpaRetailer. Our mission is to provide valuable information to hot tub retailers. And now we are introducing a section called "Outside the Industry?" It didn’t feel right at first, how would this serve you, a traditional hot tub retailer? But as we explored the idea and carefully watched the market and economy, the need for this special section became clear and you should understand why ...

Ever get an e-mail from a friend or colleague asking you to join LinkedIn , but didn’t know what it was or why they were asking you to join? Did you know that Facebook and MySpace are more than just websites that high school and college kids spend their time on? Have you ever heard of Twitter and Squidoo ? If these words or websites are not in your current marketing vocabulary, then you ...

CUSTOMER CHROMOSOMES . . . . . INFORMATION HIGHWAY In 1998, 87 percent of people researching a hot tub brand or retailer looked for that information in the Yellow Pages. By 2008, only 11 percent turned to the Yellow Pages. Within the span of ten years there was almost a direct reverse in how customers got hot tub related information. Today, 78 percent of potential hot tub buyers look to the Internet ...

What would happen if you put a large group of industry leaders, from all segments of the hot tub industry into a room and asked them these questions: where are we headed, how did we get here, what comes next and how can we help each other? If the market was great and sales were phenomenal you would hear responses that resembled advertisements. Chests would puff out and a round of who can one-up the ...