A Great Display Means a Great Pay Day!

The demand for swim spas has grown significantly, especially in the past five years. According to AQUA's 2024 State of the Industry survey, 71% of pool and spa retailers offering swim spas reported a growth in sales.

While many dealers are confident in the category, others still struggle with its niche nature — and some retailers hesitate to invest in the swim spa sector altogether.

It's clear that those looking to boost revenue or venture into the swim spa market should prioritize their displays, as they serve as invaluable sales tools that can drive new business. As such, we asked several leading pool and spa retailers to share their swim spa displays and delve into the strategies behind their presentation.

Photos courtesy Cristina Nikolov"Our swim spa display allows us to showcase its full potential to shoppers by letting them see all the accessories they can utilize with it," explains Julie Richard, vice president of Richard's Total Backyard Solutions (Houston, Texas). "If you don't show it, you don't sell it — that's our motto. We also offer the ability for shoppers to demo it with a test swim. We have water in our swim spa, an aqua bike, swim tether, water aerobic accessories, goggles, slippers, robes and more. We've made it feel like home for them, so they understand the importance of this amazing investment and product."

She notes it's also important to train your team on the product. "If you are ready to invest in a great product, do it, but make sure to fully train your team on it. If your team is not confident in showcasing it, then it will only serve as an expensive display on your floor."

This includes letting staff members demo and get the full experience of the swim spa by doing after-hour test swims and understanding how to use the accessories in the swim spa so they can properly show and explain it to the shopper. "This creates confidence in the sale and overall showroom experience," says Richard.

Photos courtesy Jen MartinOrange County Pools & Spas displays the whole Wellis swim spa lineup inside its showroom. "Some of these swim spas are in partial-skirt configuration, showing how they can be recessed into a deck or in the ground," says Jen Martin, social media coordinator and executive producer at Orange County Pools & Spas, located in New Windsor, N.Y.

"Showing the swim spa lineup has been crucial for our success. Many people haven't seen a swim spa in person and fully operational, but once they do, their interest level immediately increases." With that in mind, one of the company's swim spas is filled, powered and ready for wet testing. The company also showcases a number of accessories, including a Covana cover, which gives customers easy access to the spa.

"The swim spa sector is growing, and we anticipate sales to grow as costs of pools continue to increase," says Martin. "It is imperative for pool and spa dealers to put effort into their swim spa displays because it's difficult to sell a product that costs tens of thousands of dollars without showing it indoors."  

 Photos courtesy Gary McQuaide"My swim spa display is right in front of my showroom entrance," explains Gary McQuaide, president of Matley Swimming Pools and Spas in Pepperell, Mass. "I feel strongly that when someone comes into your showroom, you want to put your best foot forward. You only have one chance to make a great first impression."

Matley Swimming Pools and Spas sells both hot tubs and swimming pools. But when a customer can't quite fit a pool in their backyard, staff is directed to show them an alternative to pool ownership with more benefits — the swim spa. "Year-round swimming in our climate is a big plus," says McQuaide.

The company has been selling swim spas for quite a few years now. "With all the talk about plunge pools, the swim spa is a healthy competitor," says McQuaide, "and a LOT less construction time. Homeowners can enjoy their swim spa in a few days rather than after months of construction."

McQuaide encourages dealers to not be afraid to dive into the swim spa market. "Once you've made the commitment to selling swim spas, the traffic will come. Not everyone has the product in their offerings, so you will have a step up on your competitors. And if your competitor already has them, you should offer them, as well."

 Photos courtesy Dana Hyde"Our swim spa display is different from most because we have built a deck around it with a step in front," explains Dana Hyde, co-owner of CK Spas (Saint-Eustache, Quebec). "This allows customers to walk up to the swim spa and look down into it — rather than standing at roughly the same height and missing the whole view inside. This gives them a nice view of seating, of the water current when swim jets are on, and it allows us to better demonstrate the features of the product."

Consequently, its swim spa display allows CK Spas to give customers a better idea of how it could look in their own backyard. "The setup is more appealing than a standalone spa, and much more inviting," says Hyde. "Without going the extra mile to make the swim spa installation more appealing, you lose out on potential customers. Customers love the wow factor walking into the store."

Hyde believes swim spas are the future. "Depending on where you live, yards are getting smaller and restrictions on pool installations are increasing," she says. "Many customers cannot permit themselves to add an aboveground pool, for example, to their yard due to size and distance from property lines. A swim spa will often fit where a pool won't and, in colder climates, is great since it can be used year round versus only a few months."

What advice does she have for newcomers? "Do your research. I often read online that a swim spa is just a big hot tub. It's similar, but it's a very different product, in my opinion, and it's important to know the key differences between a spa and swim spa, and which will suit your customer. It's our job as salespeople to sell our customers what suits their needs and wants. So before getting into selling swim spas, make sure you've done your research on the product and know the product well. Swim spas have a bigger price tag, require more planning and, in my experience, customers will have more questions about them than a spa."