Swimming Pool and Spa Retailers
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 10,000 swimming pool and spa retailers in the US sell above ground pools, hot tubs, and related equipment, supplies, and merchandise. Other merchandise categories include backyard and patio furniture, grills, and saunas. Firms may also offer pool and hot tub maintenance, repair, construction, or renovation services.
Seasonal Demand
Demand for pool and spa supplies is highly seasonal and dependent on climate and weather conditions in a particular geographical area.
Energy Efficiency
Interest in cost savings and energy conservation has encouraged pool owners to investigate more efficient equipment.
Industry size & Structure
The average swimming pool and spa retailer employs 32 workers and generates about $500,000 in annual revenue.
- The swimming pool and spa retail industry generates approximately $5 billion in annual revenue. An estimated 4,500 retailers sell spas, according to PK Data. The swimming pool equipment and supply retail industry consists of an estimated 5,500 stores, although the degree of overlap between swimming pool and spa retailing is unknown.
- The industry is highly fragmented and dominated by independent operators and franchisees that operate within a limited geographical market.
- The pool and spa industry's installation base in the US consists of 5.5 million residential pools and 3.3 million above-the-ground pools, according to the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance. There are 7.3 million hot tubs, according to a study by Pool and Spa Marketing.
- About 60% of consumer spending in the pool industry is for maintenance and minor repair of existing swimming pools. The average in-ground pool owner spends $900 annually on chemicals, equipment, parts, and accessories needed for pool maintenance. The average revenue per transaction for pool supplies retailers is $171, per the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance.
- The top product categories by sales for pool supplies retailers include chemicals/salt/filter media (47.8%), equipment (21.2%), and parts and maintenance equipment (18%), according to the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance.
- Leslie's Poolmart is the largest retailer of pool supplies and has over 1,000 stores in the US. Pinch a Penny is the largest franchised pool and spa care company over 280 stores located primarily in the Southeast.
Industry Forecast
Swimming Pool and Spa Retailers Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Sep 30, 2024 - Sales, Employment Up
- Sales at miscellaneous store retailers, including swimming pool and spa retailers, increased 1% in June 2024 compared to a year ago and were down 5.3% from the previous month, according to the Census Bureau. Employment by other miscellaneous retailers rose 2.5% in July 2024 compared to a year ago, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Average wages for nonsupervisory employees at other miscellaneous retailers were flat in July 2024 year over year, reaching $21.81 per hour. Consumer spending, a key driver for the industry, has improved modestly, rising 2.6% in June 2024 compared to a year ago and up 0.2% from the previous month, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
- Consumer confidence levels increased in August 2024, according to data from The Conference Board. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index was 103.3 in August 2024 from 101.9 in July 2024. Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, noted that confidence was the highest among those over age 35 and those in the income category of over $100,000. Plans for large appliances and smart phone purchases rose on a six-month average basis. Plans to buy a home dropped to a 12-year low while plans for car purchases improved on a six-month average basis.
- Leslie’s Pool Supply announced plans to add 15 new stores to its footprint in 2024, according to Chain Store Age. The largest pool and spa supplies retailer in the US currently operates over 1,000 stores in the US. Seven of the new stores will be located in Texas with the other stores to be located in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, and Washington. According to David Caspers, Leslie’s chief stores officer, "We are thrilled to announce these 15 new stores, which are strategically located in areas where there are strong pool and spa care needs. Texas is a top market for Leslie's, and we are pleased to expand into more communities across the state this year.”
- Omnichannel options remain popular with retailers, with high adoption rates of buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) (78.3%) and in-store stock statuses (65.4%) by retail chains in the Top 1000, according to the 2024 Omnichannel Report from Digital Commerce 360. One option losing some overall traction is curbside pickup, which has fallen to 25.3% usage by the Top 1000 merchants compared to a high of 55.1% in 2021 during the pandemic. Curbside pickup remains a priority for grocery stores and office supplies merchants. Customers are adjusting their shopping habits to the new tools available. Registering as the most popular omnichannel activity, about 62% of consumers said they checked product availability at a nearby store online before making a purchase. Shoppable video on social media and streaming platforms was noted in the report as an increasingly common shopping option with implications for the largest online retailers and their retail media networks.
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