Heating up: winter is prime time for hot tub usage, but not hot tub sales. Here are 10 things you can do to heat up your winter hot tub sales - retailing

Pool & Spa News, Dec 19, 2001 by Thomas Clark

One of the three newsletters published by Olympic Hot Tub Co. each year hits the mail in November, says Cunningham. The winter publication not only reinforces the company's referral rewards, but also heavily touts the trade-in program for people looking to update or upgrade their spas.

At Mountain Hot Tub in Bozeman, Mont., "We really pound on building relationships with architects, builders and interior decorators," says salesroom manager Mario Maichel.

Mountain Hot Tub representatives make regular visits to builders' offices to touch base and deliver a "builder book" to be used as a reference when speaking to clients and drawing up plans. The book includes brochures, specification sheets and pre-delivery information, as well as company business cards. "We do everything we can to make the builder's job easier and not harder," says Maichel.

The company also offers special pricing for people in the construction industry. That markdown varies according to the model, says Maichel, "but it's a good price."

9 Stock up.

Because winter is hot tub season, it makes sense to have more spas to show. Anchor Aquatech isn't a large store, saysKelly, and it usually displays only two spas during summer. But during winter, they make room for one or two more display spas. One of the winter spas is the first thing customers see coming in the door. This is also the hot tub that gets dressed up during the holiday season.

10 Be ready to deliver.

"People procrastinate the decision to buy a hot tub," observes Lavenson. "But once they make that decision, they want it now." Unfortunately, if the spa has to be ordered, it can be difficult to install the spa quickly. "So we actually beef up our stock in winter," he says. "We have as many as 50 percent more in stock that we usually do in order to satisfy that demand."

Mountain Hot Tub goes out of its way to assure customers that the store will get their hot tubs up and running as quickly as possible, even if the buyer doesn't have a deck or patio already in place. "We tell them that our delivery guys will have shovels to clear the snow from their backyard and will put down railroad ties or whatever to create a temporary pad," Maichel says. "That allows them to get the hot tub they want even if they don't have a spot for it until April or May." (The store also will move the hot tub into a permanent space during the first six months at no charge.)

After all, "winter is the best time to have a hot tub," adds Maichel. "And we tell them that we'll make it happen."

RELATED ARTICLE: This year, more than ever

New England Spas and Sunrooms has continued to see a spike in business following the terrorist attacks, and expects that to continue through the winter.

Co-owner Peter Lavenson doesn't believe it's coincidental that on Sept. 12, his store in suburban Boston sold six hot tubs--an unusually high number for a Wednesday in September.

Boston was the originating city for the two airplanes that slammed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. People have canceled vacations because of anxiety about traveling and are using that money to buy something for the whole family.