State of the market: portable spas are becoming increasingly mainstream. Today's models are armed with state-of-the-art features for a changing clientele

Pool & Spa News, March 28, 2005 by Shabnam Mogharabi

Such high percentages are the result of the small size of the European portable spa market. Less than 10 percent of the spas made in the United States are sent to Europe, and the number of units sold annually is less than 100,000. In addition, no stand-alone spa centers exist in the country. Most spas are sold through garden and home-improvement stores.

Indeed, the road to success in Europe may not happen overnight, says Mike Dunn, vice president of sales and marketing at Watkins Manufacturing Corp., a manufacturer in Vista, Calif. "The product knowledge in Europe is where our industry was 25 years ago," he says. "It's so expensive to build a category; it's like pioneering a new business over there.

"Over the long term, the population of Europe suggests that it's going to be a good market," Dunn adds. "However, I still think there's more opportunity in the United States."--S.M.