www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
Pool&SpaIndustry DEC 2011 SPN
35
AFFINITY SPAS MAKE A BOLD MOVE
Andy and Rita Thompson’s decision to close their showroom reflects on the changing market for hot tub sales
LEFT: Hot tubs from the Catalina Spas range have worked really well for Affinity Spas who also stock products from Dimension One and Softub
customers knew very little about hot tubs. That’s not the case anymore. Almost everyone knows someone who has a hot tub or has been in one and there’s a big increase in the basic knowledge and understanding customers have when they approach us.”
A
ndy and Rita Thompson made a bold move with their popular Affinity Spas business a
few weeks ago.
It’s a decision which in the coming months might be copied or at least considered by other hot tub dealers throughout the country. The husband and wife team decided to close their Evesham hot tub showroom, a significant move as it was the UK’s largest showroom for the Catalina Spas, Dimension One Spas, and Softub products they sell.
Explains Andy: “We’ve noticed for some time now that the vast majority of our sales leads come through the internet and personal recommendation. It started to become clear this was happening in the summer of 2009 and we monitored it very closely throughout the whole of 2010.
“We just don’t need the showroom. It became very evident that we no longer needed to display models on the floor to sell them. Customers are very confident now about the internet and our own unique home visit service. They do their homework well, know what they want and can clearly see the quality of tubs we have for sale and lots of information about the different products and options.”
The decision to close the Affinity Spas showroom came earlier this summer. “I think the other thing which has changed significantly is that there was a time when
Andy and Rita have been supplying award winning advice on hot tubs in Evesham and the surrounding counties now for over a decade. Andy’s own involvement started on the hot tub servicing side back in 1999 and that was the basis of starting Affinity Spas which began in 2006 selling Dimension One and Softubs from the Evesham showroom before a second showroom opened in Stratford.
The Stratford site brought even more footfall to their flagship showroom in Evesham and therefore it made perfect business sense when they eventually decided to close the Stratford site. Also, the business was putting greater emphasis on servicing which had always been at the core of Affinity Spas’ work.
“We see ourselves as a servicing business,” says Andy. “Yes, we sell hot tubs and we will go on selling them but we have invested a lot of time and effort in building our name and reputation for servicing – where we run a nationwide service.”
The responsibilities’ with Affinity Spas are clearly defined – Rita runs the office and sales and Andy is on the road servicing. The business is a proud member of BISHTA and has been since 2005.
“BISHTA has always been very supportive” says Andy. “Membership of this trade association is important to us.”
Affinity Spas have always been strong supporters of the Dimension One range of hot tubs and Andy has been working with them since before he started Affinity.
“They are good quality, well made and reliable tubs,” adds Andy.
Affinity’s work with Dimension One has brought them a number of awards including for sales and customer support and for their work with the Dimension One swim spas range. Two years ago another significant move came for Andy and Rita when they took on the Catalina Spas range of hot tubs and swim spas. “We do sell the EuroSpa range from Catalina but a lot of our sales have come from the Catalina Premier MX ranges and swim spas. The Catalina range has worked really well for us. Again they are prime quality products and in our opinion are alot of spa for the money.” The third range which features in Affinity Spas business is the Softub which again Andy has known and worked with for many years and has won awards for, for outstanding sales. “We trade off our reputation which we have worked hard to establish. We want customers to know that once they own a hot tub or swim spa from Affinity Spas, they can enjoy it, safe in the knowledge we are a local industry award winning dealer and service agent with an after sales care service that won't be beaten,” adds Andy. spn
i FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
F AFFINITY GARDEN SPAS AND HOT TUBS ( 01386 442624 :
www.affinityspas.co.uk
“
...there was a time when customers
knew very little about hot tubs. That’s not the case anymore”
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