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SPN AUG 2011 HotTubs&SwimSpas
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
There’s one part of the hot tub market which is breaking records in 2011 with brands claiming significant growth. It’s the top end of the market where all the action is this year and we look at why luxury hot tubs including swim spas are so in demand
t might be dangerous to summarise but something unusual is happening at the top end of the UK’s hot tub market. Sales of hot tubs at the high end of the product ranges are booming. Consumers with money to spend and the desire for more and more luxury items for their homes are spending it on, amongst other things, expensive hot tubs. As a group they are prepared to analyse and carefully study the merits of different ranges, identify strengths and weaknesses, consider how
I
Jacuzzi’s new elite including
By Alan Lewis
they can seek out as much luxury as possible and then spend to buy a quality product. For brands such as Hydropool, Jacuzzi®, Catalina, HotSprings , Marquis and others it’s a noticeable shift in the market which has brought a smile to the faces of dealers and manufacturers alike. A number of brands at this end of the market have figures to back up the trend.
Catalina Spas say they have year on year sales up 31% of which a ‘significant’ part of the sales are what Stephen Crabb calls ‘top ticket items’.
exclusive J-LX collection has helped the company strengthen its top of the market position
Lloyd Burden from Hydropool Hot Tubs says their business has grown by 28% year on year. “We’ve seen growth for the last three years and while sales from entry level spas have been run of the mill it’s at the top end where there has been real and sustained activity.
“We are fortunate to have unique features on our tubs which make a difference. The self cleaning feature on the Hydropool tubs has been massive for us and has very often made the difference in a sale.”
Hydropool are still the only manufacturer to produce a self cleaning hot tub. A combination of dual pressurised filtration, surface skimmers, built in floor filters and automatic sanitation feeders ensure a very easy to maintain hot tub. Hydropool has always made the point that they see being able to tailor the hot tub very specifically to a customer’s needs as a key selling point. The company has also been successful in promoting self cleaning hot tubs that clean all of the water in the tub every 15 minutes. Lloyd said he thought the high end sales came from a consumer group which was not as financially cautious as others.
At the top end of the market, Hydropool have seen ‘real and sustained activity’ for their self cleaning hot tubs
“I think at the top end of the market it is about people who are not as cautious with money because they don’t need to be. It’s also about other luxury items as well such as high end audio systems such as Bang & Oulsfen who I know are also experiencing record sales. There are people
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