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SPN AUG 2012 InMyView


www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk ‘BUSINESS AS USUAL’ NO LONGER EXISTS


Patrick Thorpe, has been Chairman of Certikin International for seven years and is one of the most experienced and respected voices in the specialist trade. He joined the company in 1972, was promoted to managing director in 1988 and has held a raft of senior positions within the industry’s trade associations


ne question I am asked time and again by customers, competitors and even family members is how I see the UK pool market today and how it is surviving in this current market downturn. At Certikin, we are in the fortunate position of getting a good feel for market activity by monitoring our sales of ‘white goods’ (skimmers/ lights/ main drains, etc). What we can extrapolate from these figures is that new in-ground pool builds have dropped from an average healthy 5,000 per year to a little over 1,000. The bulk of this is in the liner pool market where sales have dwindled markedly.


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What has the traditional pool builder been doing to maintain their businesses? Diversify. Most significantly, there has been an increase in the number of refurbishments. We live in an increasingly environmentally conscious world and this has been a Godsend. Green is the colour of the day and ‘green’ products provide a perfect platform for our customers to sell products on to theirs.


So pool builders have been ‘working’ their customer databases armed with the plethora of new products now available.


Dual speed pumps are now easier to install with simple electrical controls. They are impressively quiet at low speed and can reduce pool pump running costs by up to an amazing 87.5%. Salt chlorinators too are economical to run and at the same time provide a degree of automation to the pool water treatment. There is a body of opinion that expresses the view that regular chlorine sales will be reduced, because of the increased use of salt chlorinators. That’s true – but never has the saying ‘a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’ been more appropriate. A salt chlorinator is a large purchase going through the till today, not forgetting once it is in your till the sale cannot be taken by a competitor. There are lots of small unit heat pumps on the market which are ideal for combining with existing gas, oil or electric heater installations. They allow


the customer the benefit of lower running costs as well as instant heat when required. Certikin is something of a trailblazer when it comes to pool lighting and LED’s are ‘lighting the way’, providing both brilliant colour and reduced running costs. Bulb replacements are fast becoming a thing of the past with the increased use of LED’s. We have produced a number of information sheets that show huge running cost savings can be made by adopting these products. I could go on at length, but before I finish on the subject of ‘green’ products I must add one personal experience. Late last year I installed a pool in the house I bought in France together with a Roldeck cover including solar slats. Thanks to delays with the refurbishment of the house, I only got the system up and running two weeks ago. I have not yet coupled the heat pump up, so the pool has no external heat supply at the moment and yet it is running at 27°C – how impressive is that?


Believe it or not, most of these products have been available for years, yet faced with hard economic times, we are only now learning how to sell and market them. I cannot remember who said it but we all live by selling something, even if it is only our labour. Since, in reality, these are only two things in business, sales or costs we must do everything we can to maximise sales, whatever we are selling.


Going back to my opening question, another topic we spend countless hours debating is how long is this downturn going to last – quite simply, we have no idea. One thing for sure is that “business as usual” no longer exists. The current market may be the new norm for several years yet. It is essential, therefore to look into as many ways as possible to stretch our business activities. Clear demarcation lines of business have been abandoned throughout society, it could be that you buy your travel insurance


“Everyone has to join the party where they can, create their own niches and at the same time look at levels of service that other providers find difficult to match”


Swimming pool insulation provides another opportunity to increase contract values. Currently there is only a requirement to provide insulation on indoor pools, but why not quote on all pools? We have set up a strategic partnership with Cellecta to provide a simple quoting system. Cellecta is a manufacturer of insulation making XPOOL insulation specifically for the swimming pool market. BRE (Building Research Establishment), a Government accredited agency and an approved body from whom we have purchased an insulation calculator.


from your grocer or purchase books etc, over the Internet.


Everyone has to join the party where they can, create their own niches and at the same time look at levels of service that other providers find difficult to match. Good luck and good selling! spn


i FOR FURTHER INFORMATION


F CERTIKIN INTERNATIONAL ( 01993 778855 : www.certikin.co.uk


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