Modular hot tub environments: Painting a more appealing picture in the backyard

Planters and towel bars

Extra details go a long way toward achieving the backyard resort ambiance so many customers desire. Planters introduce natural, leafy accents or a pop of floral colour into the scene. For designs with a lagoon feel, planter modules accent the natural landscape and inject some organic variety into the angular lines of the hot tub. With more than 4100 vascular plant species native to Canada, there are plenty of options to appeal to any taste, limited only by the customer’s imagination and region.

Finally, towel bars are a simple and inexpensive way to add amenity and functionality, especially when paired with plush white pool towels or another fun accent colour. Though easy to overlook, towel bars keep everything within reach and reduce clutter in the hot tub area. It is an inexpensive add-on that proves surprisingly useful for most customers.

Anticipating objections

While luxury model hot tub customers do not usually bat an eye, some retailers may find homeowners looking for an entry-level product, or do-it-yourself clientele, to balk at the price tag. In these cases, retailers might offer these clients a hot tub step upon their original purchase and leave the option open to add more pieces later. Or, if the topic of financing comes up, retailers might show them the difference in monthly payment with and without modular hot tub environments. For those who want versatility, a higher payment will make sense, as long as the retailer provides realistic options and does not pressure them.

What do others have to say?

John Walsh, the owner of Peterborough Landscape Supply in Peterborough, Ont., a full-service landscape design and garden centre, has noticed a shift in how people want their hot tub incorporated into an overall design concept.

“It’s not enough to just plop it on a deck and call it good,” he says. “They want it to feel integrated, like a backyard oasis, someplace to sit and drink their coffee in the morning. With modular hot tub environments, we have the ability to create any number of scenarios, from seating to bar tops, and everything looks really nice.

“I’ve never had anyone come back and say they were a waste of money. If anything, it gives them a reason to return to our store, seeing as though they don’t have to purchase them all at once.”

Ro Mehta, owner of Ajax Hot Tub Warehouse in Ajax, Ont., has also seen success by offering customers modular hot tub environments.

“In the past, a hot tub used to be the ‘add-on’ to a pool or backyard landscape project. You looked for an empty space to fill in and that’s where the hot tub went,” says Mehta. “But as hot tub designs evolve, they’re becoming the focal point of outdoor living spaces. Customers want to emphasize the hot tub and complement it, which makes modular hot tub components a perfect fit.

“When it comes to selling them, we don’t display pricing. Instead, we allow customers to see it in context and imagine their own yard. We hear them discussing how this or that step makes sense, or how this bar top and stool would be perfect. They get themselves excited about creating their own unique space and look.”

This is why Mehta stresses the importance of having these items on display, especially around a running model. Flashing lights and music are impressive, but when a hot tub is complemented with steps, wraparound benches, storage benches and/or cabinets, bar top and stools, it adds a whole new dimension the customer may not have imagined.

Where the rubber meets the road

At the end of the day, the breadth and depth of the products a retailer sells adds tremendous value to its local market. So does one’s consultative prowess and emphasis on quality and versatility. It is tempting to focus on big-ticket items that do the heavy lifting in terms of revenue, but remember, the customer experience is just as valuable as the invoice total. For all the reasons discussed, modular hot tub environments paint a more appealing picture for customers and should be part of any well-merchandised showroom.

On a higher level, specialty retailers must remember mass merchants want to dominate the conversation by enticing and distracting potential customers by flooding the market with products that are less-than-perfect. When it comes to staying relevant and profitable, the showroom is where the rubber meets the road. If anyone is in a position to breathe life into the products being sold, and exemplify the unsurpassed service customers appreciate, it is none other than a specialty retailer and its staff.

Noble Hibbs, a digital development specialist with Marquis® Corp., is a strategic marketer with a background in multi-channel content marketing, digital channel development, and user experience optimization. He can be reached via e-mail at nhibbs@marquiscorp.com.