Retailers benefit from offering options
By offering a variety of colours and designs to match almost any backyard décor, safety cover manufacturers have responded to consumer demand.
“Pool owners are now looking for covers which blend into the environment; they want them to look as natural as their pools,” says Dan Rookard of Rookard Custom Pools, in eastern Washington State. “I recommend new designer colours because they look terrific. Every consumer wants something different, so I like to have an option for everyone.”
Pool owners want unique looking backyards, which has made custom-shaped pools with various poolside features (e.g. slides, waterfalls, rock features, etc.) the norm. All of these custom features can be challenging to cover when the pool needs to be closed in the winter—especially in areas where temperatures can range from -16 C (2 F) in the winter (with anywhere from 0.4 to 0.6 m [1.3 to 1.9 ft] of snow) and 32 C (92 F) in the summer.
“The best way to cover these pools is with a safety cover,” says Rookard, who adds selling safety covers has never been difficult for him, but having more colours to offer definitely sets him apart from his competitors, including those selling covers on the Internet.
“The more colour options I have to offer, the better. No one wants to feel limited. If they do, they might go somewhere else; therefore, I highly recommend carrying the new designer colours as you never know what the customer may have in mind.”
Mancini agrees. It is important to offer a variety of colour options to consumers, just as it is important to offer a variety of vinyl liner patterns. In the end, it is the client who needs to select the colour they will see when the pool is closed. Further, consumers like to have choice.
Rookard notes, safety is still very important, too—having an American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)-certified pool cover to protect kids and pets is important—but having a good looking safety cover is an added bonus.
What determines the colour?
Much about safety cover colour selection depends on the landscape. For example, a lot of swimming pools today are built with stone and rock water features, which co-ordinates nicely with tan and grey cover materials—especially since the cover fastens right up next to the rock without leaving any gaps or exposed areas.
In many cases, the safety cover colour palette the dealer offers will reflect the dominant colours of the natural landscape.
“Only one in 100 customers choose the old aqua colour that was available back in 1962,” says Nicolas White of Cascade Pools & Spas in Lake Oswego, Ore. “I sell a lot of tan and grey covers to match the flagstone used around the pool area and on the decking. It goes hand-in-hand with the fact many homeowners are no longer using white plaster on pool deck surfaces, nor blue tiles around the pool.”
Richard Deakin of Hollandia Gardens in London, Ont., has been installing safety covers since they first came to market more than 30 years ago. He corroborates with White and says his consumers are no longer choosing blue either as it rarely complements the backyard décor.
“Black is still at the top of the list in terms of the colours we sell in our area, followed by green, tan and grey,” says Deakin.
Black safety covers are also a top-seller for Phil Paquette at Paquette Pools in Hooksett, N.H., as it has a lot to do with the other accessories that are popular in the area, he says.
“Pool owners are often trying to co-ordinate the cover with the fencing,” says Paquette. “Black fencing (e.g. chain link, powder-coated aluminum, etc.) is common in this area. We also do a lot of dark grey or slate stamped-concrete decks for our customers, and the black safety cover matches nicely with this type of deck. Homeowners are definitely more aware of colour co-ordinating all aspects of their backyard today than in the past.”
