Slow season

[HotTubMan]

Question to the dealers:

When is you slow time of the year?

I know in Canada, and I would assume in the northern U.S. that slow season has begun. Sales won't really get moving again until spring. I'd be curious if you are in the north why things don't slow down for you.

For Chas, East Tx and you other warm weather dealers, do things slow down in the winter? If not when is the slow season?

How about our U.K. friends?

HTM

[poolboy34]

we're in our slow season now.  Usually is between november-feb, depending on the beautiful weather we have here in Central New York.   If we have a warmer winter with less slow it'll usually start picking back up in march, if it's a cold winter............slow season can last into the first part of april.  But usually things start picking back up in March with the annual Home Show and there's usually a thaw around that time as well.  Tis the season for being creative about making subtle changes to the showroom, creating training programs for new employees, we're re-organizing the warehouse at my store this year, sometimes we have training seminars to go to (always enjoy those), and of course we have all of our spa customers trickling in to buy spa care products and to have their spa water analyzed.

[HotTubMan]

Sure test a lot of watwer between the 27th and 31st of December......waters got to perfect for those guests!

[wetone]

Usually Dec. to Feb. is slower, although this Dec. has been pretty busy so far. Good number of spas going out for xmas.

[tvaughan]

we're in our slow season now.  Usually is between november-feb, depending on the beautiful weather we have here in Central New York.   If we have a warmer winter with less slow it'll usually start picking back up in march, if it's a cold winter............slow season can last into the first part of april.  

Where in CNY are you located?  Anywhere close to Ithaca?

[Chas]

Yup - slow between end of November and the beginning of March, or sometimes as late as April.

The irony is that the factory shuts down for a month in Dec/Jan to retool.  So we have to try to plan what spas we will need to have on hand during this time. I have never hit it just right in 19 years of trying.... We get close sometimes, other times we start the new year with several spas on hand from the previous year.

Still other years I sell a spa or two that I simply cannot get - so I end up calling every dealer in the state - and occassionally losing the sale....

[stuart]

We had a record breaking November and December started out very brisk but only sold a few pool tables and a spa this weekend so far... That's not really considered slow but not quite what we have been doing.

[Spatech_tuo]

Where in CNY are you located?  Anywhere close to Ithaca?

He's in the Syracuse area so he can keep an eye on my Orangemen (still their name IMO) for me.

[poolboy34]

well it's THE ORANGE now.  And the bball team is playing fairly well, except for that hicup against okie state last week in the garden.  Anfd hey, the football team made a bowl game too!!!  

Not to get side tracked, Stuart is correct, I'm in the Cuse.  Did you get your hot spring in Ithaca, Rochester or syracuse???

[tvaughan]

well it's THE ORANGE now.  And the bball team is playing fairly well, except for that hicup against okie state last week in the garden.  Anfd hey, the football team made a bowl game too!!!  

Not to get side tracked, Stuart is correct, I'm in the Cuse.  Did you get your hot spring in Ithaca, Rochester or syracuse???

Syracuse Pool and Spa.  The store in Auburn.  Hey,  you and I are getting some snow tonight and tomorrow.  

[poolboy34]

That's one of our competitors, I was actually in that store last week.  They have a fairly nice setup there.  I figured I'd stop in and check the place out on my way home from the ford/mercury dealer.  

[tvaughan]

That's one of our competitors, I was actually in that store last week.  They have a fairly nice setup there.  I figured I'd stop in and check the place out on my way home from the ford/mercury dealer.  

They are very nice guys there.  Actually we did attempt to look at D1 tubs at first when we went to the Dimension One page and did a search for a dealer it indicated that Hesselson's Elmira,  NY was the D1 dealer.  We went there and was lead to the Vita tubs (They were having a sale) instead of the D1.  We almost purchased a Vita but the wife backed out at the last minute,  we ended up finding the store in Auburn by accident.  We tested beachcomber nice tubs.  We tested Emerald and Jacuzzi.  The jacuzzi dealer in courtland didn't seem to want to sell us a tub.  He spent most of his time talking about finance option even though we told him we didn't want to finance it.
 Oh well,, too much useless info.. We've happy with our grandee.  

[wmccall]

One page and did a search for a dealer it indicated that Hesselson's Elmira,  NY was the D1 dealer.   

Just curious, is the Corning Plant still alive in Corning? I use to fly into Elmira to do work at that plant. - I stayed at the Holiday Inn, they had a spa.  

[East_TX_Spa]

Here in East Texas, we stay pretty busy the year round.  The slowest time is usually February until the middle of April (tax time).

Since spas are the only product we carry, we do have to look at a lot of off-site events.  The big Boat Show in January and the Home Show in February really come at good times.

CEO

[poolboy34]

Man..........you went to both of our main competitors.  The people who sell jacuzzi, actually have a store right next door to mine.  The people at syracuse pool are nice.  They have a good rep in the area.  It's too bad you didn't take the treck to the cuse, I'm sure you would have come across one of our two stores, as well as the local sundance dealer.  You made a great choice though.