The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of a Retail Pool Store

Everyone seems to have widely differing opinions on retail pool stores. Either you love them, hate them or you fall somewhere in between. With the advent of online internet pool stores, the retail pool store was supposed to go away a few years ago. But that is not the case and they have even become stronger I think because of the internet.

One reason retail pool stores have gained traction over the online stores is that the big and small manufacturers want them to stay in business. So, they tailor specific products that can only be purchased at a retail pool store. Jandy has effectively “left the internet” as they put and only make their products available at your local retail pool store or from your pool service provider. Dolphin, Water Tech, Pentair, Hayward to name a few also make retail pool store only products.

One of the benefits of buying a product from a retail pool store is the warranty on the product. Some manufacturers will offer a bonus year and even 3-4 years of a warranty on a product that you have purchased from a retail pool store. Many manufacturers limit online warranties to just 30 days or no warranty period whatsoever. Legal or not, they are punishing you for shopping online. So why are these big manufacturers so keen on supporting the local brick and mortar pool stores?

I think the answer is simple. Retail pool stores will advertise a product for a manufacturer in their print ads and online ads and they also need to stock the item. If you sold a product wouldn’t you want someone to order 1,000 units at a wholesale price from you versus you stocking the product and then buying 10 each week to ship out via their online storefront? Yes, some large online pool stores do stock products but not to the extent that the retail pool store needs to. So, the manufacturers really need the retail pool stores to thrive so that their product gets in as many hands as possible.

So why do so many people tend to hate retail pool stores? I think the answer is that many will upsell products that are not needed or even wanted by the customer. You are entering a retail store like Best Buy or Kohl’s so the employees want to sell you stuff. If you walk in uneducated and looking like a lamb for the slaughter, you can easily be taken. I suggest doing your research before walking into a retail pool store. Research what the potential problem is or the product you want to purchase. Read up on it online first and then walk in educated and ready to purchase what you need. This is what I do when I am looking for something new to purchase at Best Buy. If I am looking at a new drone I will research it to death before I lay the cash down on the counter. You should be doing the same before you walk into a pool store.

There are many good people who own pool stores and really want to help you. They live in your neighborhood and even use the services you provide to them from your business. I really like the Mom & Pop pool stores and you will find the owner to be very knowledgeable about all the pool products and services they offer. I think there is no way to say pool stores are bad and give a blanket rating to all the retail pool stores out there. Like anything, there are good and bad owners and good and bad employees.

If you walk out of a pool store with $400 worth of chemicals, is it their fault for selling them to you? I don’t think so. You were ignorant of what you actually needed, and you left your self-open to be upsold a bunch of stuff you didn’t need. Should they have a good moral compass and only sell you what you need? Yes, but that comes with the premise that there are good owners and bad owners and good employees and bad employees. It is up to you to do the research and purchase what you need.

The bottom line is this. Retail pool stores serve a great purpose of having products, chemicals, and parts right on the spot for you. You pay more for having the convenience of walking in and then walking out with the product you need. The manufacturers need them too and will give customers the incentives of great warranties, rebates on products and specific pool store only products. This is actually a good thing and something that will benefit you as a retail pool store shopper.

Good or bad retail pool stores are here to stay and in my opinion, they are a vital part of the pool and spa industry.

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