Hayward Pool Products has announced a dramatic change to the marketing and sale of its skus.
Beginning August 31, more than 800 items will be removed from the Big 3 manufacturer’s Open Line of products that are allowed for sale over the internet. They will be transferred, along with a handful of new products, to Hayward’s Expert Line, which are only to be sold by qualified pool/spa professionals.
The strategy is meant to better support not only pool and spa professionals, but also consumers who do make purchases online, said Dave MacNair, vice president of marketing for the Elizabeth, N.J.-based manufacturer.
“We found that neither was really optimally supported by Hayward or by the [sales] channels themselves,” he said. “So we stepped back to ask, ‘What provides the best service, the best follow-up service after the sale for the end user?’ We evaluated both trade brick-and-mortar and online [channels] and ended up making changes to both, changes that we think are positive to both.
"It’s a more managed process around trying to make sure the end consumer gets what they’re really looking for, which is a pool that’s operating and easy to service.”
With the change, approximately 150 skus now will be available for online sale. These will consist of those products that require less attention and expertise to install and maintain. The same rules and restrictions apply to all e-commerce sites, including those affiliated with a brick-and-mortar retail or service operation.
Those who do sell online will see other changes as well. First, most Open Line skus saw price increases up to 15% to compensate for the extra time and resources needed for Hayward to support online customers. Without the backing of a pool professional to install and troubleshoot the products, MacNair said, the manufacturer has had to devote more manpower to directly support consumers who purchased their products online. An increasing number of warranty stations will not work with these buyers, requiring Hayward to hire or contract additional staff to make up the difference during the high season, MacNair said.
Additionally, Hayward plans to enact a new process whereby online retailers must apply to become resellers of the Open Line products. The authorized reseller program is expected to be in place this summer.
To enforce the company’s online policies and minimum advertised prices (MAPS), Hayward is hiring a third-party company that will employ proprietary software to monitor online sales of its products. Those who violate the policies could lose earned incentives and even be stripped of the ability to sell Hayward products.
Up to this point, the manufacturer had been gradually introducing products to its Expert Line and had accumulated about 35. “We really looked at things and said the situation isn’t going to improve until we take bold action,” Dave MacNair.
Hayward's timeline for completely enacting the changes will run until August 31. On May 1, detailed information about the skus and MAPs will be sent to dealers. By June 1, the Open Line and Expert Line catalogs will be available for ordering, and Open Line products will no longer be eligible for Totally Hayward reward points. An updated MAP schedule becomes effective June 17.
By August 31, Expert Line skus will no longer be available for e-commerce. Additionally, third-party monitoring of web marketing will begin at that time.
