PoolCorp

It’s not easy being a dealer of pool and spa supplies these days. Competition from online merchants and big-box retailers is putting the squeeze on brick-and-mortars across the industry.

Fortunately, distributors are helping to level the playing field. It’s not enough anymore to simply supply the goods. More than ever, wholesalers offer a range of benefits to give dealers a competitive edge with exclusive (read: not available online) products, extended warranties, educational programs, more sophisticated marketing support and faster shipping.

Quicker ships

For some distributors, that means investing in more efficient logistics to deliver products faster and more affordably.

Horizon Optimus, based in Tucson, Ariz., can now ship ground packages to most anywhere in the U.S. in three days or less. That’s due in part to a machine that makes custom boxes so packages are sized more precisely. Smaller boxes equal cheaper shipping. Also, a new feature on the distributor’s website provides exact shipping quotes for various delivery options.

“This provides both faster parts deliveries and lower delivered costs,” said Scott DeYoung, head of marketing.

Likewise, Las Vegas-based Allied Innovations announced a new program that covers shipping costs for orders of a certain size. And Hachik, in Aston, Pa., is touting next-day deliveries.

Promo power

Distributors have long provided dealers with point-of-purchase displays and other promotional materials. While that’s still important, some also now help retailers step up their digital marketing efforts.

PoolCorp members can now take advantage of SWIMEET, meant to take the hassle out of social media. Through the recently launched program, members can outsource their social media duties to professionals who will post content promoting outdoor living directly to a business’s Facebook page, helping drive customers to their websites and, ultimately, their stores.

SWIMEET is a new addition to PoolCorp’s Splash Cash program, which offers dealers a suite of marketing services that include in-store videos highlighting vendors and products, on-hold messaging, digital advertising and traditional print materials.

Exclusives in store

To help combat one of the most prevalent dealer frustrations, wholesalers are rolling out products and services that consumers won’t find online.

Bel-Aqua Supply, in New Rochelle, N.Y., recently created a new product category called Bel-Aqua BAM Advantage. (BAM stands for brick-and-mortar.) Products in this program come with extended warranties, new features and added manufacturer incentives that customers won’t find anywhere else.

“Our message to our dealers is that you can be competitive and these are the products you need to be selling,” says Shanna Leuchter, Bel-Aqua marketing manager.

A solution to showrooming

Recognizing that some consumers will prefer to shop online no matter what, some wholesalers equip dealers with tools to better facilitate transactions over the internet.

Bloomfield, Conn.-based Baystate recently launched an updated version of its e-commerce platform, WebLink, which allows consumers to purchase products from brick-and-mortar dealers online.

WebLink “gives dealers a professional high-tech presence on the internet and satisfies the needs of many of their customers’ current habits,” says Baystate President John Arakelian.

As the old saying goes: If you can’t beat ’em …