It's grand opening time for the largest pool supply store chain in the United States.
Recently, Leslie's Poolmart Inc. opened a new concept store next to its corporate headquarters in Phoenix. In general, concept stores are used by retail brands to appeal to a specific customer segment or to test consumer behaviors with new store design or product offerings.
"We are excited about our Indian School concept store. Our team is committed to exceeding customer expectations and we've designed a whole new shopping experience we think pool owners will love," stated Steve Ortega, Executive Vice President, COO and CFO of Leslie's, in a press release.
The company is highlighting its concept store as a more engaging customer experience. It will have a hot tub, a 300-gallon remote control pool cleaner tank and an interactive display for customers to calculate their energy savings with a variable-speed pump. New product offerings also will be stocked: a sauna, underwater fitness products and backyard lifestyle items.
In addition, the company will open 15 new stores on April 9. Leslie's will open a total of 41 new stores this year. That rivals the 42 total stores the chain opened last year, and bring the total to nearly 900 stores nationwide.
Australian-based Poolwerx will compete with Leslie's in the coming years, and smaller chains are increasing their regional market shares with new products offerings and strategic thinking.
