Student: Trying to Learn Where People Purchase Pool Supplies

[myoung1]

Hi All!

I'm a business student doing some research into the pool industry. One question I'm trying to answer is what are the factors that influence where consumers/contractors/homeowners shop for anything related to their pools.

My initial thoughts / research would say the biggest factors are cheapest prices, quality service, and product availability (in that order). What am I missing? Did I get the order of importance wrong? Did I completely miss a factor?

Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum.
I typically purchase supplies through Amazon, Walmart, Ace Hardware, and TFTestkits.net.

 

[myoung1]

Welcome to the forum.
I typically purchase supplies through Amazon, Walmart, Ace Hardware, and TFTestkits.net.

And why is that? Do they just offer the best prices?

 

[dereksanders]

My guess would be where one can find the best value for what they’re looking for.

 

[mknauss]

Typically good prices. Convenience also factors in. Some products are only carried by certain stores. Muriatic Acid is one. Ace Hardware is only place to get it locally now.

 

[TinFoilHat]

The majority of pool owners buy from pool stores because they are caught in the pool store environment of free water testing that then leads to buying pool store products to fix imaginary issues. The lesser majority then try to buy from online sellers, mainly Amazon, where you may or may not get what you're truly needing.

Those of us on this forum know that pool maintenance is more basic than any pool store will tell you. So we buy liquid chlorine from Walmart, Pinch a Penny, Home Depot or Ace Hardware. Then we get muriatic acid where we can. We buy pool equipment from a variety of sources depending on the product.

You have the quality service and product availability backwards. People are cheap. They choose from price, then availability (especially Amazon prime) then quality and that's only if they realize that there can be a difference.

Contractors on the other hand, buy from the manufacturers or local distributors and they generally offer one product line, maybe two. That's simpler for them regardless of what a customer really wants or needs.

 

[dereksanders]

I will be swapping my hoses for pvc on my pool. I will go to the local pool builder to rifle through their parts to see what will work. If the price is acceptable I’ll purchase from them. If not I’ll know what to look for elsewhere.

Just like anything else. I don’t think there’s a hard fast rule for consumerism.

 

[Jaimslaw]

Its not the least bit revelatory that pricing and convenience drive most purchases (by non-pros anyways) in all 3 categories: 1. chemicals/maintenance supplies, 2. repair and replacement parts, and 3. equipment purchases.

Pricing is the predominant factor driving the first category due to transport/shipping restrictions and costs, and favors big box DIY stores given their local market saturation, competitive pricing and store product familiarity (making convenience a strong secondary factor here). Both pricing and convenience are also the driving factors for the other two categories, which accounts for internet purchases being overwhelmingly the dominant marketplace of choice (rhetorically speaking, why not….I plug in the product I want to a search engine and instantaneously am presented with a listing of competitive product pricing, in store availability, and shipping options).

Consequently, pool store purchases will continue to be an ever growing disfavored shopping alternative, fully reflected in Leslie’s plummeting stock price. If you purchased $1,000 worth of Leslie’s shares at the IPO in October 2020 you would now be looking at an investment worth $76.04.