Photography by Matthew Strauss

Imagine Backyard Living in Scottsdale, Ariz., is a different and special place. It’s a hands-on, interactive experience — not the typical retail floor plan with a few display models and salespeople attempting to close.

“We’re not about high-pressure sales,” company president David Ghiz says. “We’re about providing good solutions for people who are in the market for this kind of product. We’ve only been open since last June, but I think we’re having a great impact here.”

Ghiz has spent a lifetime in water; his dad started Paddock Pools in 1958. Eventually, Ghiz and his brothers grew the family business into one of the largest pool and backyard specialty companies in America. In 2005, they sold to a private-equity firm. Oddly enough, that’s where the seed for Imagine Backyard Living was planted.

The private-equity firm that bought Paddock began liquidating the company in 2012. “I began discussions to buy back whatever assets they had left,” Ghiz says. “At that time, I was working with some of our old vendors. Jacuzzi/Sundance happened to be one of them because they were going to be a part of whatever I was going to do.” In January 2013, he says, the deal with the equity firm fell apart, “and we eventually moved forward with plans for a Jacuzzi showroom under the brand Imagine Backyard Living.”

Imagine Backyard Living is really a concept store, a 15,000-square-foot showroom that lets consumers shop for hot tubs in a different way. Five fully staged vignettes replicate backyard living spaces with a hot tub built into the space. There is also a large display area with hot tub models set up for consumer inspection and selection.

Two private soaking rooms allow customers to test drive a spa. “We haven’t had to chase anyone out yet, but people do like to use them and we encourage that for sure,” Ghiz says.

Ghiz is optimistic about the spa industry — with a note of caution. “I think the whole shopping experience needs to change in order for the industry to get a foothold,” Ghiz says. “Next to buying a used car, this can be one of the worst shopping experiences a consumer can have. We’re trying to step up that experience.”

LeisureTime Warehouse|||

OWNER: Ted Dellas|||

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LOCATION: Wickliffe, Ohio|||

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