When it comes to elevating a hot tub experience, few things pair better than heated products to carry the warmth of a bubbling oasis right to a homeowner’s back door.
From towels to floor mats to furniture, setting the mood with the right accessories can help spur add-on sales.
A flare for the dramatic
Ken Hollingsworth, manager of Pelican Shops in Morris Plains, New Jersey, says nothing turns up the heat like the ambiance of a fire table or pit. A fire pit is typically made of metal or stone and inserted into a hole in the ground where it burns wood or charcoal, while a fire table is an elevated surface with an opening where a gas-powered flame emerges with the flip of a switch.
“Fire pits probably look the nicest and give you the best ambiance,” Hollingsworth says. “They smell nice, but they’re a hassle. Most people want to get in and out of their hot tub quickly, so starting a fire is probably not all that great an idea, but the fire tables have been really popular for us.”
With three stores in New Jersey and one store in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, Pelican Shops leans on brands like Ashley, Ebel and Agio for fire tables. Hollingsworth adds that showcasing the pieces of a backyard living space together in the showroom is the best way to move merchandise. And, of course, creating ambiance for customers doesn’t hurt.
“Putting a fire pit next to a patio set and a hot tub is always the best way to roll,” he says. “It’s just a matter of deciding what would look best and putting all those pieces together so that the customer gets an idea of what their backyard will look like once they put it all in.”
He says towel warmers and even heated bath robes are a nice touch to set the right mood — and the right temperature.
Litehouse Pools district sales manager Al Eckert agrees that there’s no better sales tactic than “wowing” customers with what could be in their backyards. With 14 stores in Ohio, Eckert says the best-selling fire tables — whether stand-alone, propane or bar-height — are elevated from nice-to-have to necessary given the right atmosphere. Brands like Ashley, GatherCraft and Outdoor Designs take top honors for the most popular fire tables, he says.
“We mix them in with the other major categories,” he says. “They seem to do well when you display it as it’s intended to be used rather than just dedicate a certain area to it.”
For example, Litehouse also stocks HeatTrack Walkway Mats to melt the snow and keep toes toasty when Mother Nature really turns down the temperature and the snow begins to fly. Eckert says displaying the mats as part of a backyard showroom ensemble is key to marketing them.
“Show how the mats would look on the spa steps and in front of the spa rather than just displaying them on a wall,” he says.
Turning up the heat
Perhaps one of the newest frontrunners in the category, heated furniture is bringing its “A game” in arguing that there’s no better way to sell it than getting derrieres in chairs.
John Pomeroy points out that the heated Adirondack chairs in Wrmth’s Muskoka collection sell themselves when guests are invited to have a seat.
“When we talk about the product, it’s not nearly as compelling as when somebody sits in it,” says Pomeroy, co-founder of the brand that debuted in 2020.
Inspired by chilly temperatures that the San Francisco Bay blows ashore, Pomeroy says the company’s heated chairs with a powder-coated aluminum frame are finding success not only in the north where winters are harsh but from California to the Carolinas as a way to extend the shoulder seasons.
They are controlled by an app that can also set the armrest lighting and control the temperature of the chair’s modified stone surface.
“It is a unique take on how to keep people comfortable outdoors,” Pomeroy says. “It’s putting the heat where the people are. So rather than trying to heat all the space outdoors, when the person sits in the chair, they’re heated there.”
It is a unique take on how to keep people comfortable outdoors.”
John Pomeroy, Wrmth
He adds the chairs are a perfect complement to a backyard retreat when homeowners want to continue to enjoy their outdoor space in less-than-ideal conditions.
“When you’re in a spa in the backyard and you get out of the spa, you’re wet, and so having someplace warm to sit while you recuperate, convalesce, have a drink and dry off is a wonderful way to end that spa experience,” he says.
Wrmth isn’t the only brand getting in on the heated furniture trend. Others, such as Outmore Living, are seeing similar success.
With its Solerno Collection that includes a heated chair, loveseat, couch and ottoman, Kevin Long, co-founder of Outmore Living, says the heated feature of the premium teak furniture is what sets it apart from competitors.
“If you have a bunch of outdoor furniture products that you carry, and one of them is heated, it’s a really easy sell,” he says.
Creating a scene in your showroom that invites customers to pull up a heated chair and relax in a warm towel by the fire table could turn some heads. Throw in a hot chocolate or espresso machine, and you may have just created the perfect way to add to your bottom line in the fall and winter.