SpaRetailer’s 30 Under 40 2026 Winners
There’s no single path into the hot tub industry, and this year’s SpaRetailer 30 Under 40 2026 class might be the best evidence yet.
The More We Use Artificial Intelligence at SpaRetailer, the More We Appreciate the Value of Human Knowledge and Authenticity
Artificial intelligence is everywhere, and if you’re like me, you are trying to figure out how to leverage it in your business.
Today’s Hot Tub Buyer
The modern hot tub buyer isn’t simply shopping for a spa.
By the time customers enter the showroom, they’re looking for validation, reassurance and the easiest path to ownership.
AI in Business: Smarter, Faster and Still Human
The spa business has always been a people business. From the first showroom visit to the final installation, success is built on relationships, trust and expertise. Customers don’t just buy a hot tub, swim spa or sauna — they invest in a lifestyle, and they want confidence they’re making the right decision.
Shifting into Shipping
Subscription-based water care kits are gaining traction, securing repeat purchases as well as long-term consumer engagement, according to a 2026 Allied Market Research report.
“Consumers choosing to shop online is not a trend our industry can afford to ignore,” says Rene Huston, president of Patio Pleasures Pools & Spas in Sun Prairie and Madison, Wisconsin.
Airframe Aquatics: The Cover Conversation
Covers often fade into the background of customers’ minds, until they start to fail.
Over time, covers become heavy, waterlogged and difficult to handle, requiring them to be replaced and discarded. Then the cycle starts again. Airframe Aquatics believes that cycle deserves a closer look.
Is Easy the Next Luxe?
The old vision of a homeowner’s backyard retreat included an expansive lawn and elaborate entertaining spaces. Today, many seek a personal retreat that allows them to focus on their health and wellness goals — without giving up a space that feels luxurious. And, increasingly, “luxury” is being redefined to mean ease of ownership.
Making Your Inventory Work for You
“That’s the way we’ve always done it.”
If that’s your approach to inventory organization, it’s time to up your game, says Mel Selway, president of P.A.R.T.S., a business systems analysis company based in Sahuarita, Arizona.
Worth the Money
We can’t fight our evolutionary instincts when it comes to lighting. As animals, we require a sense of safety when we enter a space — or a cave.
I love to shop, but two of my favorite stores lost me as a regular customer because of their overhead lighting. One store changed locations, and the lighting in the new space is about half of what it was. Now, when I walk in, I’m frustrated because I feel like I’m shopping in a dark cave.
Clear Winners
As swim spas continue gaining traction for fitness, recovery and low-impact exercise, retailers have an opportunity to expand accessory sales alongside the swim spa experience itself.
Be Well Canada Spa: Designed to Stand Out
Founded in Europe in 2005 and established in Canada a decade later, Be Well Canada Spa has spent the last several years steadily expanding its manufacturing footprint and dealer network.
Agency Matters
In my roles at Watkins Wellness and the American Red Cross over the last 30 years, I’ve hired, managed and parted ways with dozens of agencies, and for the past decade, I have led an agency focused largely on the hot tub retail category.
That experience has reinforced one thing: Agencies can be tremendously valuable partners when the relationship is working well.