Whether the slow season lasts a few weeks or several months, retailers need to adjust their marketing strategies.
To navigate quieter months, experts and retailers alike shared what’s worked for them.
Planning promotions
Tyler Pelletier, co-founder of SpaSurge Marketing, generally defines the slow season as December to May.
“We created a calendar with a bunch of promotions on it for our [retailer] clients,” Pelletier says. “In Q4, we reach out and schedule goal-setting conversations for the slow season.”
Pelletier recommends focusing on key performance indicators that drive revenue — leads, booked appointments, calls, visitors and sales. They calculate the client’s conversion rate and determine how many leads per month need to be generated to hit sales goals and how to create a sense of urgency during slow months, whether through hard-to-resist offers or massive discounts with sales messaging to get customers in the store.
Pelletier also urges sales reps to follow up on old leads and increase daily outreach.
“We suggest that they make between 40 and 100 phone calls a day,” Pelletier says. “Sales reps [should] really get aggressive during the slow season to bring in revenue.”
He also advises retailers to concentrate on big-ticket items like hot tubs, which can generate as much revenue as dozens of service calls.
Balancing seasonal demand
Radostina Stoycheva, director of performance marketing at Compass Digital, says some product lines, like saunas, naturally balance out spa seasonality. Demand for saunas peaks in fall and winter, often offsetting slower spa sales.
“There are also the winter holidays and Black Friday, which are ways clients can capitalize on the slow season,” she says. “There are always things to look forward to.”
Stoycheva helps clients plan budgets three to six months out, using strategies such as holiday-themed promotions like “warm up your winter” and “fall into savings” or providing “save now, pay later” offers. Using language like “have a hot tub by Christmas” creates a sense of urgency and excitement for buyers, making the purchase feel both attainable and time-sensitive — a combination that can help drive sales during slower months.
Budgeting for marketing
Kristan Hart, founder and CEO of Profit Roadmaps, says her team plans promotions a year in advance, anchoring them around holidays.
“For an average hot tub business, if they want brand awareness, lead generation and service packages, their marketing budget really needs to be 10% of their gross revenue, but I’ve yet to meet a business willing to spend that,” Hart says.
Instead, she encourages retailers to focus on lead generation while letting manufacturers handle broad brand awareness.
“When you’re generating leads, your sales team has something to do,” Hart says. “They have something to follow up on, and you’re also building that funnel so that when people are ready to buy, they’re primed.”
Retailer strategies
For Victoria Ruff, general manager of Cal Spas of Sacramento, the slow season typically runs from November through February. To combat that dip, her team holds an annual end-of-year sale featuring deep discounts, supported by digital, TV and radio advertising.
For smaller retailers, Ruff suggests selling chemicals, covers and accessories to supplement revenue, and to partner with a digital marketing company to help drive traffic and promote the store.
Amanda Annis, president of Ohio Hot Tub & Sauna, relies on community events and paid advertising during slow months. Her company participates in a February home and garden show and invests in digital, TV and direct mail campaigns.
For retailers with tighter budgets, Annis stresses the importance of planning ahead. She begins forecasting in October for the following year.
“You have to figure out how to create opportunities for yourself,” Annis says. “That’s what drives revenue.”