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.
Saun-ic Boom
Sauna sales are up like never before, with roughly 1.5 million U.S. households now owning saunas and adoption growing at about 5% annually as more consumers invest in at-home wellness. Residential saunas accounted for nearly 60% of market share in 2024, and North American sauna revenue topped $255 million in the same year, according to industry research.
Kevin Thompson — 30 Under 40 2025
Kevin Thompson has spent his entire professional career in the hot tub industry — and all of it with The Spa and Sauna Co. What began in 2008 as a sales position grew into sales management, and now, general management. Today, Thompson oversees not only sales but also delivery, inventory, customer service and service departments.
Paying the Rent and Securing the Future
Looking beyond one-time sales, spa retailers count on recurring revenue to provide a consistent, reliable source of income to manage expenses, plan for growth and navigate a sometimes uncertain market.
Healing Waters
The Hot Tubs for Heroes program, launched in 2015, has grown into an initiative for veterans nationwide. The initiative began as a local effort in partnership with Spa Palace in Colorado Springs. Garrett Guinivan, an Army Reservist at the time, was inspired by his involvement with the charity Wish for Our Heroes, a group dedicated to fulfilling the needs of veterans. After a request for a spa donation for a veteran in Colorado Springs, Guinivan partnered with Mike Wiege, president of Spa Palace, to make it happen, and Hot Tubs for Heroes was born.
When Opening Your Front Door Isn’t Enough
As everyone in the industry is acutely aware, the demand for hot tubs is not as superheated as it was during the pandemic.
Multiplicity
Since the explosive demand for spas started in 2020, many retailers grew their businesses enough that they needed to expand to multiple locations.
Sealing the Deal
Sales are the core of a spa retailer’s business. And while many aspects of selling remain constant, others have changed profoundly in recent years.
Dollar Sign Dilemmas
Online Pricing With the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread shutdowns and the dramatic increase in online shopping, more and more spa retailers…
What Can You Sell Now?
For many spa retailers, showroom floors may be looking a bit sparse. And hot tubs aren’t the only products with…
SR Panel: Managing Four Separate Jurisdictions
Scott ClarkOwner, The Spa and Sauna Co.5 locations in Nevada and California The pandemic was firmly on our radar in…
Pandemic Report
“While hot tub sales are up currently, the supply chain is beginning to have issues. Massive lead times will likely…