Aqua Magazine - April 1998

Lucky Ducks

Owner Dan Harrison found that knowing which accessories to carry was a burden, because what seemed to be a hot seller would end up staying on the shelves. So now he hooked up with Essentials, whose catalog covers the gamut. "We mail the catalog out to our entire customer list" Harrison says. That way, the catalog is on hand for any occasion ("We don’t even have to go to the store to get something for mother’s Day !" Harrison imagines customers saying).

Another unique advantage Long Island Hot Tubs has is that it features the catalog on the internet, calling itself the World’s Largest Internet Pool & Spa Store (www.poolandspa.com). Just a click brings photos of the accessories on to the screen, which is sometimes more fun than flipping through the printed version of the catalog. The floating Kool Tray from Essentials is the biggest seller for Harrison. One side serves as a cup holder for drinks and snacks, and the other side is a smooth table perfect for board games, with floating checkers included. The secret to the sale is letting customers peruse the colorful catalog. Seeing it in use in a photo is the next best thing to letting them try it out in the spa, he reasons.