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Want to keep up on the latest developments in the pool and spa marketplace? Pkdata's Chart of the Week features interesting takes on our latest research depicted in a series of informative graphs and maps. Don't miss a single one. Scroll down to see this week's and then be sure to bookmark this page to see future installments. Unless otherwise specified, all of these charts are based on Pkdata research which holds all applicable copyrights. For permissions please contact us at info@pkdata.com. |
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Pool permits starting to cool It’s no secret to anyone in the industry that new pool construction is substantially up this year owing largely to the shelter-in-place restrictions mandated earlier by the Covid pandemic. As of July, new construction permits in places like Palm Beach, Phoenix and Dallas were up by some 50%-100% over the same period last year. But, as expected, the issuance of new pool permits in August dropped considerably. Two reasons: permits always decline in the 3rd and 4th quarter with the onset of cooler weather; also, many builders simply were not accepting new projects until next year because of an already heavy backlog. |
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Percent Change in New Hot Tub Sales, 1970-2019 This graph shows the percentage change, year over year, in new U.S. hot tub sales from 1970 - 2019. The gray bands indicate recessionary periods, the most severe of which occurred from 2007 to 2010. |
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Percent Change in New Hot Tub Sales vs New Inground Residential Pools, 1970-2019 For comparison, new hot tub sales are shown against sales of new inground residential pools (blue line) during the same period. The general trend of each curve is similar (correlation = .532); pools exhibit greater variance (11.7 for hot tubs, 14.7 for pools). |
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Most hot tubs are still located outdoors. Most pictures of hot tubs are in attractive outdoor settings, either in a nicely landscaped backyard or even overlooking the ocean or a dramatic mountain range. Rarely are hot tubs shown inside a home. For one thing, a hot tub in an enclosed space, especially without adequate ventilation, poses a health threat from inhaled bacterium-laden fumes. Outside is usually best. |
