New company helps pool retailers run a healthier business

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan. 17, 2012 - Atlanta, GA – New research from P.K. Data and Swimming Pool Retail Academy shows a growing threat for specialty pool retailers. Nearly three-fourths of pool owners are using the Internet as their primary source of pool information. This eye-opening data highlights the immediate need for pool retailers to protect their status as the leading source of pool information -- or risk losing customers.

To help specialty pool retailers address a challenging business environment, a group of pool industry veterans have formed Swimming Pool Retail Academy (http://www.swimmingpoolacademy.com) to help pool retail employees jump-start their basic swimming pool training to improve knowledge and job performance.  

“More and more pool owners are turning to the Internet to research and purchase swimming pool products,” said Bil Kennedy, president of P.K. Data. “Our research shows that 72 percent of pool owners say the Internet is their leading source of pool information, and 85 percent of pool owners who use the Internet recommend that their fellow pool owners shop at one or more online pool retailers. We are seeing a fundamental shift in consumer behavior, threatening the stronghold of specialty pool retailers.”  

Larry Bloom, co-founder of Swimming Pool Retail Academy former CEO of BioLab, Inc., said, “Before forming Swimming Pool Retail Academy and building our first product on swimming pool training, we asked a large group of leading pool retailers and industry colleagues about their key business concerns. They helped us understand where the industry was struggling to provide answers. With a strong trend of pool owners turning to the Internet for product information and purchases, we realized that traditional, brick-and-mortar specialty pool retailers faced increased risk of losing loyal customers.”

Swimming Pool Retail Academy has developed a brain-science-based training course, called How Pools Operate (http://www.swimmingpoolacademy.com/product-description)  which gives pool retail employees the basic knowledge to be a more effective resource for customers. The company is giving every pool business in North American one free seat for the entire swimming pool training course before May 1, 2012.  For more information, visit http://www.SwimmingPoolAcademy.com.

About Swimming Pool Retail Academy
Swimming Pool Retail Academy provides consulting, education, and productivity tools for the retail swimming pool industry. Its initial product, How Pools Operate, is a brain-science-based, cost-effective, full-day online training course, which includes five hours of swimming pool training covering six web-based lessons and several tools to help pool retail employees provide better sales and service while improving customer loyalty. Swimming Pool Retail Academy is a business unit of Xmente, LLC, a media and software company focused on better thinking for a brighter planet. For more information, visit http://www.SwimmingPoolAcademy.com.

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