In the wide world outside of pools and spas, it's something of a rare commodity for someone to join a company or a specific role and stick with it for the majority of their career. But in the pool and spa industry, this is a familiar phenomenon and Chris Curcio knows it well. Curcio is owner and president of Litehouse Pools & Spas, one of the top retailers in the industry with 15 locations centered in Northeast Ohio.
Curcio is a true industry lifer. He joined the team as a student during the winter of 1983, quickly fell in love with the industry, and stayed for the rest of his life. AQUA spoke to the industry vet about what has driven the retailer's sustained success for over 60 years.
Litehouse sells a myriad of items for customers to discover, including a full line of outdoor furniture.
Standing Out From the Crowd
When it comes to the strategies Litehouse employs to set themselves apart, Curcio says that simplicity is key.
"We always make sure to keep our shelves stocked," he shares. Yes, really! The aesthetics of Litehouse showrooms are crucial to cultivating a positive customer experience, and it revolves around the process of merchandising, which is bolstered by keeping the inventory full.
"Common items that have a nice retail appearance are kept out on the showroom floor," Curcio says, "but anything else that's less appealing — liner boxes, solar cover boxes, things like that — we'll keep stored in the back warehouse."
This method helps avoid potential overcrowding of the showroom floor, which makes the shopping experience both neater and less visually overwhelming, a major point that Curcio makes in his assessment of Litehouse showrooms. But the product isn't the only thing that requires careful attention.
"We use clear signage throughout the store, and that includes pricing on all of our products," he says. "When I shop for things, I want to know the price! Until someone knows how much something costs, it's hard to build an opportunity to show them the value of that product."
Curcio and his team at Litehouse lean into the customer experience in order to succeed, a tactic that has served them well. "We try to make it easy for people to shop for what they've come in looking for, but we also show a nice offering of other things that might attract them as well."
Litehouse sells a myriad of items for customers to discover. As of this year, their showrooms have begun displaying products from Infinitree, for example — a company that crafts a number of unique accessories for on, in and around the spa.
Litehouse Pools & Spas currently has 15 store locations. Pictured above is its Aurora branch.
Along with the physical displays in their stores, Litehouse produces an annual publication that compiles every product they sell for ease of reading. "It has pool care information as well as a comprehensive guide to our products," he says. "We want people to use it more than just look at it."
Sometimes the trick is keeping it simple and focusing on the customer experience to make your business soar.
Keeping Up With Trends
As trends come and go within the industry, Curcio says that they don't adopt the new products into their inventory without careful consideration.
"We have a tendency to be cautious as things come to market," he shares. "We try to make sure we're bringing in things that will stand the test of time, so we test things out a little bit before we make the consumer the guinea pig."
Since things are always changing in the industry, Curcio says they take great care at Litehouse to provide the best products for their customers. Certain items, like outdoor furniture, are more likely to be supplied right away, as their trends change from year to year. But the quality of products in Litehouse stores is a major point of effort for Curcio, which ends up guiding them in the decision-making process.
Retail in the Digital Era
For a company that began more than 65 years ago, changing with the times comes with the territory. After the pandemic in 2020, where countless businesses struggled to keep up or went completely under, it was no secret that the landscape was changing in every aspect of the industry. Litehouse felt the ramifications of the pandemic like everyone else, but Curcio reflects on what made things run smoother.
"We had already established a 'buy-online' feature," he says, "but we enhanced it during the early stages of the pandemic, so we could implement a pick-up-in-store feature very quickly."
And soon after, something that became necessary with the social distancing recommendations during the height of the pandemic ended up being so popular that Litehouse never got rid of it; it became another way to serve their customers by listening to their needs.
Outside of the pandemic and its impacts, Litehouse has used several other methods to advertise their business in a new age of technology and social media. On top of radio and television advertising, Litehouse makes sure they know where their demographic exists online.
It can seem limiting at first, but when they focus their energy in places that will be fruitful for them in the future, it allows them to spend more time on other facets of their marketing tactics.
"We put more emphasis on the platforms that get the most attention within our demographic," Curcio says. "We stay away from the ones that are predominantly used by teenagers and those in their early twenties. We stay mindful of the demographic we're selling to."
Above: Ken Seeber, Regional Retail Operations Manager; Ashley Arneson, Sales Associate; Chris Curcio, Owner
A Strong Team
A successful business like Litehouse Pools & Spas is almost nothing without a great team behind them. According to Curcio, finding great employees that will turn into long-term team members can be something you're always working toward.
"We're in constant hiring mode, especially since the pandemic," Curcio shares. "Unfortunately, in a retail environment you get turnover all the time. Since some people only work seasonally, we also have several swells of gaining and losing employees depending on the time of year."
Curcio believes that hiring is not a stop-and-go process, but a continuous undertaking to build yourself a strong team. To do this, Litehouse has a staff member that works specifically with interviewing and hiring people in order to keep up a consistent practice. This allows Curcio and his team to focus on other things without dropping the ball on the hiring process.
But it's more than just interviewing people. "It's all about finding people that think and operate a certain way," Curcio says. "We want to put people in the position that will best fit them. If we don't, they could fail. We want people to stay with us, so we make sure to find the best spot for them."
When asked what the secret ingredient to hiring employees is, Curcio's response is earnest. "Take your time in the hiring process," he advises. "Ask lots of questions in the interview and try to understand the applicant. You want to get people that you can keep on the team for the longest amount of time possible."
After all, approaching the hiring process with the idea of retaining employees can only benefit your business.
"You have to understand that there will always be turnover," Curcio amends, "but there are some high-quality, longterm employees hanging around out there that may not realize how much they could enjoy a job at your company. Take your time, and you could find someone that's willing to put in the next 20 or so years at your business."
Beyond that? Ask yourself if your employees would have the opportunity to grow within your ranks. For Litehouse, this is a resounding affirmative.
"With the size of our company, we have the advantage of being able to move people to new locations that are busier, or might have more opportunities for earnings, sales commissions, growth within the company, things like that," Curcio says.
When you put your employees in their best spot to succeed, your business can do none other than follow suit.
Looking Ahead
After more than 65 years of Litehouse Pools & Spas, the future looks bright for this Ohio-based retailer. "There's always an opportunity to expand our business," Curcio says. "That can come through organic growth, too. Our current region is pretty well covered, so who knows? We might look to expand elsewhere in the future."
Curcio always comes back around to highlight all of the people involved while he looks ahead. "I've been doing this for quite a few years, and I've met some amazing people, and built a lot of great relationships," he says fondly. "We sell fun products and the people we sell to are excited about getting them. Over the last 40 years, it's just been fun!"
There is always more to be done in the industry at large, especially as we look to a world that is growing more and more aware of the wide world of pools and spas.
"For too long, the industry has been so small," Curcio says. "We're finally beginning to come out of our infancy and grow into a more impactful industry. As we become more integrated into the general public and find our way into more mainstream audiences, I think we're going to find a lot of ways we can expand altogether."
This article first appeared in the November 2024 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
