Bruce Aronson quickly said yes last fall when he heard Tropitone intended to offer an e-tailing program for its dealers. 

“I’ve been trying to figure out how to incorporate e-tailing without damaging our business, so this is a way for us to get our feet wet,” said Aronson, managing partner of the Pool & Patio Center. 

The program allows consumers online access to Tropitone’s entire catalog via a “Shop” link on the Pool & Patio Center’s website. From consumers’ perspective, they are shopping and buying directly from the retailer.

As yet, the site hasn’t been live long enough to demonstrate performance but Aronson is looking forward to results. 

“I know other people are doing much heavier e-tailing than we are, but we want to carry brand names,” he said. “We aren’t interested in putting no-name product on the website.”

  The Pool & Patio Center has been focusing on quality for more than 60 years. Its guiding philosophy of offering the best possible service and largest selection manifests in the desire for customers to leave the store feeling as if they just met with their “exterior decorator.”

On the 15,000-sq.-ft. showroom floor this season that meant less dining and more seating, particularly sectionals.

“At any one time, we’re showing five or six sectionals now,” Aronson said.

The Pool & Patio Center is a three-time Apollo Award nominee.