Valley Pool & Spa Uniontown location showing success in first six months
Valley Pool & Spa in Uniontown was named One of the Best New Businesses in the Herald-Standard’s Community Choice Awards. Pictured (from left) are Tricia Billy, Herald the Town Crier and Nicole Herndon.
Cameron Bucar, Nicole Herndon, Herald the Town Crier, Matt Gray and Tricia Billy (from left to right) stand outside Valley Pool & Spa in Uniontown, named One of the Best New Businesses in the Herald-Standard’s Community Choice Awards.
Valley Pool & Spa was just what the Uniontown area needed, said a business spokeswoman referencing their newest store’s data.
“This has been one of our top stores. It’s actually been in the top four all year round, so we’re really excited to see, as the word gets out, how much more popular our store is. Apparently, Uniontown really needed a pool and spa store,” said Valley Pool and Spa Marketing and Business Development Director Kristin Poppa-Rosel.
The store opened April 17 at 712 West Main Street across from Walmart and is managed by Cameron Bucar. Poppa-Rosel said the company decided to open the Uniontown location after local customers shopping at Washington and Greensburg locations expressed interest in a store closer to home.
“We go by what customers ask for. We’ve been asked for a Uniontown store for many years,” she said.
The company was unable to hold a grand opening for the new location because of COVID-19. She said news of the store’s opening seems to be spreading by word-of-mouth and on their social media accounts.
“We’ve had a lot of people come in and say their friends and neighbors told them about us,” she said.
Construction on the store’s plaza was also delayed due to the pandemic, she said, but restrictions also led to more people wanting to upgrade their homes.
“Everyone is creating an outdoor oasis in their homes, and we’re part of it, which is great for us,” she said.
The location also sells equipment that is often out-of-stock for many other pool and spa distributors, she said. Valley Pool & Spa is able to continue selling those items due to proactive purchasing, local warehouses and seven other locations in the region, Poppa-Rosel said.
The equipment offerings at the Uniontown store have been a large draw for local customers, who often are updating their older pools and spas, she said.
There was also a shortage on chlorine this year, but Valley Pool & Spa kept the product on their shelves, she said.
“We were one of the few places that did have stock. We were very proactive in ordering, so we were one of the only stores that did have stock this past summer,” she said.
Their customers’ needs have included “a mashup” of people looking for new pools and spas, equipment for existing pools and spas, chemicals and toys and games, she said.
The location was voted One of the Best for New Business in the Community Choice Awards, which Poppa-Rosel said is likely due to their showroom and offerings.