POOLCORP Strengthens Retail Strategy With New Chemical Systems and Pool360 Unlocked

POOLCORP is making a significant push to modernize the way pool retailers and service professionals buy products, manage inventory, and sell chemicals. Through the launch of Pool360 Unlocked and two new system-based chemical programs, the company is doubling down on digital tools, retail support, and simplified water care solutions designed to improve the experience for dealers and pool owners alike.

In a recent conversation with Pool Magazine, Jamie Novak, Director of Marketing at POOLCORP, and Brian Durant, Senior Director of Retail Solutions North America, discussed how shifting industry dynamics are driving the company’s strategy for 2026 and beyond. The conversation revealed a clear theme: simplifying operations for dealers while making pool care easier to understand for consumers.

Industry Changes Are Reshaping Retail Strategy

According to Durant, the pandemic fundamentally changed how the pool industry operates, particularly when it comes to purchasing behavior and inventory management.

“I think if we’re all being honest, the industry experienced a significant shift during the pandemic, and that really changed a lot about how the industry does business today,” Durant explained. “These changes impacted not only how chemicals are sold, but also how we support those that are selling them.”

Retailers became more aware of supply chain disruptions, fluctuating costs, and the importance of smarter inventory management. As a result, distributors like POOLCORP began exploring new ways to support their dealer network.

Durant says the company responded by increasing its investment in retail initiatives. These efforts include a new retail solutions team dedicated to supporting brick-and-mortar dealers, updated product packaging, improved water testing technology, and enhanced merchandising and marketing support.

“We’ve increased our focus on supporting our retail partners,” Durant said. “In fact, we’re the only distributor investing in retail between our retail summit event, updates to product packaging, and investing in water testing software.”

For Novak, the broader shift toward digital tools has also influenced how POOLCORP approaches the market.

“The market is ever evolving,” she said. “We’re getting more digital. Our customers are looking to us for guidance from a technology perspective. There are a lot of different factors at play with just the evolution of the landscape.”

Introducing System-Based Chemical Programs

One of the most visible changes coming from POOLCORP is the introduction of two new chemical systems designed to simplify water care.

The programs are tied to the company’s two national chemical brands:

Both systems are designed around the concept of “system selling,” giving dealers and service professionals a structured approach to pool chemistry that can be easily explained to customers.

Novak said the goal was to create a consistent program that works across different retail environments while still aligning with the branding of each chemical line.

“We wanted to offer a version of the system for each of these respective brands,” Novak explained. “The look and feel of the campaigns are different to align with the branding of the product lines themselves.”

While the branding differs, the structure of the systems remains the same. Each program follows a simplified maintenance routine built around a small number of products designed to maintain water clarity throughout the swimming season.

Pool owners begin by adding a water softener and enhancer at the start of the season, maintaining the borate level within the recommended range. Chlorine tablets maintain sanitizer levels, while a weekly treatment helps polish water, reduce phosphates, and improve overall clarity.

“We just wanted to create systems that are simplistic, easy to follow, easy to understand, and give you just the absolute best water clarity that you possibly can get,” Novak said.

Why System Selling Matters

Beyond simplifying water care for consumers, the new programs are designed to help dealers operate more efficiently.

“System selling can have an immediate impact on several aspects of a pool retailer’s business,” said Durant when discussing the operational benefits. “Some of those benefits are better training and consistency, fewer callbacks, and better customer experience.”

Training is often one of the biggest challenges for retailers, particularly during peak season when many stores rely on temporary staff. A standardized system allows employees to learn one simple process rather than memorizing dozens of different product combinations.

“You’ve got new hires coming in, so it makes the onboarding process a lot easier,” Durant said. “You’re standardizing your system.”

Consistency also plays a major role in customer satisfaction. When every customer receives the same recommended solution, retailers reduce the chances of mistakes and reinforce trust in their brand.

At the end of the day, Durant believes the biggest benefit is improved service outcomes.

“It really boils down to a better customer experience,” he said. “Easy to follow, especially for first-time pool owners. It can be overwhelming when you start talking about water chemistry.”

Instead of reacting to problems after they occur, system selling encourages a preventative approach to water care.

“We’re taking a preventative approach versus a reactive approach,” Durant said. “It’s cheaper to keep water looking good and safe than coming in after problems have developed.”

That shift can ultimately reduce callbacks, saving retailers both time and money.

“Callbacks are time, which is money,” he noted. “It’s consistent, reliable, easy to repeat, and improves overall satisfaction.”

Retail Displays Become the “Silent Salesperson”

To support the rollout of the new programs, POOLCORP is also introducing custom merchandising displays designed specifically for retail environments.

Novak says the displays are meant to simplify the selling process for staff while reinforcing the system concept for customers.

“We have custom made displays that are available now,” Novak said. “On the backside of that display are the steps of the system.”

The displays effectively act as an instructional guide for both employees and pool owners, helping explain the program at a glance.

“It creates that silent salesperson situation through the point-of-purchase materials we’re providing,” she added.

This approach can be especially helpful during busy spring and summer seasons when retail staff may not have extensive experience in water chemistry.

Pool360 Gets a Major Upgrade

Alongside the chemical programs, POOLCORP is also rolling out one of its most significant digital upgrades yet: Pool360 Unlocked.

The new feature dramatically expands the capabilities of POOLCORP’s existing ordering platform, giving dealers visibility into inventory across the company’s entire distribution network.

Novak described the upgrade as a major step toward a faster, more flexible purchasing experience.

“We’re investing in ways to make our customers’ businesses faster and more efficient,” she said. “That’s why Pool360 is now unlocked.”

The concept is simple but powerful.

“Unlocked is an Amazon-like experience that gives our customers the ability to shop our entire network of inventory and get it via pickup, shipped, or delivered,” Novak explained.

In practical terms, that means a dealer placing an order is no longer limited to the inventory at their local branch.

“Your branch is now every branch,” she said.

How Pool360 Unlocked Changes Ordering

The upgrade solves several common challenges dealers face when sourcing equipment and parts.

Previously, if an item wasn’t available at a dealer’s home branch, they might have needed to place multiple orders, call other locations, or wait for transfers.

Now, those steps happen automatically.

Customers can instantly see inventory availability across POOLCORP’s nationwide network and select how they want to receive their order. Products can be picked up at another branch, shipped to their primary location, or delivered directly to a jobsite.

The platform even allows multiple delivery methods within a single order.

“If the product they need is out of stock at their home branch, they’ll have instant visibility to the closest branches with inventory,” Novak said.

The system also provides estimated transfer times and order tracking, allowing dealers to plan their jobs more efficiently.

For contractors working on tight project timelines, that added visibility can make a major difference.

“It gives our customers the power of choice,” Novak said. “They can decide what works best for the job at hand.”

The feature is particularly useful when searching for specialized components or parts for older equipment that may not be stocked locally.

By tapping into POOLCORP’s broader inventory network, dealers can locate hard-to-find items more quickly and keep projects moving.

A New Era of Retail Support

POOLCORP’s initiatives for 2026 reflect a broader strategy aimed at strengthening relationships with brick-and-mortar retailers.

The newly formed retail solutions team will focus on delivering training, marketing support, merchandising tools, and digital resources designed to help dealers grow their businesses.

Durant says the goal is to provide retailers with more than just products.

“We’re dedicated to exclusively supporting our brick-and-mortar retailers across North America,” he said. “That includes product support, comprehensive training, our Pool360 water testing platform, marketing assistance, consumer promotions, and merchandising solutions.”

Together, the new chemical systems and the Pool360 Unlocked upgrade represent a coordinated effort to improve efficiency across the entire dealer ecosystem.

For Novak, the ultimate benefit is giving pool professionals more control over their operations.

“The biggest win is that dealers will have more control over how, when, and where they receive products for their jobs,” she said. “It improves the overall efficiency of their day-to-day operations and allows them to focus on other areas of their business.”

With simplified water care programs on the retail floor and a more powerful digital ordering platform behind the scenes, POOLCORP is positioning itself to help dealers navigate the next phase of the pool industry’s evolution.

Ready to take a deeper dive?

Listen to our entire conversation with Brian Durant and Jamie Novak on the Pool Magazine Podcast.