The pool market - Germany

1.2 Global and European markets

The global swimming pool market was estimated at USD **.** billion in **** and is expected to grow gradually in the coming years at a CAGR of *.**% over the period ****-****. Ultimately, it is expected to grow to USD **.** billion by ****. Although the US dominates the global market with * million swimming pools, far ahead of France (***), North America is expected to continue to lead growth, accounting for **% of growth over the period ****-****.[***]

Size of the global swimming pool market Worldwide, ****-*****, in billion US dollars Source: ****

**%

**%

Global swimming pool market by region World, ****, in percent Source: ****

The European market is dominated by France, which has almost *.* million swimming pools. The French market has been growing for almost ** years and has been growing strongly for almost ** years. in ****, one in ** French people owned a swimming pool.

Number of people per pool Europe, ****, * person in Source: ****

1.3 The German market

With a market growth rate of *% over the last five years, the German swimming pool market is the third largest in Europe after France and Spain The country's strong domestic consumption combined with its dynamic economy is leading to an upward trend in demand for luxury products such as private swimming pools

According to the German Swimming Pool Association, there were over one million private pools in Germany in ****, including ***,*** above-ground pools with a water depth of over one meter and a purchase price of over *,*** euros and *.* million with a water depth of less than one meter and a purchase price of less than *,*** euros. ***,*** indoor pools (***) and ***,*** outdoor pools are also available. [***]

Number of swimming pools, by type Germany, ****, in thousands Source: ****

The German market for private swimming pools offers great opportunities. On the one hand, the German market for the construction of swimming pools has seen a downward trend in recent years, although sales figures have remained relatively stable in terms of the volume of swimming pools. They are estimated at around *,*** swimming pools per year, a third of which are high-quality swimming pools. On the other hand, the German swimming pool renovation market offers good prospects for ...

1.4 Foreign trade: China is the most important supplier

The trade in swimming pools is recorded under the following HS code:

******: Outdoor play and leisure equipment.

The data therefore also includes other articles and equipment, but provides an overview of the trade in swimming pools.

Germany is mainly an importer of swimming pools. In ****, total imports of outdoor play and leisure equipment are estimated at USD ***.* million, while exports are estimated at USD ***.* million, resulting in a coverage ratio (***) of **.*%. The German trade balance for swimming pools is therefore in deficit

The foreign trade balance for swimming pools in Germany shows significant changes in recent years, especially in the period from **** to ****. Imports of swimming pools have risen steadily over the period under consideration, from ***.* million euros in **** to ***.* million euros in ****. This represents a considerable increase of more than double within six years.

On the export side, Germany also saw fluctuations, with exports of swimming pools increasing from ***.* million euros in **** to ***.* million euros in ****. It should be noted that exports peaked in ****, followed by a decline in **** and ****.

The coverage ratio, which reflects the ratio of exports to imports, shows an interesting development. From **** to ****, the coverage ratio rose slightly, reaching **.*% in ****, before falling significantly in the ...

1.5 The impact of Covid-19 on the swimming pool market

The Covid pandemic and the associated restrictions had a significant impact on people's lifestyles and routines. The increase in time spent at home, the fear of spreading and contracting the virus and the inability to travel provided a very positive environment for the growth of the pool market.

For this reason, the demand for home swimming pools increased remarkably in Germany in ****. A spokeswoman for the manufacturer Hornbach Holding explained that demand had already been rising for several years, but had "intensified considerably" due to the pandemic. Order books were already full for **** and the lockdowns, which were less drastic than elsewhere, allowed work to continue. So the sector held up much better than other industries, mainly because retailers placed a lot of orders to meet demand. [***]

Home improvement stores in particular opened their doors to homeowners looking to repair their yards and homes, increasing sales of cheap swimming pools and hot tubs.

On the other hand, the Covid-** pandemic delayed the awarding of contracts for new pool projects. Unemployment was higher than expected and reduced consumer purchasing power. [***]

2.1 Overview of the demand for private swimming pools in Germany

Swimming pool ownership is closely linked to the home ownership rate, the purchasing power of Germans and the presence of gardens in households.

An estimated **% of Germans already have their own pool, sauna or wellness/spa area in their home, and **% of the population (***) plan to renovate or build this type of facility in the next three years [***]. As the chart below shows, there are more than **.* million single-family homes and ** million households with gardens in Germany. This gives an idea of the potential of the pool market in the country.

Single-family homes and households with a garden Germany, ****, in million Source: ****

According to this other article by Plitschnass, there are almost ** million gardens in Germany, of which *.**% (***) already have a swimming pool.

The rising purchasing power of Germans

German households have benefited from an average increase in purchasing power of almost *% per year since ****. Indeed, more jobs have been created again after the crisis and the unemployment rate has fallen. [***]

As a result, final consumption expenditure by private households has risen sharply in recent years, with growth of **% since ****.

In particular, the dynamic purchasing power of households and domestic consumption are leading to an increasing demand for luxurious and personalized ...

2.2 The drivers of demand

Buying a house

According to data published by the Bundesverband Schwimmbad & Wellness, buying a house is a fundamental driver of the market and has recently experienced a veritable boom. On August **, ****, Die Zeit published an article entitled "Germans are buying more houses than ever before" and reproduced an analysis by the Hamburg Institute for Urban, Regional and Housing Research. According to the report, the sale of houses rose by almost **% to **.* billion euros within a year.

Furthermore, it seems that home ownership has become the most popular form of retirement provision. In fact, the German newspaper "Die Welt" reports that "German savers are reorganizing their assets", which applies to a majority of **% of German citizens, an increase of ** percentage points compared to ****.

Owning a house is becoming increasingly popular: for a long time, a house was only used for "living", but today it is used for many purposes. A house is both a place to live and a place to work. There is a third aspect: a house should also be a place for social interaction and active leisure activities. [***]

Decoration and aesthetics in the outdoor area

High-quality furniture, elegant home accessories and sophisticated home technology have a very special status ...

2.3 Demand trend: fewer public swimming pools and less interest in swimming

public swimming p ools (***) around Berlin outperform the other countries in the frequency with which residents visit public swimming pools: in **** alone, ***.*** registered admissions to public swimming pools in **** alone, an increase of ***% compared to the previous year. It can also be seen that the number of registered admissions per swimming pool increased in every federal state between **** and **** . Unfortunately, we do not have any data that is more recent than ****.

Number of admissions to public swimming pools by federal state Germany, **** and ****, in *,*** admissions Source: ****

Nevertheless, the number of public swimming pools in Germany is decreasing from year to year. According to figures from the German Swimming Pool Association, there are now fewer than *,*** public swimming pools in Germany, compared to *,*** public swimming pools in ****. Every tenth public swimming pool in Germany is closed every year. [***]

North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria are particularly affected, with an average of one swimming pool per month being closed in North Rhine-Westphalia. [***]

In recent years, Germans have also become increasingly disinterested in swimming as a sport: a survey byIfD Allensbachrevealed that **.* million Germans had little or no interest in swimming in ****, compared to **.* million in****. This corresponds to anincrease of *.* % in the period ****-****. The ...

2.4 New emerging trends

The BSW has collected data and identified the most important trends dominating the market, which can be summarized as urbanization, comfort and individualization. [***]

Urbanization

Metropolitan areas are expanding and living space is becoming ever smaller as a result. This has created new needs: swimming pools that fit in minimal gardens or even on small terraces. The swimming pool industry is responding to this situation with compact solutions. Piscine Riviera, one of the world's largest suppliers of prefabricated swimming pools and market leader in Germany, has developed a pool that meets this new demand: the "C-Side" mini pool. This type of pool is a water oasis that can be integrated into a limited space on the terrace or in the garden and is perfectly suited to the new demand trend.

Comfortable, flexible and practical

According to BWS, simplicity and comfort are the most important needs of contemporary customers. Dietmar Rogg, Managing Director of Schmalenberger and President of the German Swimming Pool Association, explains that "customers prefer everything from a single source". Everyone who invests in a pool should be able to use it as quickly as possible"

For this reason, more and more manufacturers are opting for prefabrication. Rogg: "If a prefabricated ...

2.5 Seasonality of demand

The following graph shows the percentage of searches for a specific keyword in a specific region and in a specific time period compared to when the usage rate for that keyword was highest (***). A value of ** therefore means that the keyword was used less frequently in the region in question, and a value of * means that there is insufficient data for this keyword.

Over the last four years, a strong seasonality of these searches has been observed, with a peak in the summer months (***), which is consistent with the annual peaks in summer temperatures. Searches have increased sharply since ****, the year of the first lockdown, reflecting a strong interest in home comfort.

Interest in the search query "pool in the garden" (***) Germany, ****-****, Google Trends Index Source: ****

3.1 Overview of the value chain

The following diagram shows the chain of actors involved in the process of installing a swimming pool in Germany

3.2 Players and services offered

Most of the players operating in the German swimming pool market are specialized and offer services that cover the entire swimming pool construction project, from planning to final installation.

The most important architects and pool designers include

Kühne Pool Joachim Hopp Holger Mauerer freelance architect AKNW Terramanus Landscape Architecture Wallpaint Studios mural painting and design

The leading pool manufacturers in Germany include

Walter Elbtal Plastics GmbH Co. KG TROPICA swimming pool enclosure Geyger Baumann Gardens Giffel

Finally, there are a large number of suppliers of swimming pools (***) and accessories, which have become more numerous in recent years due to the dynamism of the market. The following players can be distinguished:

DIY stores (***) Food supermarkets (***) E-commerce platforms (***) Brands for household appliances (***) Brands for garden centers

The specialist retail chains are therefore under threat from supermarkets, which have a greater reach thanks to superior communication and procurement options.

3.3 Trade fairs: An opportunity for brands to promote their products

In Germany, there are three major exhibitions dedicated to swimming poolsinterbad, Aquanale and FSB. These trade fairs offer brands the opportunity to present their new products and innovations

Interbad

Interbad is a trade fair for swimming pools, whirlpools and saunas that takes place every two years in Stuttgart. It is the most important European trade fair for the swimming pool, spa and sauna sectors. In ****, Interbad hosted more than *** exhibitors, including *** German exhibitors, on an exhibition area of **,*** m². An estimated **,*** visitors attended this year, **% of whom came from Germany: **% of visitors were swimming pool operators, **% sauna and spa operators and **% architects and consultants.

The next trade fair will take place from October ** to **, ****.

Aquanals

Aquanals is an international trade fair dedicated to the swimming pool market and takes place every two years in Cologne. At the last edition, *** exhibitors, **% of them from abroad, were represented on an area of **,*** m² and with **,*** visitors

FSB

The international exhibition FSB is a trade fair for the design and equipment of outdoor areas, sports centers and water facilities, which takes place every two years in Cologne. At the last edition, *** companies were represented, **% of the exhibitors came from abroad and more than **,*** visitors ...

4.1 Overview of the offer

Private swimming pools

In Germany, there were ***,*** private swimming pools in ****, of which ***,*** were outdoor pools, ***,*** indoor pools and ***,*** above-ground pools with a water depth of more than one meter and a purchase price of more than *,*** euros [***]. The number of above-ground pools with a water depth of less than one meter and a purchase price of less than *,*** euros is also estimated at *.* million

Distribution of private swimming pools by type Germany, ****, in % Source: ****

public swimming pools

The number of public swimming pools in Germany has been steadily decreasing for decades: according to the German Lifesaving Association (***), it has fallen by around *,*** since ****, which corresponds to an annual decline of ** pools per year. The main reason for this decline is the lack of swimming lessons in schools: around a quarter of elementary school can no longer offer swimming lessons. This has a huge impact on the population: according to a Forsa survey, **% of **-year-olds can no longer swim.

Distribution of public swimming pools by type Germany, ****, in % and in units Source: ****

This chart provides information on the number of swimming pools per ***,*** inhabitants in the various federal states of Germany in ****. This information is crucial for market analysis in the ...

4.2 Prices for pools

Prices for swimming pools

The cost of installing a swimming pool varies greatly depending on the size, type (***) and product range.

The cost of installing a standard * x * m pool with a water depth of approximately *.** to *.** m can be estimated using the price catalogs available online for most brands. The prices below refer to the purchase price of the pool, but do not take into account the cost of the excavation work carried out beforehand, which is estimated at around €*,*** to €*,***.

4.3 Maintaining and covering the pool

The need for frequent pool maintenance

As explained in an article in the German newspaper Die Welt , a swimming pool requires frequent maintenance, which is sometimes an obstacle to buying a swimming pool, especially for private individuals who want to install a pool in their garden. According to an employee of the German Swimming Pool Association, the water quality should be checked two to three times a week, with the quality changing depending on the outside temperature, sunlight, location and frequency of use of the pool. For example, the pH value of the water (***) should be between *.* and *.*. If the pH value is too high, the chlorine in the pool may not be able to disperse properly, resulting in skin irritation. Conversely, a pH value that is too low can damage the metal parts of the pool through corrosion.

Disinfecting a pool with chlorine, especially in private swimming pools, is still the most common method. The chlorine content should be between *.* and *.* milligrams per liter. If the chlorine content in a swimming pool is too high, this can lead to irritation of the mucous membranes and eyes. An alternative can be found in bromine, although it is suspected that it can ...

4.4 Alternatives and new services offered

Substitutes and new market players

In addition to traditional outdoor pools, suppliers in the industry also offer all kinds of other products: Above-ground pools, saunas, whirlpools, pool heaters, accessories, cleaning robots, etc

Above-ground pools, which account for **% of all private swimming pools, from entry-level products to more sophisticated products, represent a real brake on the growth of swimming pool operators' business. On the one hand, they are sold at a much lower price than the higher-end in-ground swimming pools, so they do not have a significant impact on the revenue of operators in the sector. On the other hand, they do not require a specific installation phase carried out by a pool builder and can be sold in non-specialized distribution channels. [***]

Trend towards offers for maintenance contracts

Given the complexity of pool maintenance and the hard work involved, players in the pool market are increasingly offering multi-year maintenance contracts, turning them into an additional and recurring source of income

Upward trend in pool design

Pool refurbishment covers all categories of pool renovation: replacement of worn parts and equipment, improvement of equipment, aesthetic renovation and complete pool redesign. This segment has grown significantly in Germany in recent years, as many pools in ...

4.5 Building your own pool: The BSW's ten-point program

The website Bundesverband Schwimmbad or Bundesverband Schwimmbad und Wellness offers a ten-point program for those who want to build their own private pool. [***]

Building a swimming pool requires specialist knowledge: From planning to installation, technical knowledge is required that a layman cannot acquire. create a precise budget that you propose to the professional. Do not place the pool in the shade: The sun is the cheapest source of energy for heating an outdoor pool. Do not place the pool under trees: The leaves would unnecessarily pollute the water, the filters and the pool's filtration system . Do not place the pool in the direct direction of the wind: the wind cools it down and pushes the leaves inside. Optimal and frequent water treatment is necessary (***). It is best to use a pool cover, either manual or automatic. There are even special solar covers that allow more solar energy to be used. Plan the steps or ladders in the pool sensibly: a ladder can be equipped with non-slip steps, hand supports, etc. Stainless steel steps can also be used. Stainless steel steps can also be an additional design element. Determine the ideal size of the pool: The standard size of a pool is ...

5.1 Harmonized world customs system

The Harmonized System is an international nomenclature for the classification of goods. It enables participating countries to classify traded goods on a common basis for customs purposes. At the international level, the Harmonized System (***) for the classification of goods is a system of six-digit codes. [***]

The HS contains approximately **** descriptions of articles/products, which appear in the form of titles and subtitles and are divided into ** chapters, which in turn are grouped into ** sections. The six digits can be subdivided into three parts. The first two digits (***).

The Harmonized System was introduced in **** and has been adopted by most countries in the world. It has undergone several changes in the classification of goods. These changes are called revisions and came into force in ****, ****, ****, **** and ****.

For the compilation of foreign trade statistics in this study, we have selected the following field: "**.** Equipment for gymnastics, athletics, other sports (***) or outdoor games not already included in another field, swimming pools and paddling pools".

5.2 DIN standards

DIN (***) or German Institute for Standardization is the official national standards organization representing Germany's interests at European and international level. It publishes "DIN standards" for all markets, including standards for the construction and installation of swimming pools in Germany, which provide a framework for construction, apply the specific national regulations for private swimming pools and harmonize the rules of the industry

DIN standards applicable to the German swimming pool market include the following:

DIN EN ***** (***) Standard for the construction of private swimming pools. It contains general requirements, including safety standards, as well as specific requirements for in-ground and above-ground swimming pools. E-standard DIN EN ***** for water systems: Filter systems, water treatment, etc.

[***]

6.1 Segmentation

• Kühne Pool & Wellness Technik
• Walter Piscine
• Tengelmann
• Bauhaus
• Aldi
• Amazon (Allemagne)
• Riviera Pool