Americans will be splashing around this summer in the backyard pools they've already got, but not splashing out as much on new ones. Swimming pool installations were part of the home improvement frenzy that swept the country during the pandemic as Americans were stuck at home. Pool Corp., a national pool equipment distributor with a roughly $11 billion market valuation, said last week it expects new pool construction to fall by 15% to 20% this year. But businesses that rely on Americans' appetite for home upgrades are still adjusting to leaner times — including pool builders. In Arizona, Ast said, "the lines get blurred a little bit between luxury and need in the middle of the desert."

---

Persons: Skip Ast, wasn't, Scott Payne, Payne Organizations: Pool Corp, Shasta, Airlines, Analytics, Ast, Corp Locations: Phoenix, Hatfield , Pennsylvania, Shasta, Arizona