North Shore Pool & Spa

North Shore Pool & Spa runs a pool and hot tub store at 152 Albion Street in Wakefield, on the corner of North Avenue, and backs it with a service side that opens, closes and services pools at the house. Chris Callanan is the owner — he bought the business in 1987 after thirteen years in the retail florist trade, sat on the national board of the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals and chaired its Retailers Council — and Darren Emery has run service since 1988. BBB lists it under the alternate name North Shore Pool Supply, Inc., with ten employees, and has accredited it since 2012 at an A+ rating. The counter is what customers write about most, and what they praise is restraint. A July 2025 reviewer called it their go-to for testing and chemicals and said the crew "don't over sell you what you don't need"; an October 2025 reviewer made the same point, contrasting it with other pool stores in the area. Water testing comes up repeatedly — one reviewer this July said their water was tested and the pool ran clear in about a day. In a 2022 review, a customer walked in with a ten-year-old Polaris vacuum that had died and walked out forty minutes later with it fixed, expecting to wait weeks. Another 2023 reviewer found salt in stock and reasonably priced when other local shops were out or charging heavily. The service and spa side draws its own praise: a 2022 buyer described a Caldera Reunion spa delivered in December 2021 with on-site setup and thoughtfully answered questions, and a 2021 reviewer said the team had been watching over their pool and spa for several years and always got the job done. Three complaints sit against that. A 2023 reviewer said the owner was rude and would not test their pool water, and asked that the shop's dogs be kept away from children in the store. A 2022 reviewer gave the customer service five stars and the price one, over $33.95 for a net. A 2022 reviewer who booked a partial pool opening said they asked to be told when the crew arrived so they could watch the equipment inspection on a house they had just bought, and were billed without ever being notified. If you want a counter that will test your water and sell you only what it needs to, this is a long-established one. If you are booking a pool opening or closing rather than shopping, confirm the appointment window and ask them to call on arrival, and get the price of parts before you agree.