In this space, we have talked about installation repeatedly: the challenges facing independent retailers in the arena of installation and the presumption of many retailers that superior service is their hallmark. And really, if a retailer cannot offer first-rate installation, can they really say they offer superior service? Probably not.
As competition gets tougher, big-box retailers continue to elevate their total level of service—including the level of the installation services they offer. All this is adding up to our big-box brethren increasing their share of the total floor covering market. The quality of installation offered by the big-box home improvement players is rising, and this prompts independents to re-examine their entire approach to installation.