• Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
  • AWARDS
  • EDUCATION
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Breaking Flooring News
  • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
  • Carpet & Area Rugs
  • Hardwood
  • Installation Products
  • Installation Tools & Equipment
  • Laminate
  • Resilient
  • Specialty
  • Tile & Stone
  • MARKETS
  • Commercial
  • Residential
  • AWARDS
  • Installation Awards
  • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
  • Continuing Education
  • Webinars
  • MEDIA
  • FLOOR Podcast
  • Videos
  • TISE 2025 Videos
  • Product Spotlights
  • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issues
  • Contact
  • Advertise
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • Product Spotlights
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP
Hardwood FlooringQ&A on Flooring

How Rigid Vinyl Plank is Affecting Wood Sales

Q&A: Marge Kehrer Flamme, San Diego Regional Sales Manager, Ark Floors

Ark-Floors-Vinyl
Marge Kehrer Flamme, San Diego regional sales manager at Ark Floors, and Ed Goldberg, national sales manager and general manager, Ark Floors.
August 23, 2018

Rigid vinyl plank is taking over a large share of the flooring market, and not everyone is in agreement that it’s the best thing for the independent retailer. Marge Kehrer Flamme has been in flooring since the 90s, holding positions with major manufacturers and distributors and as a former retail store owner of Old Town Flooring in Tustin, Calif. Today, she is the San Diego regional sales manager for Ark Floors, a manufacturer of solid and engineered hardwood and moldings. We connected with Flamme recently to learn how rigid vinyl plank is affecting wood sales among retailers.

FT: What’s going on with flooring in your market?

Flamme: In southern California, the retail business is way off, and what’s being sold is rigid vinyl plank. I don’t know if business is off because Floor & Décor has taken a big bite out of a lot of people or if it is the internet. It can’t be that that much flooring is being sold on the internet—it’s big, bulky and not an easy thing to do, and you have to manage installation.

In our market, it’s a densely populated area where everybody has somebody—a friend, a brother, an uncle—who is handy and they think they can install vinyl plank flooring, unlike tile or wood, which require more skill to install. They see shows on HGTV that make it look simple.

FT: How is vinyl impacting retail sales?

Flamme: Vinyl is impacting the business a lot. When I go into flooring stores and listen, nine times out of 10, the customer who comes in says they would like to see the waterproof flooring. The retail sales people at that point have no choice but to show them vinyl plank.

When I was working at Old Town Flooring, I would ask them, “What do you know about waterproof and why do you think you need a waterproof floor?” I reminded them that floors like laminate and wood can certainly withstand water spills. They are concerned that they have kids and dogs that spill stuff all the time, and they don’t want to worry about the floor. I would point out that you don’t have to worry about that with wood or laminate either—you don’t have to go to a vinyl plank. As much as we know that vinyl is a fine product, I question whatever happened to the green movement? Vinyl is plastic. What’s going to happen down the road with all of these plastic floors?

FT: Isn’t vinyl being marketed as the better version of wood?

Flamme: About 10 minutes ago, porcelain plank that looked like wood was the hot thing and vinyl killed that because porcelain is more expensive than wood and you generally have to pay to install it.

I ask customers, “Why do they want to buy a replica of wood when they can have the real thing?” We can educate them that wood is better for the environment. It can be recycled in the future. It will add value to your home. Can you imagine someone 20 years from now excitedly bragging that they discovered the original vinyl plank under the carpet in their new home? People still like to discover original wood under old carpet. That won’t happen 20 years from now with vinyl.

FT: How is this playing out on the sales floor?

Flamme: I overheard a story in Solana Beach, Calif., which is a high-end area, and the store was mostly filled with vinyl plank. An older couple, in their 60s, parked their Mercedes and came into the store. They dressed well and wore expensive jewelry. The husband took laps around the store while the wife asked the sales person about updating the flooring in their condo. She said, “We want wood upstairs, downstairs, and a carpet runner on the stairs.” The young salesperson said, “Let me show you something a lot better than wood,” and he walked the woman over to the waterproof vinyl flooring. The husband gave the wife the signal and the couple left the store. The young man didn’t listen when the woman said they wanted to buy wood. He told me that he was supposed to sell what they had in stock, which was vinyl. The store lost a nice sale. Vinyl plank is taking over the sale of wood everywhere. The good news is that we have wood that is competitively priced, and we can remind consumers about its benefits.

FT: One of the selling points of waterproof vinyl is that it’s durable in hurricane and flood situations.

Flamme: My brother-in-law is an insurance agent. We found that despite the fact that these floors are being sold as waterproof, when insurance companies look at situations like floors, they end up ripping out vinyl floors and replacing them. They won’t take the risk, at least not in California, for the potential for mold and mildew. They still rip out the floors and throw them away.

For more information, visit www.ark-floors.com.

KEYWORDS: Luxury Vinyl Plank and Tile wood-look flooring

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • resilient flooring

    The 7 Types of Resilient Flooring

    The resilient flooring category is comprised of many...
    Resilient Flooring
    By: Resilient Floorcovering Institute
  • QuickDrain USA’s ShowerLine linear drain

    Tips for Curbless Shower Installation Using a Linear Drain

    Consider these four tips when planning for a curbless...
    Installation How-To
    By: Darryl Jones
  • 2024 New Flooring Product Guide

    2024 New Flooring Products Guide

    We explore this year's introductions in area rugs,...
    Floor Coverings
    By: FLOOR Trends & Installation Editors
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

Takeaways from the 2024 AHSG Convention & Member Outlook for 2025

Takeaways from the 2024 AHSG Convention & Member Outlook for 2025

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

More Videos

Popular Stories

Schluter waterproofing system

Waterproofing Wet Areas: Three Essential Methods to Protect Your Bathroom and Shower Installation

AHF Products CEO Brent Emore

AHF Products Names Brent Emore CEO

Starnet 2025 Carlsbad CA

Future-Proofing Success: How Starnet Members Are Building Resilient Flooring Businesses


Download the Free Moisture Meters Guide

Events

June 9, 2025

NeoCon 2025

A trade show for the commercial interior design industry.

December 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Investing in your Business

What's Your Top Business Investment Priority for 2025?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

See More Products

FLOORtalk podcasts - Listen Now

Related Articles

  • Teknoflor-Forest-Plank

    Teknoflor Launches Forest Plank HPD Coordinating Luxury Vinyl Plank

    See More
  • Architessa Bedford and Bend LVP

    Architessa's Bedford and Bend Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring Offer Curated Colors and Styles

    See More
  • BCXL

    Cali Launches Exclusive Vinyl Plank

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • wood-species.png

    Wood Species

  • WoodFlooring_383x497.png

    Wood Flooring: A Complete Guide to Layout, Installation & Finishing

  • sand-finish.png

    NWFA Sand & Finish Guidelines

See More Products

Related Directories

  • Palladio Plank

    We are committed to providing our customers with beautiful, healthy, high quality wood products, especially flooring from environmentally and socially responsible forest sources. We continuously strive to enhance our products through innovation, technology, customer service and ethical business practices.
  • Pantim Wood Products

    We are committed to providing our customers with beautiful, healthy, high quality wood products, especially flooring from environmentally and socially responsible forest sources. We continuously strive to enhance our products through innovation, technology, customer service and ethical business practices.
  • Southern Wood Floors

    Manufacturers of superior solid wood flooring and engineered wood flooring, unfinished and prefinished, in an extensive selection of species and grades; sold directly, shipped nationwide. We harvest buildings, not trees® to precision manufacture Reclaimed Antique Heart Pine.
×

We’re rolling out the red carpet of flooring knowledge!

Stay in the know on the latest flooring retail trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • Product Spotlights
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP