• 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
ColumnsBusiness Insights

Flooringstores.com Helps Indie Retailers Gain Against Big Box Stores

By Tanja Kern
Todd Saunders and Dan Pratt
AdHawk co-founders Todd Saunders, CEO, and Dan Pratt, COO.
Flooringstores.com
Flooringstores.com is a game-changer for local businesses trying to win against the big-box stores, according to Todd Saunders, CEO and co-founder of AdHawk.
AdHawk logo
AdHawk logo
FlooringStores logo
FlooringStores logo
Todd Saunders and Dan Pratt
Flooringstores.com
AdHawk logo
FlooringStores logo
July 12, 2019

Floor covering is a multi-billion-dollar industry that is underserved by technology, but one digital marketing company is aiming to leverage it to help flooring retailers compete with the likes of Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Lumber Liquidators. 

AdHawk, a company that helps small and medium-sized businesses expand their digital marketing presence, launched a test market in Florida in June for FlooringStores.com. The directory site connects consumers who are shopping for flooring with specialty retailers in their geographic area. 

“The goal of this is to help consumers during their buying process find the right products and find the local retailers that are able to help sell them that product and install that product,” said Todd Saunders, CEO and co-founder of AdHawk. “There’s been an issue in this space for a very long time, which is measuring quality of a retailer. So, we do try to fix that with reviews and reputation management, and on the consumer side, there’s just no good content for them to really help them make a decision—not just on which product to pick, but also which retailer to choose. So, we’re hoping by making the buying process easier, the whole consumer experience easier, consumers can win, and the specialty retailers can win.” 

Saunders said people in the flooring industry don’t realize how confusing the floor shopping experience can be for the consumer, especially people who are first-time home buyers who are looking to redo their homes. 

“The first thing they want to do is flooring, and they don’t know where to turn, so our goal is to be that unbiased place where consumers can connect with retailers to find the right products and the trusted retailers actually do that product purchase and installation,” he said.  

Flooringstores.com is testing the concept with 500 Florida retailers of various sizes, and a nationwide rollout will rely on a variety of factors. 

“We need to make sure we have as much demand as we have stores and as many stores as we have demand,” Saunders said. “So, what we’re hoping to learn in Florida is really how many leads can we generate for each retailer each month and how many happy consumers can we get from not knowing which product they want to pick a product and actually getting it installed? One thing that we are actively tracking is how many people fill out a form, actually buy product, and have that product installed by that retailer.”

To fund the initiative, AdHawk recently announced a $13 million round of new funding; to date, AdHawk has raised $17.7 million. This fundraising effort comes on the heels of AdHawk’s acquisition of FloorForce, the largest digital marketing and website platform for the floor covering industry. The acquisition, which was announced in January, was part of AdHawk’s larger effort to expand its presence in the $66 billion flooring space. 

In the past year, the AdHawk team has grown from a 30-person company to a 100-person company, and the latest round of funding will enable the team to invest heavily in the flooring and home services sectors, Saunders added. 

“There’s a massive divide between consumers, the flooring retailers that service them, and the entire industry supply chain,” said Avi Eyal, managing partner, Entrée Capital, which led the Series B financing with partipation from Table Management, Accomplice and others. “AdHawk is closing that gap for thousands of retailers across the country. The company has seen explosive growth to date. We’re excited, and fortunate, to be able to join and support the company on its journey ahead.”

KEYWORDS: digital marketing e-commerce flooring retailers

Share This Story

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

Tanja kern headshot 2023

Tanja Kern is the associate publisher and editorial director of FLOOR Trends & Installation. She is also the host of the FLOORtalk podcast, where she explores the changes and challenges facing the flooring community's thought leaders and creatives. Tanja has been writing about business, design, and lifestyle for two decades, and her work has appeared in publications such as American Way, Better Homes & Gardens, Fine Interiors, Fodor's, Food Channel, CA Modern, Chicago, Fine Interiors, and Los Angeles.

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...
    Flooring Installation
    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

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

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

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

kitchen floor

Regrouting Caution for Cement Grouts

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

Flooring Groups

Flooring retailers, do you belong to a buying, marketing or franchise group?
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

  • Edge Stores

    As Flooring Shoppers Evolve, Mohawk Transforms Edge Partner Program

    See More
  • Mohawk Edge 2025 Paul De Cock

    'Our Playbook is Working': Mohawk's All-In Strategy Boosts Retailer Success

    See More
  • demonstrating CCA Global Partners' Drive CRM software at a flooring industry event

    Where Flooring Retailers Should Invest in Digital Marketing in 2024

    See More
×
AdHawk co-founders Todd Saunders, CEO, and Dan Pratt, COO.
Flooringstores.com is a game-changer for local businesses trying to win against the big-box stores, according to Todd Saunders, CEO and co-founder of AdHawk.
AdHawk logo
FlooringStores logo

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