While foot traffic drops for many flooring showrooms nationwide, National Floorcovering Alliance members are turning fewer customers into higher sales. At the organization's spring meeting in St. Pete Beach, Florida, NFA dealers revealed their counterintuitive formula for success: fewer transactions of higher-value products have generated sales growth for three-quarters of the group's retailers despite challenging market conditions.

According to a survey conducted by the organization, approximately 75-80% of members reported sales were up, while 20-25% remained flat, with only a few members reporting declines of around 3%.

"We've got a lot of big-ticket items," Newton explained about his own store's performance. "I think the traffic in our store is slower, but our sales are up."

Newton also observed changes in supply chain dynamics, with continued imports from Vietnam but also an increase in European products entering the market. 

"We're focusing more on better goods in our store," Newton said. "We saw so many lower-end SPC failing, so we completely switched ourselves out to have better products. We are more focused on WPC as a result of that."

A highlight of the spring meeting was a special appearance by Mohawk Industries CEO Jeffrey Lorberbaum. Lorberbaum, who has led the flooring manufacturer to $11 billion in annual revenue, opted for an informal Q&A session rather than a traditional presentation. Newton noted that this rare appearance gave members unique insights into Mohawk's acquisition strategy, economic outlook, and future industry developments.

When asked about the evolving role of the NFA, Newton highlighted increased collaboration and sharing of ideas among members, noting more frequent communication among members throughout the year to exchange information about products and business practices.

Looking ahead, Newton identified taking market share from smaller dealers struggling with pricing increases as a significant opportunity for NFA members. "As a group, [we have] a lot of leverage on being able to hold pricing and absorb systems," he said.

The spring meeting continues with more networking events and discussions with vendor partners, demonstrating the organization's commitment to fostering connections and sharing best practices among its 40 members.