Latency, “the delay between action and response,” is the biggest unspoken cost in flooring retail. Every moment between interest and installation is a chance for:

• The customer to disappear
• Frustration to set in
• Competitor to swoop in with a faster offer
• Captiulation to buyer remorse

Look at the companies that dominate consumer categories today:

• Amazon doesn’t just sell, it delivers in 24 hours.
• Tesla made buying a car feel like ordering a MacBook.
• Uber turned an industry of “wait 20 minutes for a cab” into “your ride is here.”

These businesses didn’t just improve what they sold. They removed weight and friction. Flooring retailers who do the same will capture asymmetric growth in a stagnant industry.

The New Currency: Speed

Speed builds empires in the flooring industry (or any industry, really). The question isn’t whether you sell better carpet, hardwood, or LVP; it’s how fast you can move customers from interest to installation.

For 70 years, flooring retail has plodded along at a predictable 4ish % CAGR. But predictable doesn’t mean sustainable. Consumer expectations have shifted. Consumers want Amazon-level convenience, Apple-level design, and Tesla Plaid speed. Instead, most flooring retailers make them wait.

Remember what Rupert Murdoch said: “In the future, it won’t be the big beating the small, it will be the fast beating the slow.”

The average consumer’s flooring journey looks like an ER triage unit:

• Confusion: Walk into a store, stare at 500 options, get overwhelmed.
• Quote Purgatory: A salesperson “will get back to you” with pricing.
• Scheduling Hell: Hope the installer is free next week. Or next month. Or ever.

This model is frayed. Most flooring retail is still partying like it’s 1999, but the winners of the next decade are pivoting toward operating with low-latency principles, removing every bottleneck between the customer and the finished floor.

Recent research shows that a key buying criterion is the ease of load out or fulfillment once the purchase decision is made.

5 Steps to Flooring at Speed

1.  AI-Guided Flooring Selection (Ditch the overwhelming displays of choice)

Customers don’t want 500 choices. They want the right three to five options, tailored to their needs. AI can instantly narrow choices based on:

• Lifestyle: Pets? Kids? High-traffic areas?
• Aesthetics? Budget: “Show me the best under $4/sq ft.”
• Style Preferences: Compliment or match colors to their existing finishes.

Instead of wasting 90 minutes driving across town to stare at displays, customers get instant, curated recommendations, just like how Netflix suggests your next binge.

2. Real-Time Pricing & Inventory (No More “Let Me Check”)

A modern flooring retailer integrates real-time inventory tracking so customers know:

• What’s in stock right now (not next week)
• Installation windows are available before they even buy
• Total cost of installation

Imagine arriving on a landing page or a showroom lounge, scanning a QR code, and seeing:

• In stock, ready to install this week, or;
• Available in 2 weeks, or;
• Backordered, here’s a faster option.

3. Instant Quotes - Kill the Waiting Game

Traditional flooring sales, like new dental implants, are a drawn-out, painful process. The average flooring supply chain member has:

• Seven handoffs between order and installation
• 22% project delays
• Enough paperwork to deforest the Amazon (the rainforest, not Bezos' empire) 

The ability to disintermediate this process will keep the interested parties engaged.

4.  Uber-Style Installer Networks (On-Demand Installation)

The biggest friction point in flooring? Scheduling the install. Customers shouldn’t have to wait weeks for labor to free up. A smart flooring retailer runs installations like an Uber fleet:

• AI-driven scheduling that matches jobs to available installers instantly
• Integrated digital calendars
• Gig-based installer networks that flex based on demand
• On-demand installation for in-stock materials

Amazon delivers your couch tomorrow. Why does flooring take three weeks?

5. One-Click Financing (Make It an Easy “Yes”)

Financing is a massive conversion lever but only if it’s frictionless. Instead:

• Offer instant pre-approval at checkout with a simple tap
• Partner with fintech firms that approve in seconds, not days
• Embed financing into the online shopping experience before they even step inside

Every extra step kills sales. Make the “Yes” as easy as ordering Dunkin.

“You’re Either First or You’re Last” - Ricky Bobby

The flooring industry exhibits signs of lethargy. That’s not unnatural in mature industries. However, the world isn’t slowing down; it’s speeding up. Most competitors are still running analog. That means there’s a massive opportunity to grab market share by eliminating friction.

The winners will be the retailers that transform flooring from a “slow, frustrating process” to a “seamless, fast experience.”

Speed is the strategy. Latency is the enemy. Rust never sleeps.

Let’s talk. If you’re ready to build a faster flooring retail experience, I’d love to help. DM me or reach out.