Consumer demand and awareness are two key reasons why a whopping 92 percent of the dealers/contractors we polled expect residential laminate floor covering sales to either increase (52 percent) or stay the same (40 percent) in 2002 compared to the previous year. Monthly laminate sales per store are increasing, with a current study mean of 9 sales and a median of 5. In our October 2001 study, the mean was 8.2 sales per month and the median was 4.
According to our results, the top-selling brand of laminate floor covering is Wilsonart, with a 27 percent share, compared to second-place Mannington, which came in at 15 percent. Alloc ranked third with 10 percent; followed by Armstrong, 8 percent; Pergo and Quick-Step, both at 7 percent; Witex, 5 percent, Formica, Mohawk and Shaw, 4 percent each; Bruce Laminates and Columbia, 3 percent each; and BHK, Classen, Congoleum, Faus, Tarkett and Uniboard splitting the remaining 3 percent. (See chart 1.)