More consolidation, a worsening shortage of skilled labor, supply pipeline issues, uneasiness about the Internet replacing brick and mortar stores...these are just some of the curves expected along the road leading to 2010. But the forecasts we gathered from retailers and distributors also anticipate a far more efficient distribution system, stronger buying groups, better product lines and, perhaps most important, consumers who appreciate, and respond to, quality flooring.
One area of solid agreement involves technology. B2B communications that require less and less human intervention are inevitable. Installer training will include digital photography to record every step. Paperwork, if any, will be scanned directly into computer files. The consensus: Changes resulting from online buying and selling and the growing reliance on business management tools will profoundly affect every level of the business.