At Carpetland Color Tile's annual product summit, held recently in Chattanooga, the flooring retail group approved the products and programs to carry in their stores for 2006. The timing of the summit, which was held Nov. 30-Dec. 1, was designed to allow dealers time to get acquainted with the new offerings before the Surfaces show.

"This was a very productive summit from a product and merchandising standpoint," said Kevin Logue, COO and vp of marketing for CarpetsPlus Color Tile, a sister flooring group. "We chose distinctive, fashionable new products from our supplier partners as well as some more value-oriented items that our members need to round out their mix on the showroom floor."

In addition to selecting the 2006 product lineup, the flooring group also chose improved displays that group products by category for a more intuitive shopping experience, according to parent company Alliance Flooring. At least one retailer found the meeting useful for its networking opportunities, as well.

"Talking with the other dealers gave me some great ideas on improving internal operations," noted Duke Karns, owner of Carpetland Color Tile of LaFayette, Ind.