NFT Carpet and Area Rug Market Study: Soft surface holding firm

Couristan's Victoria Trellis
The carpet and area rug segment continues to stand its ground as a dominant force in floor covering-but it is also a category on the move. New stain fighting technology, a more daring palette of colors and an invigorated approach to consumer marketing have helped keep the business rolling at a time when hard surface products are making broad strides. There are also strong indications that manufacturer warranties are a major selling point.

Mohawk Select's Southhampton

Durkan Commercial's Mind, Body & Soul

Sphinx by Oriental Weavers' Nexus




Other finding in the survey included these:
- Only 5% of the respondents said they sell carpet via the internet while about 27% said they use the Net to place orders with suppliers. On average, they also allocate about 5% for their ad money for online advertising.
- Among those who do sell over the Internet there is no clear consensus on the profitability of their efforts. Asked if the profit was higher, lower or about the same as their in-store sales, each answer received about 33% of the responses.
- Newspaper and the ads in telephone books are by far the two most popular ways to advertise. Together they account for about 75% of the ad allocations.
- Quality, design and price ranked as the top three considerations for those in either the residential or commercial market. The No. 4 response, however, differed. In residential it was distributor service/support. In commercial it was ease of installation/maintenance.
- Another area where there was wide agreement involved the manner in which retailers dealt with the recent wave of price increases from manufacturers. Eighty-four percent said they passed the costs along to consumers.
Editor's Note: The findings included are a snapshot of the 2006 NFT Carpet and Area Rug Market Study report. The full survey is now available from the BNP Media Market Research Division for $250 and can be ordered by contacting Cory Maxwell at 248-244-6415.
The Carpet and Area Rug Market Study was produced using a sample of 2,000 active, qualified flooring covering dealers/contractors, selected on an Nth name bases from the domestic circulation of NFT subscribers. The survey was sent via U.S. mail earlier this year and generated 240 usable returns for a response rate of 13 percent.
The survey was commissioned by National Floor Trends as part of our ongoing series of market studies designed to help flooring retailers and contractors enhance their success and profitability. The study identifies current product and sales trends, and projects the industry's future direction. It also reports on the top attributes affecting brand purchase decisions and customer ratings of carpet and area rugs. The full study also includes verbatim comments related to several areas including reasons for carpet and area rugs popularity.
Other survey topics include: floor covering sales per month, per retailer; percentage of floor space devoted to the category; frequency by which dealers recommend carpet and area rugs; customer response; and the frequency of customer complaints; customer perceptions of carpet and area rugs; top selling brands; a ranking of various attributes that affect the decision to sell/promote a particular brand/manufacturer; issues that effect the future of the business; the biggest challenges facing dealers and manufacturers and expectations for the future of the category.
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