Laminate
flooring may be easy to install, but as a piece of the floor covering puzzle it
is hard to pin down. While the products in the category have seen steady
advances in performance and design, specialty retailers are reporting a sharp
drop in annual dollar volume from laminate sales. Four years ago, those
participating in our survey said they averaged more than $327,000 in sales for
the category. Those responding to this year’s survey said the average was
$100,411. The falloff is widely seen as a byproduct of laminate sales shifting
to big box stores.