Almost everyone uses the Internet
nowadays. In a consumer study conducted by Clear Seas Research for the World
Floor Covering Association last year, most participants noted they use the
Internet to research flooring options and get an idea of the prices before
heading out to the store.
The Internet also remains important to retailers.
Increasingly, retailers are putting their store information online and
corresponding with colleagues through e-mail.
Top executives on the
manufacturing side of the flooring industry have a two-word message for
retailers who have paused to lament the sour market conditions seen over the
past year:
I often encounter flooring
dealers, contractors and architects who are reluctant to work with cork because
of past problems or the perception that it is “complicated” to work with. Although
classified as resilient flooring, cork is more like wood with regard to
handling, installation and finishing. Many of the things I will say here about
cork could have the words “just like wood” added. For this column, we’ll cover
traditional cork tile as opposed to cork floating floors and vinyl
wearlayer/vinyl backed cork tile.
It looks like floor covering retailers have heard enough about slumping market conditions.
Their expectation for the coming year is an industry-wide rebound that will be most visible in the hardwood and ceramic tile categories. Although NFT’s year-end poll of more than 400 retailers identified the economy as the biggest factor determining the industry’s future, the survey results suggest it won’t be the only factor. Respondents listed their top areas of investment as marketing followed by showroom design, technology and training.
Starting a New Year means making
plans for where your immediate business will come from and investing time,
personnel and thought into expanding. If your retail residential business is
less than you had hoped for, perhaps you will finally take the plunge into
commercial work. Here are the best targets for you to consider under the
current economic conditions:
Well, just as the gunslinger of
the Old West would add a “notch” on his gun belt after a shootout with an
adversary, you too, we hope, have made it through another year by carving out
your own special “niche” in the hardwood flooring industry. Some of us may have
been wounded by slumping sales. Others unfortunately have gone to flooring’s
“Boot Hill” due to financial woes. Those who honored commitments by making some
form of restitution to their vendors, you too will be missed, but never
forgotten. When you “start” a business with pride, it is only fitting to “end”
your journey the same way.
Procreactive. Several years ago I
trademarked the word. I created it to differentiate the two types of action
that I teach in my Time Management and Territory Management seminars.
Experience tells me the primary force separating successful from unsuccessful
people is action. Successful people
act; unsuccessful people don’t.
Let’s face it. Times are tough
right now in the flooring industry. But it is important to bear in mind that
the industry is cyclical. There will be bad times as well as good. We’ve been
through this before and we’ll have to endure it again. Unlike the early ‘80s,
this has nothing to do with the economy. It doesn’t even have much to do with
our flooring industry. Rather, much of it lies with the building industry, which,
unfortunately, many flooring retailers are dependent upon.
The sense of urgency seen these
days in the flooring business may make this year’s meeting the most important
Surfaces ever. A great many flooring dealers traveling to the show were hit
hard last year by the ripple of a lousy housing market. They’ve come to Las
Vegas in search of solutions, fresh ideas and maybe a little encouragement.
Given the show’s deep roots in our industry and the major improvements added
this year, they have most certainly come to the right place.
You
may think it’s a stretch to see Surfaces as our industry’s institution of
higher learning, but that is exactly what it is. It’s not merely a trade show,
it’s a learning center: a hands-on introduction to the most innovative and
eye-catching products around-all hatched by the top R & D minds in our
business. You can expect these new offerings to be off the charts aesthetically.
You can also expect that most will have performance and/or sustainability
stories worth knowing. And it’s not just products. Those of you who invest the
time to participate in seminars, demonstrations and other presentations will
likely to walk away with a wealth of information-even before you set foot in
the exhibit hall.
Soledo
Plank is EarthWerks’ latest LVT. Featuring smooth embossing with added aluminum
oxide for extra durability, the floor is offered in eight colors in a variety
of wood looks.
Mannington
has updated its Sobella fiberglass-backed resilient line with new tile and
hardwood looks. Estonia resembles an 18” tile with an earthy texture.
Forbo
presents a new line of resilient flooring, the Marmoleum Dutch Design
collection. Each of the 12 designs was developed by a different Dutch designer,
resulting in unique and artistic patterns the company says.
Ultimate
Home is new from Beaulieu of America. The residential carpet collection offers
superior performance, durability and styling, according to Beaulieu.
Foresbec
offers the ForesFloor line of hardwood flooring. The company oversees the
manufacturing process from beginning to end to ensure the quality of all raw
materials used, the company says.
Stonehenge
Walnut hardwood flooring is new to Mannington’s Inverness collection. Featuring
a refined whitewash look, each board is hand-planed with subtle white glazing
and hand-applied dry finish brush effects.
Natural
Cork has taken the wraps off a standalone cork collection made of large tiles
and narrow planks. The flooring features beveled edges in a range of colors and
patterns.
The
Rondine Group has taken the wraps off of Evolution, a porcelain stoneware tile
collection that aims to reproduce the look of Calacatta Gold and Crema Marfil
marbles.
MAPEI
presents Ultrabond ECO 360, a hard-setting adhesive designed to perform well
under the rolling loads commonly found in hospitals, supermarkets and hotels.
AcoustiCork
PR60 underlayment features proprietary Profile Wave technology to offer
“unequaled acoustic performance” and the potential for LEED credits, the
company says.
Bengard
Manufacturing has unveiled a line of Lox Pro tools and expanded its color
palette. The Lox Pro ceramic tool line will include “a core selection of
must-have items,” according to the company.
MP
Global Products has launched a rebate program called “Greenbacks for Green
Products” aimed at raising awareness of the company’s environmentally
responsible products.
Specialty
Construction Brands introduces the TEC Single Layer Floor System. Designed to
help installers bond tile directly to an OSB or plywood subfloor quickly and
easily, the system involves several of the company’s products.
Laticrete
offers Hydro Ban, a thin load-bearing waterproofing and anti-fracture membrane.
Hydro Ban does not require the use of fabric in the field, coves or corners,
according to the company.
Tramex
has taken the wraps off its new multi-purpose moisture meter, CMExpert. The
product combines non-destructive moisture and humidity measurement for
concrete, gypsum and wood.
Roppe rolls out Dimensions
Rubber Tile. Available in Random, Stripe and Crackle profiles, the tile is
engineered to offer inherent slip resistance, comfort underfoot and sound
deadening qualities.
Mediterranea
introduces Bellagio glazed porcelain tiles. Made using Rotocolor technology,
Bellagio is offered in three large-format sizes, mesh-backed mosaics and a
series of accessory pieces.
Revision
is new from Ragno USA. A collection of “super-sized” color body porcelain tile
with rectified edges, Revision is designed to capture the look of sanded and
waxed hardwood floors.
FloorFolio
introduces Polaris Punch and Polaris Footwork sports floors. Designed for heavy
use, Polaris Punch is offered in six wood looks drawn from Responsive
Flooring’s Zeta Wood Essence product.
MeadWestvaco
rolls out Lustralite décor papers for luxury vinyl tile. The paper is available
infused with a variety of materials (such as banana fibers, coffee bean husks,
scintillating mineral chips, and manmade beads) for greater depth and
dimension.
Formica
Flooring’s Cordelia collection is now available in Estate Hickory. The floor is
offered in 8mm thick planks with a soft-sculpted natural finish.
Armstrong Hardwood unveils
Global Exotics, a collection of 3/4” and 5/16” solid and 5/8” and 3/8”
engineered hardwood in a wide range of exotic species.
Empire Mouldings unveils a
line of flexible mouldings, Flexitions. Made from a composite material, and
designed “to install around a curve, arch or radius” the mouldings is designed
for hardwood and laminate jobs.
Wicanders’
cork flooring now features Acrodur binders from BASF. The binders are
thermo-curing, water-based acrylate resins that offer several green benefits.
