Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Advertising creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Total U.S. retail sales and fan chart forecast of flooring, at current prices, 2007-17
- Market factors
- Housing market boosts flooring sales
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- Figure 2: Single-family existing home sales, 2010-13
- Residential remodeling building permits gain momentum
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- Figure 3: BuildFax Remodeling Index, 2008-13
- Segments
- Hard surface flooring continues to outpace wall-to-wall carpet
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- Figure 4: Total U.S. retail sales of flooring, by segment, at current prices, 2011 and 2012
- The consumer
- Carpeting most widely owned, but purchase intent higher for hard surfaces
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- Figure 5: Types of flooring currently owned or planned to buy in next year, December 2012
- Replacement of old or worn flooring a common denominator in purchases
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- Figure 6: Reasons for purchasing or planning to purchase new flooring, December 2012
- Practical matters edge out aesthetics in flooring selection
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- Figure 7: Factors important in flooring selection, December 2012
- Added features have the potential to drive trade-up sales
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- Figure 8: Consumers would be willing to pay more for flooring features, December 2012
- Flooring attitudes
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- Figure 9: Flooring attitudes, strongly agree, December 2012
- What we think
Issues in the Market
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- Can consumers be motivated to purchase flooring for reasons other than necessary replacement?
- Can sustainability be further leveraged as a flooring sales driver?
- What challenges and opportunities do Millennials hold for the residential flooring market?
Insights and Opportunities
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- Star power
- Functional flooring
- Make eco-friendly tangible and personal
Trend Applications
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- Trend: Guiding Choice
- Trend: Make it Mine
- Mintel Futures: Old Gold
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Strengthening housing market gives residential flooring a boost
- Rising prices for wood, other flooring materials may bolster value sales
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- Figure 10: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of flooring, at current prices, 2007-17
- Figure 11: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of flooring, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2007-17
- Fan chart forecast
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- Figure 12: Total U.S. retail sales and fan chart forecast of flooring, at current prices, 2007-17
Market Drivers
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- Flooring market reflects broader economic picture
- Household income stabilizes but remains weak
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- Figure 13: Median household income, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2001-11
- Consumer confidence rising but still fragile
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- Figure 14: Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment, 2007-13
- Single-family home sales turn positive, giving a boost to flooring
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- Figure 15: Single-family existing home sales, 2010-13
- Homeownership levels down, especially among young adults
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- Figure 16: Fourth quarter homeownership rate*, by age of head of household, 2007-12
- Residential remodeling building permits gain momentum
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- Figure 17: BuildFax Remodeling Index, 2008-13
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Hard surface flooring continues to outpace wall-to-wall carpet
- Purchase plans point to further gains for hard surface flooring
- Within hard surface segment, engineered wood, bamboo, and laminate gain momentum
- Wall-to-wall carpeting market goes ‘soft’
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- Figure 18: Total U.S. retail sales of flooring, by segment, at current prices, 2011 and 2012
Retail Channels
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- Key points
- Home centers attract more than half of flooring shoppers
- Lumber Liquidators sets pace for specialty retailers
Leading Companies
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- Key points
- Mohawk expands in hard surface segment through acquisitions
- Shaw reports $4 billion annual sales, innovates in softness
- Armstrong wood and resilient sales slip, underperforms market
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- Figure 19: Manufacturer sales* of floor covering products, 2011-12
Innovations and Innovators
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- Green/Eco-friendly
- Recycling wood
- Innovative eco-friendly hard surface flooring options
- Bio-degradable carpeting
- Major manufacturers bolstering resilience, lasting technology
- Hard surface flooring
- Health and wellness
- Carpet
- Baby boomers
Marketing Strategies
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- Shaw partnership with HGTV
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- Figure 20: HGTV by Shaw “Perfect Home Flooring” TV ad, 2012
- Mohawk makes messes to promote SmartStrand
- Follows up with Silk
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- Figure 21: Mohawk “And Drop it, Too” print ad, 2012
- Pergo connects with pet owners
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- Figure 22: Pergo “Pergo vs. Claws” TV ad, 2013
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- Figure 23: Pergo “Great Dane” print ad, 2013
Flooring Ownership and Purchase Intent
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- Key points
- Carpeting most widely owned, but purchase intent higher for hard surfaces
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- Figure 24: Types of flooring currently owned or planned to buy in next year, December 2012
- Older adults own a wider variety of floors
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- Figure 25: Types of flooring currently owned, by gender and age, December 2012
- Higher-income consumers more likely to own hardwood, tile
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- Figure 26: Types of flooring currently owned, by household income, December 2012
- Ownership by type and future purchase interest vary by region
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- Figure 27: Types of flooring currently owned, by region, December 2012
- Bamboo, engineered wood, and carpet tiles likely to be recent purchases
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- Figure 28: Types of flooring bought in the last year, December 2012
- Young adults more likely to plan purchase in next year
- Minimal income skew in purchase interest
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- Figure 29: Types of flooring planned to buy in next year, by gender and age, December 2012
- Likelihood of plans to purchase new flooring increases with household size
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- Figure 30: Types of flooring planned to buy in next year, by household size, December 2012
Reasons for Purchasing Flooring
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- Key points
- Replacement of old or worn flooring a common denominator in purchases
- Many reasons for new flooring purchases
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- Figure 31: Reasons for purchasing or planning to purchase new flooring, by gender and age, December 2012
Factors Important in Flooring Selection
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- Key points
- Practical matters edge out aesthetics, especially among older adults
- Energy efficiency and environment unlikely to be primary motivations
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- Figure 32: Factors important in flooring selection, by gender and age, December 2012
- Flooring priorities shift modestly with household income
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- Figure 33: Factors important in flooring selection, by household income, December 2012
Interest in Flooring Features
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- Key points
- Added features have the potential to drive trade-up sales
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- Figure 34: Interest in flooring features, December 2012
- Young adults more willing to pay more for added features
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- Figure 35: Consumers would be willing to pay more for flooring features, by household size, December 2012
- Trade-up opportunities at all price points
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- Figure 36: Consumers would be willing to pay more for flooring features, by household income, December 2012
Flooring Attitudes
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- Key points
- Flooring is both an investment and an element of design
- Germs and allergens trapped in carpeting are a concern
- Moderate interest in eco-friendly flooring
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- Figure 37: Flooring attitudes, December 2012
- Flooring gender gap may be shrinking
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- Figure 38: Strong agreement with flooring attitudes, by gender and age, December 2012
Impact of Race and Hispanic Origin
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- Key points
- Distinctions in race/ethnicity point to diverse flooring market
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- Figure 39: Types of flooring currently owned, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
- Hispanics particularly likely to plan flooring purchases in coming year
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- Figure 40: Types of flooring planned to buy in next year, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
- Hispanics an active, young market for flooring
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- Figure 41: Reasons for purchasing or planning to purchase new flooring, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
- For black consumers, flooring is an investment and an element of style
- Hispanic and black consumers concerned about germs and allergens
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- Figure 42: Strong agreement with flooring attitudes, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Cluster Analysis
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- Figure 43: Target clusters, December 2012
- Practicals
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Disengageds
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Flooring Pros
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Stylists
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Cluster characteristic tables
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- Figure 44: Types of flooring currently owned, by target clusters, December 2012
- Figure 45: Types of flooring planned to buy in next year, by target clusters, December 2012
- Figure 46: Reasons for purchasing or planning to purchase new flooring, by target clusters, December 2012
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- Figure 47: Factors important in flooring selection, by target clusters, December 2012
- Figure 48: Consumers would be willing to pay more for flooring features, by target clusters, December 2012
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- Figure 49: Strong agreement with flooring attitudes, by target clusters, December 2012
- Cluster demographic tables
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- Figure 50: Target clusters, by demographic, December 2012
- Cluster methodology
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Custom Consumer Groups
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- By flooring type recently purchased or planned to purchase
- Carpeting replacers likely to be motivated by claims of duration
- Wood flooring purchases more likely to be motivated by style
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- Figure 51: Reasons for purchasing or planning to purchase new flooring, by next year and last year flooring purchasers, December 2012
- Protection against stains and soiling a key added-value benefit for carpet
- Laminate and vinyl may be well-suited to regular color or style changes
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- Figure 52: Consumers would be willing to pay more for flooring features, by next year and last year flooring purchasers, December 2012
- Renters versus owners
- A potential renters’ market for nonpermanent flooring
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- Figure 53: Reasons for purchasing or planning to purchase new flooring, by primary residence, December 2012
- Durability and ease of care especially important to home owners
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- Figure 54: Factors important in flooring selection, by primary residence, December 2012
Appendix – Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Figure 55: Types of flooring currently owned, by household size, December 2012
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- Figure 56: Types of flooring planned to buy in next year, by household income, December 2012
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- Figure 57: Types of flooring planned to buy in next year, by region, December 2012
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- Figure 58: Reasons for purchasing or planning to purchase new flooring, by household income, December 2012
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- Figure 59: Reasons for purchasing or planning to purchase new flooring, by household size, December 2012
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- Figure 60: Factors important in flooring selection, by household income, December 2012
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- Figure 61: Factors important in flooring selection, by household size, December 2012
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- Figure 62: Consumers would be willing to pay more for flooring features, by household size, December 2012
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- Figure 63: Strong agreement with flooring attitudes, by household income, December 2012
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- Figure 64: Strong agreement with flooring attitudes, by household size, December 2012
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Appendix – Trade Associations
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