Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Flooring market benefits from improving housing market and overall economy
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of residential flooring, at current prices, 2008-18
- Market factors
- Housing market builds momentum in 2013
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- Figure 2: New and existing home sales, 2009-13
- Remodeling trends higher
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- Figure 3: BuildFax Remodeling Index, 2008-14
- The consumer
- Wall-to-wall carpeting remains a popular choice
- Growing interest in various types of hard surface flooring
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- Figure 4: Types of flooring currently owned, bought in past year, or intend to buy in next year, February 2014
- Purchases motivated by more than just replacement of worn flooring
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- Figure 5: Reasons for past-year purchase or intent to purchase in next year, February 2014
- Durability top criterion for carpeting and hard surface flooring purchases
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- Figure 6: Most important attributes, February 2014
- Big box home centers lead other retail channels by wide margin
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- Figure 7: Flooring purchase locations, February 2014
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Shopping for flooring by benefit instead of type
- The issues
- The implications
- The next generation of flooring shoppers
- The issues
- The implications
- Thinking outside the (big) box
- The issues
- The implications
Trend Application
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- Trend: Life Hacking
- Trend: Prepare for the Worst
- Mintel Futures: East Meets West
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Improving economy and housing market give flooring a lift
- Sales and forecast of residential flooring
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- Figure 8: Total US sales and forecast of residential flooring, at current prices, 2008-18
- Figure 9: Total US sales and forecast of residential flooring, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2008-18
- Fan chart forecast
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- Figure 10: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of residential flooring, at current prices, 2008-18
Market Drivers
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- A variety of discretionary factors motivate new flooring purchases
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- Figure 11: Top reasons for past-year purchase or intent to purchase in next year, February 2014
- Halting improvement in consumer confidence helps market
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- Figure 12: Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index of consumer sentiment, 2009-14
- Housing market builds momentum in 2013, levels off in early 2014
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- Figure 13: New and existing home sales, 2009-13
- Remodeling trends higher
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- Figure 14: BuildFax Remodeling Index, 2008-14
- Total number of households continues to grow…
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- Figure 15: Number of households, 2003-13
- …but households are slowly getting smaller, older
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- Figure 16: Household size, 2003-13
- Homeownership rate declines overall, holds steady among older adults
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- Figure 17: Fourth quarter homeownership rate, by age of householder, 2006-13
Leading Companies
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- Mohawk accelerates growth with help of acquisitions
- Shaw reports sales of more than $4 billion
- Armstrong sales growth doesn’t keep pace with competitors
- Lumber Liquidators continues on strong growth track
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- Figure 18: Leading company sales* of residential flooring, 2012 and 2013
Innovations and Innovators
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- Mohawk launches polyester process promising cleaner carpeting
- FLOR turns carpet tiles into design elements
- Flooring innovations promise cleaner air
- Lauzon Pure Genius
- Crossville Hydrotect
Marketing Strategies
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- Mohawk focuses consumer marketing on fun, kids, and pets
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- Figure 19: Mohawk Flooring/Better Show, Mo Introduction, 2014
- Shaw Floors Grand Central event reaches out to a broader audience
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- Figure 20: Shaw Floors, Grand Central Challenge video, 2014
- Lumber Liquidators “Lay It Forward”
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- Figure 21: Lumber Liquidators, Highsteppers Dance Studio video, 2013
Flooring Ownership, Purchase, and Purchase Intent
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- Key points
- Wall-to-wall carpeting remains a popular choice
- Growing interest in various types of hard surface flooring
- In their words: aesthetic and practical considerations drive popularity
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- Figure 22: Types of flooring currently owned, bought in past year, or intend to buy in next year, February 2014
- Preferences by age point to further growth for hard surface flooring
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- Figure 23: Types of flooring currently owned, by age, February 2014
- Some hard surface types more likely to be found in high-income households
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- Figure 24: Types of flooring currently owned, by household income, February 2014
- Young adults likely to be recent purchasers, especially of hard surface
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- Figure 25: Types of flooring bought in past year or intend to buy in next year, by age, February 2014
- Larger households more likely to have plans for new flooring
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- Figure 26: Types of flooring bought in past year or intend to buy in next year, by household size, February 2014
- Homeowners far more likely than renters to be recent flooring purchasers
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- Figure 27: Types of flooring bought in past year or intend to buy in next year, by type and ownership status of primary residence, February 2014
Reasons for Purchasing Flooring
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- Key points
- Purchases motivated by more than just replacement of worn flooring
- Hard surface more likely to be part of a renovation or new construction
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- Figure 28: Reasons for past-year purchase or intent to purchase in next year, February 2014
- Younger adults cite more reasons for purchase
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- Figure 29: Reasons for past-year purchase of hard surface flooring or intent to in next year, by age, February 2014
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- Figure 30: Reasons for past-year purchase of carpeting or intent to in next year, by age, February 2014
Flooring Selection Criteria
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- Key points
- Durability top criterion for carpeting and hard surface flooring purchases
- In their words: some criteria are essentials
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- Figure 31: Most important attributes, February 2014
- Young adults make flooring choices based on more criteria
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- Figure 32: Most important attributes in hard surface flooring selection, by age, February 2014
- Figure 33: Most important attributes in carpeting selection, by age, February 2014
Purchase Locations
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- Key points
- Big box home centers attract half of flooring shoppers
- Independents hold steady, focus on service, local knowledge
- Lumber Liquidators remains on growth track
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- Figure 34: Flooring purchase locations, February 2014
- Higher-income flooring purchasers purchase from more retail channels
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- Figure 35: Flooring purchase locations, by household income, February 2014
Information Sources
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- Key points
- Younger adults consult a wider array of information sources
- In their words: back and forth between in-store and online
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- Figure 36: Information sources consulted in flooring purchases, by age, February 2014
- Higher-income purchasers tend to consult more sources
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- Figure 37: Information sources consulted in flooring purchases, by household income, February 2014
Flooring Purchase Attitudes and Behaviors
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- Younger more likely to be overwhelmed by choice
- Old flooring disposal represents opportunity among young shoppers
- In their words: mostly positive experience with an occasional frustration
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- Figure 38: Flooring purchase attitudes, by age, February 2014
- Figure 39: Most important attributes in carpeting selection, by region, February 2014
Race and Hispanic Origin
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- Flooring types owned vary only moderately by race and Hispanic origin
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- Figure 40: Types of flooring currently owned, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2014
- Purchase intent for most types of flooring higher among Hispanics
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- Figure 41: Types of flooring bought in past year or intend to buy in next year, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2014
- Hispanics motivated by home renovation, easier cleaning, healthier homes
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- Figure 42: Reasons for past-year purchase of hard surface flooring or intent to in next year, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2014
- Ease of cleaning and health influence Hispanics’ new carpeting purchases
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- Figure 43: Reasons for past-year purchase of carpeting or intent to in next year, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2014
Custom Consumer Groups
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- Regional differences in flooring ownership and purchase intent
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- Figure 44: Types of flooring currently owned, by region, February 2014
- Northeasterners and Westerners express higher interest in hard surfaces
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- Figure 45: Types of flooring bought in past year or intend to buy in next year, by region, February 2014
- Westerners more likely to view new flooring as a lifestyle enhancement
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- Figure 46: Reasons for past-year purchase of hard surface flooring or intent to in next year, by region, February 2014
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- Figure 47: Reasons for past-year purchase of carpeting or intent to in next year, by region, February 2014
Appendix – Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Flooring ownership, past-year purchase, and intent to purchase in next year
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- Figure 48: Types of flooring currently owned, by household size, February 2014
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- Figure 49: Types of flooring bought in past year or intend to buy in next year, by household income, February 2014
- Reasons for past-year purchase or intent to purchase in next year
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- Figure 50: Reasons for past-year purchase of hard surface flooring or intent to in next year, by household income, February 2014
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- Figure 51: Reasons for past-year purchase of hard surface flooring or intent to in next year, by household size, February 2014
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- Figure 52: Reasons for past-year purchase of carpeting or intent to in next year, by household income, February 2014
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- Figure 53: Reasons for past-year purchase of carpeting or intent to in next year, by household size, February 2014
- Flooring selection criteria
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- Figure 54: Most important attributes in hard surface flooring selection, by household income, February 2014
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- Figure 55: Most important attributes in hard surface flooring selection, by household size, February 2014
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- Figure 56: Most important attributes in hard surface flooring selection, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2014
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- Figure 57: Most important attributes in carpeting selection, by household income, February 2014
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- Figure 58: Most important attributes in carpeting selection, by household size, February 2014
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- Figure 59: Most important attributes in carpeting selection, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2014
- Information sources
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- Figure 60: Information sources consulted in flooring purchases, by household size, February 2014
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- Figure 61: Information sources consulted in flooring purchases, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2014
- Flooring purchase locations
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- Figure 62: Flooring purchase locations, by age, February 2014
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- Figure 63: Flooring purchase locations, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2014
- Flooring purchase attitudes
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- Figure 64: Flooring purchase attitudes, by household income, February 2014
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- Figure 65: Flooring purchase attitudes, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2014
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- Figure 66: Flooring purchase attitudes, by household size, February 2014
Appendix – Trade Associations
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