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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- Market factors
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- Figure 1: Total U.S. sales and fan chart forecast of market, at current prices, 2006-16
- Hard surface sales outpace carpeting
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- Figure 2: Sales of flooring, segmented by type, 2009 and 2011
- Home centers gain share, but flooring specialists have opportunities
- Major suppliers gain share and invest heavily in marketing
- Understanding the Consumer
- Flooring owned and sought for future purchase
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- Figure 3: Types of flooring currently have, and plan to buy in next year, December 2011
- How flooring relates to the “look/feel” of a home
- Reasons for purchase and sources of information
- Retail channels and installation services
- Priorities when selecting flooring, choosing special flooring features
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- Figure 4: Importance rating of flooring qualities, December 2011
- What we think
Insights and Opportunities
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- Outreach to Baby Boomers with installations and retrofit services
- Develop targeted outreach to families, and especially to moms
- Opportunities related to “overwhelming” choices
- Improving information for eco-friendly and energy-efficient flooring
Inspire Insights
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- Trend: Without a Care
- Trend: Fauxthenticity
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Declines in the housing market have driven down flooring demand
- Pent-up demand, “green” flooring, and demographics shape market
- Sales and forecast of flooring market
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- Figure 5: Total U.S. sales and forecast of flooring, at current prices, 2006-16
- Figure 6: Total U.S. sales and forecast of flooring, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2006-16
- Fan chart forecast
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- Figure 7: Total U.S. sales and fan chart forecast of market, at current prices, 2006-16
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Macroeconomic landscape and housing market
- Consumer confidence suggests ongoing economizing in 2012
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- Figure 8: University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment, 2006-11
- Weak housing market and drop in ownership drive down flooring
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- Figure 9: Sales of existing and new single-family homes, 2001-11
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- Figure 10: Foreclosure filings, by percentage of U.S. housing units, 2006-11
- Improving existing homes and ongoing need for maintenance
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- Figure 11: Reasons for a new flooring purchase, December 2011
- Rising raw material costs drive up flooring prices
- Green living, building standards, and legislation spur green flooring
- “Green living” trends spur demand for greener flooring
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- Figure 12: Importance of energy efficiency and eco-friendly material in flooring qualities, December 2011
- “Green” buildings and products showcased in stores and in DIY programs
- Building standards and legislation drive demand for “green” flooring
- Demographic factors shaping demand for flooring
- Demographic changes shape flooring demand
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- Figure 13: Population by age, 2006-16
- As whites age, the younger population is more ethnically diverse
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- Figure 14: Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2006-16
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Hard surface flooring builds share, carpeting sales fall
- Consumers less likely to be planning a purchase of new carpeting
- Hard surface flooring attracts consumers with variety and innovation
- In carpeting, PET carpeting and carpet tiles are bright spots
- Sales of flooring, by segment
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- Figure 15: Sales of flooring, segmented by type, 2009 and 2011
Segment Performance—Hard Surface Flooring
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- Key points
- Winners and losers within the hard surface segment
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- Figure 16: Types of hard surface flooring currently owned and plan to purchase, December 2011
- Innovations abound in the hard surface segment
- Vinyl and tile stand out as strong performers in 2011
- Affordable vinyl grows share in 2011
- Hardwoods post little growth, but poised for better performance
- Tile builds share with durable, beautiful products at stable prices
- Overcapacity and competition from LVT limit growth in laminates
- Sales and forecast of hard surface flooring
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- Figure 17: Sales and forecast of hard surface flooring, at current prices, 2006-16
Segment Performance—Carpet and Other Flooring
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- Key points
- Carpeting loses market share to hard surfaces
- Increase in polyester fiber carpets and carpet tiles are key trends
- Sales and forecast of carpets and other flooring
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- Figure 18: Sales and forecast of carpets and other flooring, at current prices, 2006-16
Retail Channels
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- Key points
- Floor covering stores lose market share from 2009-11
- Home centers attract DIYers and tout cheap carpet installations
- Other channels see share decrease
- Sales of flooring, by channel
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- Figure 19: Sales of flooring, by channel, 2009 and 2011
- Mintel’s research confirms home centers as top retail channel
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- Figure 20: Locations purchased flooring from in past year; locations plan to purchase flooring from in next year, December 2011
Retail Channels—Floor Covering Stores
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- Key points
- Sales at flooring stores in decline from 2006-11
- Lumber Liquidators stands out as strong performer
- Installation services and appeal to Boomers may drive future growth
- Floor covering store sales of flooring
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- Figure 21: Floor covering store sales of flooring, at current prices, 2006-11
Retail Channels—Home Centers
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- Key points
- Home centers outperform other retail channels from 2006-11
- Home centers offer choice, value, and installation offers
- Home centers sales of flooring
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- Figure 22: Home centers sales of flooring, at current prices, 2006-11
Retail Channels—Other Channels
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- Key points
- “Other channels” embrace diverse retailers, see sales fall
- Other channel sales of flooring
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- Figure 23: Other channel sales of flooring, at current prices, 2006-11
Leading Companies
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- Key points
- Largest suppliers outperform market as a whole from 2009-11
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- Figure 24: Manufacturer sales* of floor covering products, 2009 and 2011
- Performance of major suppliers
- Mohawk sees sales rise in Q4 2011
- Shaw reports $4 billion annual sales
- Armstrong reports modest growth
Innovations and Innovators
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- Key points
- In luxury vinyl tile, new designs and mechanical-locking tiles
- In ceramic tiles, digital printing enhances realistic, dimensional effects
- Recycled content and eco-friendly qualities in new tile products
- In wood flooring, sustainably forested, eco-friendly offerings
- Mohawk, Shaw, and Armstrong offer sustainable, eco-friendly wood flooring
- Smaller suppliers offer innovative eco-friendly wood products
- Recycled content and eco-friendly qualities in laminates
- Innovations in carpeting
- New polyester and nylon carpeting rolled out in 2012
- Mohawk’s SmartStrand Silk offers improved softness with stain resistance
- Beaulieu’s Bliss Healthy Touch and Bliss EverClean
- Shaw introduces new carpet tile installation system
- Recycled content found in a variety of Shaw and Mohawk carpet products
Marketing Strategies
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- Overview of the brand landscape
- Mohawk
- Brand analysis
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- Figure 25: Brand analysis of Mohawk, 2012
- Figure 26: Pig-Pen on Scotchgard ads, 2012
- Mohawk ad featuring HGTV designer promotes SmartStrand
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- Figure 27: Mohawk, SmartStrand and Anniversary Sale, 2011
- Mohawk promotes SmartStrand via The Better Show
- Mohawk website promotes selection and offers DIY and design tools
- Mohawk social media offers information, tips, and interactive content
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- Figure 28: Mohawk Everstrand facebook contest 2012
- Shaw
- Brand analysis
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- Figure 29: Brand analysis of Shaw, 2012
- Shaw “Room” ad campaign targets moms with optimistic energy
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- Figure 30: Shaw, Protect against life, 2011
- Shaw promotes HGTV HOME collection with innovative, multifaceted campaign
- Shaw’s Dream it DO IT integrates in-store and social media component
- Shaw relaunches ShawMark Anything Goes! with new displays with QR tags
- Shaw website features interactive design tools, guides, and new collections
- Shaw Facebook page invites users to upload home-related content
- Anderson refreshes brands and develops new program for retailers in 2012
- National and local retailers play vital role in marketing and promotion
- Flooring stores use co-ops and creative marketing strategies
- Lumber Liquidators promotes exclusive collections and heavy discounts
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- Figure 31: Bellawood with bob vila, 2011
- Figure 32: Lumber Liquidators, 2012
- Home centers promote flooring online, through mobile ads, and through wider sales
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- Figure 33: Menards, 2012
Flooring Ownership, Recent Purchase, Intent to Buy
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- Key points
- Carpeting, hardwood, and tile are most widely owned flooring
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- Figure 34: Types of flooring currently have, by age, December 2011
- Upper-income households invest in a greater range of flooring options
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- Figure 35: Types of flooring currently have, by household income, December 2011
- Region shapes types of flooring owned
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- Figure 36: Types of flooring currently have, by region, December 2011
- Carpet tiles, bamboo, and rugs highly purchased in the past year
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- Figure 37: Bought flooring in past year, December 2011
- Consumers show greater intent to purchase hard surface products
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- Figure 38: Types of flooring plan to buy in the next year, by age, December 2011
Amount Spent on Flooring
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- Key points
- Average spent on flooring rises with household income
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- Figure 39: Total amount spent on flooring in the last 12 months, by household income, July 2010-September 2011
- The amount spent varies greatly with flooring surface
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- Figure 40: Total amount spent on flooring in the last 12 months, by select flooring types, July 2010-September 2011
Flooring Owned and Look/Feel of Home
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- Key points
- Key associations seen among stone/marble and engineered wood owners
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- Figure 41: Words describing the look/feel of the home, by types of flooring currently have, part i, December 2011
- Rug, “other tile,” and carpet tile owners have specific associations
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- Figure 42: Words describing the look/feel of the home, by types of flooring currently have, part II, December 2011
Reasons for Purchasing
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- Key points
- Replacement is top reason, followed by home renovation
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- Figure 43: Reasons for a new flooring purchase, by age, December 2011
- Replacing flooring when renovating home higher among more affluent
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- Figure 44: Reasons for a new flooring purchase, by household income, December 2011
Information Sources
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- Key points
- Websites comprise top source of information
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- Figure 45: Flooring information sources, by age, December 2011
- Lower-income households consult fewer information sources
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- Figure 46: Flooring information sources, by household income, December 2011
Purchase Locations
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- Key points
- Those aged 55+ favor specialty, 18-34s turn to mass and club stores
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- Figure 47: Locations purchased flooring from in past year, by age, December 2011
- Income shapes retail channel preferences
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- Figure 48: Locations purchased flooring from in past year, by household income, December 2011
Installation
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- Key points
- The majority seek some kind of help installing new flooring
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- Figure 49: Who installed flooring, by age, December 2011
- As income increases, so does likelihood of hiring pro help
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- Figure 50: Who installed flooring, by household income, December 2011
- In the Midwest, more DIY installation
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- Figure 51: Who installed flooring, by region, December 2011
- Retailers optimally positioned to promote installation services
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- Figure 52: Flooring information sources, by who installed flooring, December 2011
- Those who use installation services rank more qualities as “very important”
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- Figure 53: Importance rating of flooring qualities, by who installed flooring, December 2011
- Those who hire help are more likely to turn to independent flooring retailers
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- Figure 54: Locations purchased flooring from in past year, by who installed flooring, December 2011
Importance of Flooring Qualities
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- Key points
- Durability, ease of care, and price are top factors in flooring selection
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- Figure 55: Importance rating of flooring qualities, December 2011
- Older buyers heavily weigh durability and ease of care
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- Figure 56: Importance rating of flooring qualities, by age, December 2011
- The least affluent weigh price heavily, but not alone
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- Figure 57: Importance rating of flooring qualities, by household income, December 2011
Flooring Attitudes
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- Key points
- Attitudes related to choice, “green,” and antimicrobial flooring
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- Figure 58: Attitudes toward flooring, by age, December 2011
Race and Hispanic Origin
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- Key points
- Race/Hispanic origin shapes flooring owned and sought after
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- Figure 59: Types of flooring currently have, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2011
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- Figure 60: Types of flooring plan to buy in the next year, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2011
- Allergen-free, eco-friendly products appeal to ethnically diverse buyers
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- Figure 61: Importance rating of flooring qualities, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2011
Custom Consumer Groups
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- Key points
- Hardwood ownership high for parents of kids 6-17
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- Figure 62: Types of flooring currently have, by parents with children and age, December 2011
- Parents of younger kids buy when adding room and selling home
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- Figure 63: Reasons for a new flooring purchase, by parents with children and age, December 2011
- Target young parents with flooring that keeps home allergen-free
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- Figure 64: Importance rating of flooring qualities, by parents with children and age, December 2011
Correspondence Analysis
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- Overview
- Brand key to solid hardwoods, while ease of care correlates with stone/marble tiles
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- Figure 65: Correspondence map—importance rating of flooring qualities and flooring purchased in past 12 months or plan to purchase in next 12 months, December 2011
Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Figure 66: Types of flooring currently have, by presence of children in household, December 2011
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- Figure 67: Types of flooring currently have, by region, December 2011
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- Figure 68: Types of flooring plan to buy in the next year, by region, December 2011
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- Figure 69: Reasons for a new flooring purchase, by region, December 2011
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- Figure 70: Reasons for a new flooring purchase, by presence of children in household, December 2011
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- Figure 71: Flooring information sources, by presence of children in household, December 2011
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- Figure 72: Locations purchased flooring from in past year, by region, December 2011
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- Figure 73: Locations plan to purchase flooring from in next year, by age, December 2011
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- Figure 74: Locations plan to purchase flooring from in next year, by household income, December 2011
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- Figure 75: Locations plan to purchase flooring from in next year, by region, December 2011
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- Figure 76: Importance rating of flooring qualities, by presence of children in household, December 2011
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- Figure 77: Importance rating of flooring qualities, by region, December 2011
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- Figure 78: Attitudes toward flooring, by household income, December 2011
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- Figure 79: Who installed flooring, by presence of children in household, December 2011
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- Figure 80: Reasons for a new flooring purchase, by who installed flooring, December 2011
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- Figure 81: Flooring information sources, by parents with children and age, December 2011
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Appendix: Trade Associations
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