Atlanta—Coverings 2024 kicked off here last week to stellar attendance and an energy not necessarily commensurate with the contracting tile market. Exhibitors expressed healthy interest in buying and an energetic thirst for bold new designs. The reliance on greige and wood-look planks has been lifted, and the show floor showcased a growing demand for highly personalized, bold designs that highlight the versatility of tile—a characteristic that allows it to differentiate itself in the market.
The 2023 event, held in Orlando, experienced a 50% year-over-year increase, and this year’s show wasn’t too far behind. “Right now we are right in line with Orlando last year, which was a record-breaking attendance year for us,” Jennifer Heinold, president of Taffy Event Strategies, the show management company for Coverings, told FCNews. “We’re expecting about 25,000 people here. As of yesterday, we were about 37% ahead of the last time we were in Atlanta. So that was really great for us to see the growth coming back to this city.”
Exhibitors agreed the traffic was robust. “Extremely, extremely busy,” Dennis Szczybor, North American director, Vitra, told FCNews. “Non-stop. Great response. I think everybody is resonating with what our story is, and the visitors and the traffic have been fantastic.”
The show this year also focused on creating experiences for each kind of buyer—something Heinold said will be expanded on further for next year’s show. “We really took a curated approach to what the A&D community needs, what the distributors need, what the retailer community needs and built out a journey for each,” she explained. “So I hope we can take that to the next level next year and continue to curate the experience, because each of our groups do need a little something different. We want to make the most of their time— which is so precious—and really make the show as valuable as possible for them.”
Tile feels the strain
Tile is one of the flooring categories that is most closely tied to the housing market, which remains a strong barometer of the category’s health. Therefore, as expected, tile has experienced some challenges of late.
As Eric Astrachan, executive director, Tile Council of North America (TCNA), explained: “This is the second year, unfortunately, where the tile market has contracted, and it very closely follows the U.S housing market so that has also contracted. And that has been challenged by high mortgage rates, inflation and labor shortages.”
To be more specific, U.S. ceramic tile consumption in 2023 was 2.85 billion square feet, down 7.3% from the previous year, according to the TCNA. By value, consumption was $4.06 billion, down 8.1% from 2022.
Imports also experienced a shift in 2023, which has impacted the market greatly. U.S. imports decreased by volume for the second consecutive year in 2023. The 2 billion square feet of tile imported in 2023 repre- sented an 8.4% decline from the year prior. Overall, imports comprised 70.2% of U.S. tile consumption by volume in 2023, down from 71.1% in 2022.
India became the largest exporter by volume to the U.S. in 2023, with a 20.3% share of U.S. imports, followed by Spain (17.4%) and Mexico (16.7%). Over the last 10 years, sales of tile from India have increased from 344,000 square feet in 2013 to 405 million square feet in 2023.
The TCNA was clear in its decision to file anti-dumping and countervailing duty petitions with the federal government, seeking the imposition of substantial tariffs on imports of ceramic tile from India to remedy unfairly low-priced imports. “While many of the largest tile exporters experienced a double-digit decline year over year, imports from India went up 42.6% by volume, all while their price has been going down,” Astrachan explained. “Where else in the world, with everybody experiencing an increase in pricing from inflation, would you expect prices to go down?”
What’s trending
There were several defined trends evident on the show floor this year. Most illustrated the growing demand for highly stylized products that allow consumers to personalize their spaces.
“I think the pandemic changed the way people think about their spaces,” said Lindsay Waldrep, vice president of marketing, Crossville. “Instead of going with, ‘Well, we need to think about resale value; we need to think about playing it safe; we don’t know how long we’re going to be here,’ now it’s ‘I’m going to do what I want to do regardless of how long this is going to be for because I want to live in this moment right now, in the present.’”
One of the top trends at the show was an elevated concept of texture. Several suppliers unveiled new texturizing technologies applied to a variety of product types—from natural stone to porcelain tile and many even focused on linear lines to highlight the effect.
MSI, for example, exhibited its show-stopping Malahari Series, which features the company’s patented 3D ink jet printing technology. “The 3D ink jet printing allows us to have a ‘see a vein, feel a vein,’ with this beautiful quartzite look on porcelain, and we’re actually able to see and feel the quartzite veining going through this product,” said Katie Llerena, sales rep for MSI. “And with the 3D print, you’re able to see the look of elegance in the pattern and keep it very simplistic but bring that design interest with texture.”
Antolini showcased several lines of natural stone that featured a linear design complemented with unique texturizing effects. For instance, 20 variants of natural stone were shown as part of the Textures+ collection. Through technological innovation, the company designed over 50 different looks in high-tech finishes. Each stone can be transformed by adding unique and highly tactile finishes in three dimensions. Two such linear finishes include the Stratos Finish, which brings out the veining and colors of the stone through the succession of thin parallel lines, and the Flut Finish, defined by a succession of curvilinear reliefs.
Stonepeak, which celebrated 20 years in the U.S. at the show, also brought new innovations in finishes. The company’s new Honed+ finish features a natural look and feel, combined with an impressive DCOF value that balances ease of maintenance with slip resistance, making Honed+ ideal for both indoor and outdoor applications. The company’s Solumbria and Stellalith collections are available in the new Honed+ finish. Natural Gloss, the other new finish, offers a natural effect achieved through advanced digital printing.
Decocer, which specializes in small-format, customizable tile, also showcased its prowess with texture in various collections, many of which were available in the company’s new 3 x 19-inch size. The new size was created for the show in multiple finishes like glossy, matte, satin and fleece.
Mosaic companies brought linear interest to the forefront with its new Geometric collection. Fashioned from high-quality natural stone, Geometric tiles boast three-dimensional character in an array of colors.
American Olean, a Dal-Tile brand, also tapped that linear trend with Reservorio, launching in May. Drawing inspiration from the organic design of travertine stone, Reservorio features a natural color palette and authentic veining. The 12 x 24 fluted tile is designed to introduce depth and intrigue to an interior.
Indoor/outdoor living was another major trend at the show, which has been growing for years. This year, however, saw a majority of suppliers showcasing that versatility within one line. Crossville, for example, had its new indoor/outdoor line Beljn at the booth where it was installed in both the FeatherSoft Finish, an unpolished finish, and a bush-hammered style exterior finish designed for scale and high fashion in outdoor spaces.
Large format has been on trend for years but suppliers agreed it has finally taken hold not only at the consumer level but within the installation community as well. Vitra, for example, showcased its prowess in large format with several new collections ranging from 24 x 48, 32 x 32 and upwards of 48 x 48-inch tile. One of Vitra’s most impressive large-format styles is its Marmo Nuovo, a marble-look available in a polished and a honed look in sizes up to 48 x 48.
Marazzi brought its large-format tile to the forefront with its new Forgehaus line. The contemporary stone-look boasts dynamic graphics and rich variation. Large-format floor options are available, while the 12 x 24 Ripple wall tile and Trapezoid mosaic create a geometric illusion.
Color also made a major play at the show as evidenced by Portobello America’s new Impasto collection. The line comes in 16 color offerings and tiles that can be combined in multiple forms. “Impasto has been a hot spot of the booth—people are taking selfies with it,” said João Oliveira, CEO, Porto- bello America. “You can change the color, change the design and in the end it will be like it was made for you, and that’s what makes it so special.”
