Every two weeks, FCNews seeks out flooring retailers across the country to offer their advice on hot topics of the day. This week, we asked: What gives you hope that 2025 will be a good year?
Here are their responses:
“We used the downtick in business to shore up our business practices and ready the company for the next couple of years that on the surface appear to be headed in a positive direction. I see 5%-6% growth in 2025, especially driven by lower mortgage rates. With the first two rate cuts, our builders are experiencing better walk-in traffic that will hopefully fuel an increase in new home sales.”
—Craig Phillips, The Flooring Edge, Akron, Ohio
“We feel very optimistic about 2025 for many reasons. Having the election behind us should help customers focus on other things in their lives. We also feel that as interest rates lower people will gain confidence to build or upgrade to a new home, and any time people are moving, people are making changes to suit their tastes. Even if they elect to stay in their current home, we feel the pent-up demand will be there to remodel.”
—Doug Bertrand, Carpetland USA, Davenport, Iowa
“We are optimistic for moderate growth in ’25 and beyond and hopeful for a robust economy in the not-too-distant future. Domestic offerings in the LVP category are a welcome change given that a large segment of our business is historically dominated by imports.”
—John Bretzloff, Barefoot Flooring, Castle Hayne, N.C.
“We see 2025 trending in the right direction, and we look to capitalize early now that there is more stability in the market and interest rates continue to fall.”
—Aaron Johnson, Johnson & Sons Flooring, Knoxville, Tenn.
“As long as we are not hit with huge tariffs on imports, I anticipate a small increase in Q1 and a larger increase in business by Q3 2025. Consumers will have time to pay down some debt at the lower interest rate and hopefully the housing market will be a little stronger by then.”
—Eric Mondragon, RC Willey, Salt Lake City
