The way you look at the resilient industry in 2009 is consistent with whether you look at the glass half full or half empty. On one hand, the category was off double digits in both sales dollars and volume, between 15% and 20%, with the declines a bit worse on the commercial side. Then again, the drops were not as pronounced as what occurred with hardwood and ceramic tile, which were off more than 20%...
Read MoreHammered by the recession and pressured by competing products, the U.S. laminate flooring market dropped for the third consecutive year. But just how much is largely debatable. Many factions have the category down significantly to the tune of 20%. Others peg the drop in the mid-teens. But FCNews research revealed a completely different story. After conferring with just about every significant laminate flooring supplier to the U.S., and after being made privy to confidential sales...
Read MoreNot unlike flooring’s other categories, ceramic tile experienced a significant double-digit decline in 2009. In the minds of many ceramic executives, it was a year to forget. And while the economy played a prominent role, with the usual suspects being high unemployment, tighter lending practices, soaring foreclosures, falling home prices and a more cautious buyer, many industry pundits put the blame more squarely on poor housing starts— something tied very closely to this segment—rather than...
Read MoreThere is no doubt 2009 was a tough year for the broadloom segment. The reasons for this are many, with most agreeing the category’s biggest challenges involved the continued decline of the single-family builder business, or new home starts; the significant slowdown of the commercial market; high unemployment, and low consumer confidence. From a retail perspective, these factors represent “the big three” of things that affected 2009 in a negative way. According to industry sources,...
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