BANFF, ALBERTA, CANADA—Against the backdrop of one of the most picturesque settings in North America, the National Floorcovering Alliance (NFA) took strides to become even more important to its vendors, which, in turn, moves it closer to its ultimate goal of developing a brand identity. This is achieved through proprietary brands and private-label programs, some of which were rolled out at this meeting in carpet, ceramic, wood and LVT.
“We know why there is value in the NFA name,” said Jeff Macco, Macco’s Floor Covering, Green Bay, Wis., and NFA president, “and now we want to convey that to consumers. How? Logos on doors, consumer advertising, displays, sampling, etc.”
He emphasized the respective committee chairs have done a tremendous amount of work in bringing exclusive private- label offerings to the NFA. Take hardwood, for example. Sam Roberts, Roberts Carpet and Fine Floors, Houston, worked out a number of deals with major suppliers to bring exclusive lines to the NFA. As one example, Armstrong, will pro- vide the group with a cross-section of products across all its brands ranging from the very high end to commodity under a still-to- be-determined name. The 48- SKU collection will be housed in a smart display with oversized 20 x 27 samples.
“The most important element of this is to create a vehicle for the group to run promotions because of the commonality of product offering,” Roberts said. “Also, as a group we need to be able to deliver measureable results for a vendor. How do you do that without [a common] focus?”
Another exclusive deal about which Roberts is excited comes courtesy of one of NFA’s Tier 2 vendors. The program includes many American-made, solid hardwood products, including 7-foot lengths, in a variety of species at very competitive pricing. “We are not getting this type of product from our core vendors,” he said. “This is an opportunity to provide an item the customer deserves to see.”