Oct. 7/14 2013; Volume 27/number 12
Once upon a time, before the word “downloading” creeped into our vernacular, music retailer Tower Records published a magazine called Pulse that included a monthly feature called Desert Island Discs. The concept was to ask famous people this question: “If you were stranded on a desert island for an extended period of time, what 10 CDs must you have with you?”
With that premise as the backdrop, we queried nearly 20 floor covering retailers regarding their most important products—high-margin, high-volume or otherwise. We phrased the question like this: “If you were beamed up to a planet inhabited by a population resembling humans, they had nothing covering their floors and you found yourself owning a floor covering store, what five products would you need to start your business?” The idea was to uncover the products retailers feel provide solutions, sell well and with which they can turn a nice profit.
Here is a sampling of the results:
Darren Braunstein
Worldwide Wholesale
Floor Covering, Edison, N.J.
1. Bruce Dundee Plank
Commodity, high-volume, 3-inch oak; a must have
2. Mannington Adura
Great DIY product with strong visuals
3. QuickStep Classic Sound Planks
Attached pad aids in sound deadening; tough performing at a good price point
4. Stainmaster TruSoft
Best brand in carpet; ultra soft, yet performs
5. Mohawk SmartStrand
Extensive 60-color line; combines stain
resistance, softness and durability
Larry Noel
Rite Rug
Columbus, Ohio
1. Armstrong Dundee Plank
A proven performer with a variety of colors and widths that works for all regions
2. Armstrong Alterna
Good, non-fragile alternative to ceramic tile for commercial and residential
3. Shaw Anso Caress
Softest product on the market
4. Mohawk Aladdin 25-ounce poly
A must have for all categories of business: builder, property management, retail
5. DreamWeaver’s Pure Soft Cashmere
Soft carpet program at a good value with strong warranties
Steve Cinkus
Hessler Floor Covering
Punta Gorda, Fla.
1. Karastan
Benchmark for quality along with superior backing
2. Mohawk SmartStrand Silk
Softness combined with durability
3. Forbo Marmoleum
A true linoleum with all-natural colors and designs
4. Mapei grout with BioBlock
Anti-mold properties, no need to seal and holds color well
5. Shaw Epic Hardwood
Great looking line made on state-of-the-art equipment
A.J. Boyajian
A.J. Rose Carpets and Flooring
Boston
1. Stainmaster SolarMax
Brand recognition, performance and great profit margins
2. Shaw Anso
Great performing product, very few quality issues, excellent selling system/color wall
3. Armstrong Performance Plus
Brand recognition and product
performance
4. Stainmaster cushion
Brand name and upgrade potential, which leads to great profit margins
5. Mohawk SmartStrand
Durability, stain resistance and excellent styles
Mark Bouquet Jr.
Creative Carpet and Flooring
Mokena, Ill.
1. Shaw Anso nylon
Versatility with over 100-color color wall that is easy to sell from
2. Karndean LVT
Great designs and customer service
3. Tuftex Patterned Destinations
Higher level of durability without boring looks
4. Stanton rack
Great looks, higher-end options
5. Masland Artistic Vision
Moderately priced, high-end looks, plus Stainmaster
Jeff Macco
Macco’s Floor
Covering Center
Green Bay, Wis.
1. Anything Stainmaster
Great brand recognition –
even aliens have heard of it
2. Stainmaster cushion.
See above and higher margins
3. Dal-Tile
Very comprehensive line and great distribution
(although interplanetary shipping is new)
4. Mohawk Smart Solutions
You can’t find it at Home Depot Uranus or Lowe’s Mars
5. Dixie TruSoft
It is the best finished carpet on the face of Neptune
Kevin Murray
Murray Floor and Window Coverings
Billings, Mont.
1. Congoleum AirStep
Unique styles and can be installed over many different surfaces
2. Mannington Adura LVT
Solves many consumer needs and applications; features many stone patterns to match any moonscape in addition to wood visuals
3. Beaulieu Magic Fresh
Durable, soft product that can absorb odors and cleanse the air we breathe
4. Earthwerks LVT
Lifetime warranty on its best products are a great selling point
5. Daltile’s Lavaro tile
Porcelain product with great visuals and the density to withstand heavy traffic, heat and cold
Rich Finnegan
Jim Flack Carpet
Farmingdale, N.Y.
1. Shaw Enduring Comfort
Great price point and lifetime warranty
2. IVC Flexitec
Price point, thick widths, ease of installation due to loose lay
3. Gardiner Industries Strip Vinyl Planks
Realistic visuals and indestructible
4. Beaulieu Coastal Winds
Very soft, good price point and lifetime warranty
5. World Gallery Signature Collection
Patterned goods, beautiful visuals and something to offer the higher-end consumer
Michael Longwill
Airbase Carpet and Tile Mart
New Castle, Del.
1. Shaw Versa-Fit LVT
For those time-traveling the galaxies where you need something quick, beautiful and durable, and you can pick it up and take it with you
2. US Floors CoreTec Plus
Just in case we find water on the next planet and it floods the room
3. Karastan 100-ounce SmartStrand Silk
Can be used as a bed if there are no mattress stores
4. Daltile Florentine
Latest high-definition glazing technology offers the real looks of stone and marble with the durability of porcelain
5. Nourison Nouri 2000 rugs
Beautiful, intricate, artistic rugs
Debbie Jones
J&J Floor Covering
North Conway, N.H.
1. Shaw Anso Caress
Soft and durable
2. Armstrong Alterna Reserve
The beauty of natural stone in a warmer, softer, easy-to-care-for surface
3. Earthwerks Linkwerks LVT
Easy to clean, great looks and with zero gravity
4. Mirage Classic Hardwood
The highest quality hardwood with excellent quality control
5. Mohawk Everstrand BCF Revive
Made from recycled plastic water bottles
Heidi Wostbrock
Wostbrock Home & Floors
Ridgewood, N.J.
1. Stanton Carpet Shaggy plush
Plush and cozy
2. DuChateau Floors St. Moritz
Double smoked, white limed, white oiled and wire brushed to create a deep, beautiful color and texture
3. Hide rugs by Saddleman’s
Perfect to layer over a hardwood floor
4. Fibreworks
Combines beautiful texture with modern design
5. Tiffany Peacock Rug from Company C.
Rich colors and whimsical designs
Fred Wee
Interiors & Textiles
Mountain View, Calif.
1. Fabrica Saba Cayman
100% New Zealand wool carpet
2. Unique Carpet Mills Cobblestone Himalaya area rug
A rich, thick and soft wool area rug
3. Kahrs Jarrah Sydney hardwood flooring
Color, style and great quality
4. Forbo Marmoleum African Desert linoleum
A 100% natural product that has stood the test of time
5. Teragren Synergy Strand Bamboo
A wild look for a wild foray into outer space
Paul Gardiner
Superior Floors
Warwick, N.Y.
1. Mohawk SmartStrand
The best product on the market – green, soft, durable and easy to clean
2. Alloc Prestige
Great overall looks and unique locking system
3. IVC fiberglass floors
Great designs, easy to clean and softer than ceramic tile
4. Karndean Plank flooring
The most realistic look for LVT and easy to maintain
5. Kraus Commercial Carpets
The most intriguing patterns in a large variety of options and great stain protection
Brenda Crites
Custom Carpets
North Little Rock, Ark.
1. Tarkett Transcend
Features transitions that are an exact color match
2. Shaw Aviator Plank
Easy to install and you don’t need to find a transition, making the wood look very realistic
3. Earthwerks Avante
Great price point and has grout that doesn’t need to be sealed; also has a huge color line and different tile sizes
4. Burke Natural Stone
Great LVT that features nanosilver, which will inhibit the growth of any unknown space bacteria
5. Metroflor Engage
Locking system is important when you are somewhere without gravity
Sam Roberts
Roberts Carpets and Fine Floors
Houston
1. Fabrica Chez
The best fine yarn velvet carpet this world has to offer
2. BlueBahia 24 x 24 granite tile
I’m partial to the color, and granite can provide performance on an indefinite basis, resist stains and heat and can be immune to moisture problems.
3. Homerwood engineered hardwood
4mm, dry, sawn face, married to marine plywood with waterproof adhesive for dimensional stability and moisture resistance from beneath. Nano technology aluminum oxide for long-term durability and scratch resistance.
4. Diamond Living Scuba Silent
3mm neoprene material with a 10mil plastic moisture barrier. Ideal to go under any floating floor application
5. USFloors CoreTec
New LVT plank that features a vinyl surface, an inert core and a cork bottom. The product is durable, looks like wood, and clicks together so that anyone can install it.
John Loubier
Kaleidoscope Floors
Fort Wayne, Ind.
1. Anderson Lincoln Plank
An oak floor represents good ol’ fashioned Americana
2. Kane Carpet Out Of Africa
A natural animal print pattern reminds us of the wildlife on earth
3. Tuftex Isleton (Evening Surf)
Resembles the ocean/beach in its wavy pattern
4. Happy Floors Sagamore
So that we can remember all of our nation’s wonderful natural wonders.
5. Bati Orient
Could be a grand focal point that would really make us think of the natural world we are missing
Olga Robertson
FCA Network
Shorewood, Ill.
1. Congoleum DuraCeramic
Zero callbacks, high profit margins and installs over ceramic tile
2. Mohawk SmartStrand Silk
The softest carpet combined with stain resistance; high margins
3. CFS engineered hardwood
Great visuals, great pricing, terrific service
4. Dal-Tile display
Large selection in all price points, great styling
5. Phenix solution-dyed polyester
Offers the best of both worlds: high volume and good
margins
Sean O’Rourke
Avalon Carpet
Tile & Flooring
Cherry Hill, N.J.
1. US Floors Navarre
UV-oiled European oak styles are becoming increasingly popular among consumers
2. Armstrong American Scrape
This engineered series delivers a handscraped, American-made product at a reasonable price point
3. Quick-Step Reclaimé
One of the best visuals in laminate
4. Armstrong Architectural Remnants
This selection moved the style needle
5. Karndean LVT
Random widths, long lengths, different applications and installation methods all lend to its appeal
Jerry Kallod
Kallod Carpet
Fargo, N.D.
1. Congoleum Airstep Evolutions
The name fits outer space (weightlessness) and the product will work perfectly no matter what the atmosphere in space has in store.
2. Mannington Aurora
Easy maintenance and great warranty make it a natural choice for life on another planet
3. Shaw Unrivaled Precision
Made of ClearTouch PET recycled content and durable enough to handle heavy foot traffic
4. Beaulieu Carefree Life
Durable and features an odor-reducing treatment
5. Godfrey Hirst Venus
Wool carpet will not only keep us warm, but will remind us of a tranquil seaside escape back on Earth