Specialty flooring retailers are the drivers of this industry. Their success fuels every channel, from residential retail to commercial. To honor these businesses, FCNews is publishing its inaugural Retailers of the Year 2022 issue. It’s an effort to call attention to those retailers who are excelling or differentiating themselves in some aspect of their business. In this issue, suppliers and vendors nominated retailers who they believe deserved to be featured and why they stand out from the pack.
FCNews’ Retailers of the Year 2022 issue features some of the industry’s most accomplished dealers from influential buying groups as well as smaller retailers with no group affiliation. In other words, it reflects the retail industry as a whole.
In choosing their top retailer partners, suppliers looked beyond sales volume to other key attributes such as communication skills, trust, company culture and even benevolence as differentiating factors. Suppliers/vendors nominated up to four retailers (or distributors, in some cases) for consideration and explained why they stand out. FCNews then narrowed down the winners based on the scope of merit attributed to each.
Throughout this week and next, please visit FCNews.net each day as new winners will be showcased. Today’s highlights for Retailers of the Year 2022 is Shaw’s nominations and winners: Nampa Flooring & Interiors and Nebraska Furniture Mart.
Nampa Floors & Interiors
Nampa, Idaho
What Shaw had to say
Nampa Floors & Interiors deserves 2022 Retailer of the Year status thanks to their unwavering commitment to their people and their customers. Outstanding culture and service sets Nampa Floors & Interiors apart from their competition. So, what’s their secret? Leaders at Nampa Floors & Interiors, like Kyal Wilson, CEO, have intentionally created an environment that emphasizes family values and work/life balance. Associates are appreciated, well compensated and happy, and it shows. The moment you step foot into a Nampa Floors & Interiors showroom, you really feel it. The entire atmosphere is uplifting and positive. Individuals are recognized for exemplary customer service and awarded incentives, such as their own parking spo
t for receiving the most Google reviews (there’s even a sign to designate the accomplishment). In-store messaging not only focuses on products and services, but also proudly displays the company’s community involvement. These “extras” motivate consumers, inspiring both trust and brand loyalty. The entire team at Nampa Floors & Interiors have collectively built a brand that evokes an emotional connection with their customers. It’s authentic—and remarkably effective.
What the winner had to say
“Our company was founded by my grandparents in 1954, serving the Treasure Valley communities and a few outlying markets in the state,” Wilson said. “Since that time, we’ve expanded our service areas to include the entire state as well as selective projects in California, Oregon, Washington and Montana. While the company looks considerably different today than it did almost 70 years ago, our founding principles remain the same. Put simply, we believe in taking the best care of our teams, providing the best possible customer service experience to the communities we serve and giving back to those communities that have shown us so much support over the years. Shaw has been engrained in both my family and our busine
ss since the company was founded. I’ve seen unwavering support from Shaw through three generations—and it’s paid off for both Shaw and our business.”
Nebraska Furniture Mart
Omaha, Neb
What Shaw had to say
There’s perhaps no one more deserving of a Retailers of the Year 2022 nomination than Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM). NFM doesn’t do anything half-heartedly— they go big and they go all-in. NFM’s thought leadership and willingness to invest in the future of our industry is truly unparalleled. 2022 marked the grand opening of the first-ever NFM Anso Gallery, a “showroom within a showroom” concept at NFM’s Omaha, Neb., location dedicated to Shaw’s Anso high-performance carpets. Visionary leaders at NFM, like Dave Chambers, director of flooring, embarked on a 15-month journey to create the ultimate in-store carpet-buying experience. Partnering with Shaw as their preferred carpet supplier, NFM researched evolving consumer purchasing habits and retail showroom best practices to ensure strategic future investments. The result: a stunning NFM Anso Gallery that commands attention. The new merchandising destination, which accounts for nearly half of NFM’s instore carpet footprint, features plenty of open space and lower fixtures that improve visibility and invite customers into the space. Easy-to-shop displays house almost 100 different soft surface styles. The space is well-lit and decked out with floor-to-ceiling samples of on-trend carpet patterns, pet-friendly messaging and visualization tools.
What the winner had to say
“Both NFM and Shaw wanted to reimagine the shopping experience for our consumers who are in the market for new carpet,” Chambers said. “Shaw has always been in the forefront with product innovation and we were able to complement that with a truly innovative ANSO Gallery Showroom focused on the consumer. This showroom is able to build consumer confidence with a better, cleaner story about the benefits of ANSO High Performance Carpet and Pet Perfect Carpet solutions. The new merchandising also brings inspiration and design to the consumer easier through larger samples and the Roomvo Visualization technology. We are extremely proud of this new concept—and the reception of the consumers and RSAs has been phenomenal.”
