It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to state that the resilient flooring category—specifically LVP/SPC/WPC—has been eating the lunch of competing segments such as hardwood, tile and laminate. The industry has watched closely in recent years as the resilient segment’s growth rate far outpaced that of both its hard and soft surface counterparts.
However, other high-performance categories—laminate in particular—are not taking it lying down. Suppliers are leveraging innovations in waterproof/water-resistant performance as well as advancements in digital scanning technologies to claw back market share from resilient while giving retailers more reasons to recommit to laminate.
“Laminate flooring is experiencing a resurgence in popularity,” said Randy McKellar, director of marketing, Lions Floor. He cited several key factors, including modern manufacturing techniques, which have “greatly improved the aesthetics of laminate flooring, allowing it to closely mimic the appearance of natural materials like hardwood, stone or tile. Its durability and wear resistance also make it ideal for high-traffic areas, while its affordability appeals to budget-conscious consumers. The ease of installation, low maintenance requirements and advancements in moisture resistance have further contributed to its appeal. These qualities have led to its renewed popularity.”
Brian Parker, vice president of product management for AHF Products, agreed. “SPC has been the fastest growing category for several years, but over the past few years laminate has also been growing quickly. It now has a waterproof performance story to it and there’s special interest in domestic supply—you don’t have to deal with container shortages, shipping fees, etc., so you get a made-in-the-USA product that’s waterproof.”
That resurgence, proponents say, has opened the door to new opportunities. “Laminate is most certainly a hot category right now and we’ve been well positioned to take market share,” said Ted Rocha, executive vice president, SLCC Flooring, which also offers rigid core resilient flooring products. “No matter where I travel around the country, I continue to hear about the migration back to laminate. I credit the fact that laminates have caught up to the resilient category with the waterproof/water-resistant story. Also, the visuals have become so sophisticated and realistic, which is most meaningful to today’s consumer.”
Going all in
Across the board, the investments suppliers are making in the laminate flooring category to elevate both performance and visuals reflect their faith that those investments will continue to pay big dividends moving forward.
Take Mohawk, for example. Over the past several years, the company has poured millions in its laminate plants in support of new technologies and additional capacity at its domestic production facilities. “I believe our laminate products have a great selling story against SPC and LVT when it comes to durability and visuals,” said David Moore, senior product director. “Our hope is that our customers got a taste of these products and are extremely satisfied with them.”
In order to feed ongoing demand for the product, laminate suppliers are expanding their offerings to not only give consumers and end users more options, but to also further differentiate themselves from the pack. BHW Floors, for example, is expanding its offerings to further pique interest among buyers. “We saw a very heavy demand increase last year and knew we needed to add laminate to our portfolio,” said Jason Grant, executive vice president. He cited the company’s signature Kingston collection as a prime example. “We are continually monitoring our inventory levels and growing them as the demand increases.”
Inhaus, maker of the popular Lamdura line, also bolstered its lineup in a move to seize more share. This included expanding its signature line to include different tiers. “All three lines in the collection are now water resistant, anti-microbial and embossed in register,” said Derek Welbourn, CEO. “We have also added several trendy new colors across the lineup to give dealers and distributors more options. We plan to continue to offer new programs and products that are compelling for the consumer and our retailer partners.”
Other major suppliers, including Eternity Flooring and Mannington, have also amped up their production facilities and technological capabilities. In Mannington’s case, the company has invested in digital printing technologies that allow it to significantly improve the fidelity of the design layer of the product to more accurately render genuine wood looks. In that same vein, Eternity has leveraged its expertise in laminate flooring production to create some of the longest/widest boards available in a laminate structure.
“Laminate is back and better than ever,” said Isaac Lee, director of product development at Eternity. “The revival of laminate is making a splash, and right now there’s a big waterproof laminate craze going, with so many products coming onto the market.”
Companies like Johnson Hardwood, traditionally a hardwood flooring supplier before throwing its hat into the SPC/LVT ring, is also betting big on laminate. “We’re very excited about our laminate products,” said Billy Ko, CEO. “The laminate category has really started to come back to life. It’s unique in that it not only offers clean visuals, especially the neutral colors that have been so popular, but also dent resistance and durability.”
In anticipation of continued demand for the product, laminate suppliers are not only shoring up existing capacity but also expanding stateside warehousing so dealers and distributors have ready access. “To ensure consistent supply and inventories, Lions Floor is hyper-focused on building strong supplier relationships,” McKellar stated. “By monitoring market conditions, implementing effective inventory planning and forecasting techniques, we are able to stay ahead of the game.”
SLCC is taking its own steps to ensure consistent supply. “We’ve been able to keep up with demand in this exciting category by keeping deep inventory in all of our warehouses,” Rocha stated. “SLCC has an incredible logistics team that’s primary focus is to ensure that we do not run out of inventory at any of our distribution centers.”
