The well-documented resurgence that the U.S. laminate flooring category has experienced in recent years was fueled, in part, by challenges in sourcing alternative products in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic. Although the laminate segment has long held a place in the U.S. market as an affordable, high-performing option, many distributors and retailers began to rely more heavily on domestically sourced products due to difficulties and delays in getting their hands on imported SPC. On top of that, rising claims with respect to entry-level, low-quality SPC imports further drove buyers back into the arms of laminate suppliers.
“There’s some talk that laminate flooring is stealing market share from entry-level SPC, and that makes sense given laminate’s improvements in overall performance,” said Isaac Lee, corporate sales, marketing and product development manager, Eternity Flooring, which markets laminate, SPC, WPC and engineered hardwood.
Lee is among scores of executives who have witnessed laminate’s comeback in the market.
“We’ve observed a resurgence in laminate’s popularity, and it’s definitely impacted our strategies, especially with our new PureGrain Renew collection,” said Eric Ruppert, senior director of product marketing and category management. “We’ve seen a renewed appreciation for laminate’s durability, affordability and ease of installation, particularly as consumers are looking for various sustainable or PVC-free options for their home resilient flooring options.”
Kyle McAllister, director of hardwood and laminate, Shaw, concurred. “Laminate has seen a resurgence in the market in recent years as consumers have expanded their preferences, and it appeals to the cost-conscious consumer while still offering on- trend visuals,” he said.
But make no mistake: SPC, the fastest-growing subsegment of the U.S. resilient flooring market, isn’t going away by any stretch of the imagination. While the low end of the SPC market has taken a hit in the past two years—and, yes, some retailers have experienced SPC fatigue— resilient manufacturers and importers of SPC/rigid core products continue to build their share of the overall flooring market.
Anecdotal information not only shows that laminate flooring is gradually reclaiming market share from other hard surface categories, especially entry-level SPC, but executives also say the trend is sustainable.
Yvette Shroyer, director of marketing, Urbanfloor, said it’s easy to see why. “Laminate offers excellent value and durability. When it meets or even exceeds performance expectations—especially with water resistance— it becomes a compelling alternative to entry-level SPC products.”
In a move to ensure that consumers keep laminate top of mind during the product selection process, laminate producers are leveraging their capabilities with respect to visual realism, product performance and eco-friendliness—three of the primary attributes buyers consider when shopping for a new floor.
According to Shroyer, Urbanfloor checks all those boxes. The company has partnered with Germany-based Kronospan in the development of its signature TheBLVD laminate collection. Many of the visuals in the popular product line reflect Urbanfloor’s expertise in upscale hardwood looks while marrying the vaunted manufacturing capabilities of Kronospan. The collection boasts 16 unique patterns—double the industry standard.
“We’re finding that customers are asking for more of a prime- grade product—not so many knots or mineral streaks,” Shroyer said. “That’s what we were going for when selecting the colors in this line.”
While the new laminate line was designed to capitalize on Urbanfloor’s expertise in trendy hardwood visuals, it also boasts high-performance features. Specifically, the line combines the attributes of organic, bio-based floors and proprietary waterproof flooring technology. On top of that, according to Shroyer, it’s also low VOC and PVC- and PFOS-free, making it carbon negative.
Laminate suppliers, recognizing that SPC has the upper hand over laminate when it comes to water resistance, are raising the stakes in this regard in order to reclaim share. “At Classen, we offer a wide range of water-resistant laminate floors, driven by our in-house-developed technologies,” said Celine Quervel, general manager. “The foundation of our waterproof performance lies either in our specially engineered core boards, designed specifically for high moisture resistance, and our proprietary locking system—Megaloc Aqua Protect. This advanced system prevents water penetration at the joints, ensuring enhanced durability.”
Classen didn’t stop there. The company also boasts impressive digital printing capabilities. “This enables us to produce highly detailed and realistic designs while maintaining the highest production efficiency,” Quervel added. “Another breakthrough in our laminate technology is our LLT (Liquid Laminate Technology) surface application, which delivers outstanding scratch resistance and extreme durability.”
Across the board, suppliers that offer laminate flooring as part of their overall portfolio are playing up the product’s strengths and desirable attributes. Take Stanton Design, for example. When the company expanded into hard surfaces last year, its signature laminate flooring offerings (NuvoMax and NuvoLux), an impessive array of 24 on-trend SKUs, were a big part of that effort.
“We’re just about a year into the market with our NuvoMax and NuvoLux collections, and they’ve been very well received in the market,” said Jamann Stepp, senior vice president of hard surface, Stanton. “A big part of the appeal, we believe, is the richness of the visuals. We’ve created a really nice collection that holds its own against some of the leaders in the marketplace, and we’re exceeding our sales goals.”
Like most suppliers that offer laminate, Stanton agrees the major advancements the category has made recently in terms of visuals complements the product’s hard-earned reputation for being one of the more durable products offered today. This provides the proverbial “one-two punch” for retailers and, by extension, consumers looking for new flooring.
“Laminates’ stain, scratch and indentation resistance is far superior to vinyl products—it always has been,” Stepp stated. “In pockets of the country I’m seeing clients start to gravitate back toward laminate. What I’m hearing in many places now is more people asking about laminates and about other alternatives to vinyl. I’m even seeing some builders in places like Oklahoma starting to go with laminate as opposed to rigid core vinyl products. We feel like it might be coming back.”
Another prominent laminate supplier, Egger Flooring, is also banking on a big comeback for the category. The Germany-based, private-label manufacturer of laminate flooring has serviced numerous clients in the U.S. market for many years. With its manufacturing expertise and deep category knowledge, the company has long been a preferred source for brands seeking to enter the market without investing in their own laminate flooring manufacturing plants. After a brief hiatus from the U.S. market, the company has chosen to re-enter the arena as it aims to capture opportunities in a category that has experienced a resurgence in America over the past few years.
Specifically, Egger is banking on its vast manufacturing experience and reputation as a quality, private-label supplier to re-establish a firm footing in the market. “It’s a family-owned business founded in the 1960s, so the Egger family is very conscious of product quality; their name’s on the box,” said Alex Decarie, business development, flooring, North America. “I’ve visited many laminate factories and seen how Egger runs its operations and produces its products. It’s best in class. The Germans and Austrians perfected laminate flooring as a product category.”
Like Egger, Shaw—which had exited the laminate business several years ago—jumped back into the fray earlier this year due to increased demand. “Our customers have been asking for it, and we are known for our great partnerships with our customers,” McAllister told FCNews. “They came to us and said, ‘Look, we love SPC, we love WPC, but we do sell a lot of laminate and we love doing business with you.’ They really wanted Shaw to come out with something to fulfill those laminate needs.”
Longtime players in the laminate category are striving to develop products designed to excite consumers. Mohawk continues to build on its wildly successful RevWood offering by enhancing the line’s various tiers. For instance, RevWood Select is being expanded via two new collections, Emberstone Ridge and Gardenia Lake. Emberstone Ridge, which comprises six colors, blends honey naturals and creamy taupes with contemporary oak visuals, a tight grain, sleek lines and medium-sized knots. Gardenia Lake, which entails five colors reflecting subtle character and classic charm, provide a diverse color range and natural grain movement.
With respect to the Pergo brand, the company is giving a nod to the product’s Scandinavian roots with new visuals. Pergo Elements Originals gets Birkhall Landing and Aurora Falls; Pergo Elements Preferred gets four new collections—Norella Veil, Danish Overlook, Lidden Brook and Kallan Point—representing a total of 20 products that blend classic European style with natural beauty. And Pergo Elements Ultra boasts 22 products across three collections, Glacial Isle, Woodlette Estates and Freywood Springs—each of which feature Mohawk’s new RealPlank technology that aims to minimize pattern repeats with twice as many unique plank visuals as standard laminate products.
Not to be outdone, Inhaus is going all in on its portfolio of laminate flooring collections, including Visions, Landmark and Manor laminate lines. Manor was expanded with a new herringbone pattern that closely mimicks natural wood looks. “The cool thing about this herringbone is that it’s only an ‘A’ panel so it’s an easy install,” said Derek Welbourn, Inhaus CEO. “You’re just clicking it together without having to worry about it being a right or left side panel.”
Inhaus also unveiled new SKUs in keeping with popoular patterns seen in wood. Colors in the Manor line are designed to coordinate with its flagship line, Landmark. “We’ve taken the colors that we have in Manor and we’ve matched that EIR to Landmark,” Welbourn explained. “So you can have a herringbone on one side of the room and then the same color in a plank on the other side of the room.”
