The resilient flooring category is indeed proving its resiliency in 2025. While suppliers agree it’s not shaping up to be a “great year,” the segment is holding its own compared to other flooring categories and will likely struggle the least once 2025 is all tied up and tallied. Categories like carpet and hardwood have taken harder hits. Tile is struggling with installation issues while laminate is still clawing at share.
Against a backdrop of double-digit losses in other categories and the ongoing decline of the soft surface market overall, there are some bright spots for resilient flooring.
“The fact that people aren’t replacing their floors means that it is building up demand,” noted Adam Ward, vice president, resilient, Mohawk. “We put forward a lot of demand during the pandemic as people renovated their houses, but the housing stock in the U.S. continues to get older and older each year, which means there’s still a lot of floors out there that need to be replaced. So as we continue to grind through this year, we think some of those dams will bust loose and start to change as we head into ’26.”
Kimberly Hill, vice president of product and marketing, Novalis Innovative Flooring, agreed, noting, “The resilient category has experienced a mixed performance in early 2025. While overall volume has softened slightly year-over-year, particularly on the residential side, the category continues to hold steady in terms of value.”
However, that doesn’t mean resilient didn’t feel the heat— and continues to do so—this year. Challenges such as interest rates and mortgage rates, an overall declining housing market and tariff threats have taken their toll. Suppliers agree that while resilient flooring didn’t experience catastrophic declines in 2025, it will likely be down low-single digits—in both dollars and volume—when all is said and done by year’s end.
Industry experts told FCNews that 2025 will likely mirror the slight downturn of 2024. To compare, Floor Covering News research found the resilient flooring category as a whole generated $8.381 billion in 2024, which was down about 2.3% from $8.576 billion in 2023. In terms of volume, the resilient flooring category (not including rubber) accounted for 5.846 billion square feet at the first point of sale—down just 0.5% from 5.876 billion square feet in 2023.
“Generally, across the resilient category, we’ve seen a mixed bag in the first seven months of 2025 compared to 2024,” said Eric Ruppert, senior director of product marketing and category management, Engineered Floors. “The residential sector faced some headwinds in 2024, largely due to a slow housing market, higher interest rates and ongoing inflation, which continued into early 2025. While there’s still a consumer focus on home improvement, larger discretionary spending continues to be cautious.”
Housing woes
Housing market activity and flooring sales have always been closely intertwined and 2025 is no exception. When home sales slow—whether from high interest rates, affordability concerns or limited inventory—the impact ripples across the industry, affecting manufacturers, distributors and retailers alike. With single-family housing still the primary driver of flooring demand, today’s market headwinds are shaping buying patterns, pricing strategies and long-term growth outlooks for the resilient category.
Yon Hinkle, vice president of product management, AHF Products, noted that multifamily has been soft while builder business—though decent—is showing signs of a pullback. Independent retail remodel activity has also slowed.
The sentiment is felt throughout the industry. “Stagnation in both new/ existing home sales and remodel activity has slowed growth but not prevented it,” said Al Boulogne, senior vice president, residential product and marketing, Mannington. “All of it is still tied to interest rates. The market is underbuilt, overpriced and burdened by homeowners not willing to move away from sub-5% rates.”
Bill Blackstock, president and CEO, RFCI, also noted that homeowners are sitting on their low-interest loans, not wanting to subject themselves to the higher interest rates that would be required in buying a new home. “Some closure of this mortgage rate gap will unleash pent-up sales of existing properties.”
Novalis’ Hill agreed, noting that ongoing pressure from high interest rates and limited housing inventory has made many homeowners hesitant to take on major renovation or purchase decisions in early 2025. “As a result, residential flooring projects have seen a slowdown, particularly in the mid-to-premium range. However, we’re also seeing a shift toward more targeted remodels—projects where homeowners want to make smart, efficient updates without overextending financially. That’s where resilient flooring continues to shine.”
Drew Hash, president and CEO, Southwind Floors, agreed, noting the shift in sales from starts to renovations. “With fewer new starts, remodel and replacement are carrying the category,” he explained. “Homeowners staying put still want high-performance, great-looking floors. Higher mortgage rates and tight housing supply have slowed new construction, shifting demand toward renovation projects. In fact, starts are down 7% YTD, which is fueling the modest decline.”
The situation, according to Raj Shah, co-CEO, MSI, has created both a higher-end resilient product demand by those remodeling using the equity in their homes as well as a slower fill rate of the pent-up demand by those first-time buyers getting into homes. “The former will continue and the latter will intensify as lower mortgage rates prevail. Regardless of the timing of when these groups buy flooring, resilient products continue to be preferred by the largest percentage of flooring buyers.”
Shah added that in new housing construction, the most significant issue is housing affordability. “Over 60% of those who can buy a home need it to cost $250,000 or less, according to key studies. The median price of a home today is over $410,000. Additional studies show that the housing market is fundamentally underbuilt. Mortgage rates are also at play in this key sector. Some studies indicate that the age of a first-time homebuyer today is nearly 40 years old. Current permitting requirements are not helping. As we move forward, look for some adjustments in the house construction to improve the math.”
Tariffs, market uncertainty
Evolving trade policies and fluctuating tariff rates continue to create turbulence for the resilient flooring sector, impacting pricing strategies, inventory planning and long-term sourcing decisions. The on-again, off-again nature of tariff negotiations has left many manufacturers and their customers struggling to anticipate cost shifts, inventory availability, etc. This volatility not only complicates supply chain management but also risks unsettling customers as the industry works to balance cost control with consistent product availability.
“On again, off again, constantly renegotiated has been painful,” Mannington’s Boulogne said. “We’d prefer to just know what we need to do to reset market pricing and move on. It has been an on again, off again year trying to anticipate and not drive our customers crazy with several price changes.”
MSI’s Shah, agreed, noting, “Other than the housing market/ interest rates issue, the other major challenge is the tariff issue and its effects on stocking customers’ inventory investments, multifamily projects moving forward and the general supply chain flow of products. Fortunately, with MSI being a private company, we can consistently invest in our business, which takes out volatility for our customers, making for a less confusing, high-value business environment.”
Rod MacLeod, resilient category director, Shaw, also noted that the evolving trade dynamics and tariff uncertainty have added complexity to sourcing and supply chain planning. “These factors have required us to stay agile, balancing cost management with our commitment to delivering high-performing, design-forward resilient products,” he said.
Southwind’s Hash noted that price pressure is real, making inventory discipline exteremely critical. “We’ve focused on value engineering without sacrificing performance to keep Southwind dealers competitive. After the inventory swings of recent years, many in the industry are more cautious about stocking decisions. Coupled with competitive pricing at entry levels, success in 2025 has depended on balancing cost with product performance. Southwind’s focus on WPC has given us real strategic advantage.”
But the uncertainty caused by the unstable tariff situation is not the only challenge for the category. Installation has become quite the hurdle.
“If one looks beyond 2025, there is a growing concern,” RFCI’s Blackstock said. “The industry lacks sufficient installers. With the average age of 58 years, this issue will grow in its impact. As anyone who has dealt with resilient knows, the category has been focused on creating products that are easier-to-install. Interlocked floating floors are an example. As we look to this installer shortage in the future, we believe resilient will also gain share from its ease of installation.”
Novalis’ Hill agreed. “Labor availability in both logistics and skilled installation continues to be a hurdle, with extended project timelines becoming more common across markets. These challenges are not unique to resilient, but the category’s versatility helps mitigate some of the broader impacts.”
Bright spots
Despite persistent headwinds from housing affordability issues, high interest rates and tariff uncertainty, the resilient flooring category continues to show areas of strength in 2025. Commercial segments such as healthcare and education remain steady, while targeted residential remodel projects—driven by homeowners seeking durable, design-forward and easy-to-install options—are providing meaningful lift. Innovation in product design, the growing appeal of premium resilient formats and expanded domestic manufacturing are also helping to offset softer demand, positioning the category for renewed momentum as market conditions improve.
“When we talk about bright spots in the market, the higher end of the retail market still has some good traction there,” Mohawk’s Ward said. “People with money are still choosing to do things because they’re not as affected by all of the economic uncertainty going on around the world.”
The commercial market, too, has seen good days this year and resilient seems to be coming into its own. “Resilient is a go-to product in the commercial segment for these reasons and due to its long history of providing highly engineered products for environments that require particular performance attributes, such as healthcare,” RFCI’s Blackstock said.
Natalie Cady, hard surface product director, Shaw Floors, agreed, noting, “On the commercial side, we’ve seen relative stability in key segments like education, healthcare and hospitality—areas that are more insulated from headwinds tied to inflation, interest rates and consumer spending behaviors.”
AHF Products’ Hinkle added that more activity is expected in the office/corporate sector in the coming year, too. “As people return to the office, we’re expecting to see more activity in the commercial side than maybe we’ve seen in the past couple of years as well. I would say work from home is greatly eroded from the height in 2020. We’ve got a lot of return-to-office mandates, which are driving reimagining of those spaces for the new reality.”
Product highlights
Even in a challenging market, innovation is keeping resilient flooring on solid ground in 2025—particularly in premium product segments like WPC. Manufacturers are leaning into advancements in core technology, surface performance and design realism to differentiate offerings and spark consumer interest. From enhanced waterproofing and scratch resistance to cutting-edge digital printing that delivers strikingly authentic visuals, today’s resilient products are combining style with substance. This focus on innovation is not only elevating the category’s perceived value but also giving retailers compelling stories to tell—and sell—in a competitive landscape.
“Resilient flooring continues to be a consumer favorite because it checks all the right boxes: performance, aesthetics, value and versatility,” Novalis’ Hill said. “Today’s products mimic the warmth and texture of natural materials with impressive realism while offering features like waterproof construction, antimicrobial coatings and minimal upkeep. It’s a compelling combination—especially in spaces where durability is non-negotiable but style drives decision making.”
Shaw’s Cady agreed, noting that resilient flooring continues to be a consumer favorite because of its unmatched versatility. “Today’s resilient products offer a wide range of designs, textures and performance features that fit nearly every lifestyle and room in the home,” she said. “Whether a homeowner is looking for durability in high-traffic areas, water resistance for kitchens and bathrooms or stylish visuals that replicate hardwood and stone, the resilient category delivers. Its ability to meet functional needs without sacrificing aesthetic appeal makes it a go-to choice for modern consumers.”
According to MSI’s Shah, resilient flooring design now fits into the fashion of it all. “Floor covering is a fashion buying decision and resilient flooring checks the boxes of high-quality visuals with high performance standards, all at a high value.
When you compare today’s resilient products to yesterday’s, you find enhanced visuals through digital photography, greatly improved performance with the waterproof qualities and finish layer advances—like MSI’s CrystaLux and CrystaLux Ultra— and simplified installation techniques to reduce the overall installed cost of the product category.” When it comes to particular product categories, there are a few standouts in 2025. WPC, for example, has seen a substantial resurgence. “WPC has been a winner as it relates to SPC,” Mannington’s Boulogne said. “I think some bad players gave SPC a black eye and retail has pushed consumers back toward other options—including WPC. More forgiving of subfloor irregularities (versus thinner SPC products) and comfortable underfoot.”
For Shaw, WPC remains a standout performer, driven by the continued success of the COREtec brand. “We’ve leaned into innovation with larger formats, thicker constructions and elevated design aesthetics that align with shifting consumer preferences,” MacLeod said. “This format resonates strongly across residential segments where durability, ease of installation and confidence in product quality are top priorities. Shaw Floors and COREtec are well-positioned to maintain leadership as WPC becomes increasingly central to the resilient conversation. While SPC remains a core part of the resilient market, more customers and consumers are beginning to elevate to thicker SPC and WPC platforms.”
For Southwind Floors, WPC is also a bright spot, among other constructions. “WPC, where we have been focused, along with our new Intellicore product and even loose lay like our Contour Plank, is definitely growing due to SPC challenges,” Hash said. “These have been bright spots for us at Southwind. Consumers continue to gravitate toward authentic, nature-inspired visuals, especially in larger formats that make a statement in open floor plans. DIY-ready options have also opened the category to budget-minded homeowners willing to tackle installation themselves.”
Southwind isn’t the only supplier finding success outside of rigid core. Karndean, for example, is finding success in loose lay LVP. “The product attributes provide value to both the retailer and consumer: faster installation, noise reduction in the home, comfort underfoot, durability and the ability to easily replace individual planks/tiles,” said Noah Fulton, vice president, business strategy. “Overall, our LVP captures the beauty of natural hardwood and stone flooring with incredible detail and artistry. From a performance standpoint, it’s durable, waterproof and easy to clean, with three installation formats to choose from based on the site and end-user preferences. People recognize that LVP delivers unmatched value as a resilient-flooring solution.”
AHF Products touted the move back to VCT vs. rigid core in the commercial market, which continues to claw back share. “We definitely have seen what I’d call a boomerang effect where we’ve had customers, especially heavy commercial-type customers, in education, healthcare or retail [return to VCT after moving to LVT] over the last five to seven years,” Hinkle said. “They moved to LVT quite often under the belief that it somehow provided a benefit— maybe maintenance or performance—and we’re seeing that those customers are not always happy with what they moved to. So, they’re moving back because VCT is a proven solution over many, many decades. It looks as good as it did the day it was installed 20 years later. You’ve got a hundred colors to choose from. Other solutions just can’t provide that benefit and we could do it at a value that’s very compelling. So people are moving back to VCT.”
Domestic production
As global trade uncertainties and supply chain disruptions persist, more resilient flooring manufacturers are investing in domestic production—bringing manufacturing closer to their customers. This shift not only reduces lead times and mitigates tariff exposure but also allows for greater quality control, faster product innovation and improved responsiveness to market trends. With capacity expansions underway across the U.S., domestically produced resilient products are poised to capture a larger share of the market, offering dealers and consumers alike the benefit of reliable supply and consistent value.
AHF Products, with its impressive domestic manufacturing footprint, operates eight factories throughout America and produces about 80% of its total volume in the U.S. Domestic products include solid and engineered wood flooring, sheet, laminate and accessories. In terms of vinyl specifically, AHF manufactures residential sheet, residential and commercial luxury vinyl and VCT at its facilities in Lancaster, Pa. and Kankakee, Ill.
“Sometimes things happen and you get burned, right?” Hinkle said. “Then you get through it and you start to forget about it and you go on with your day. And then the same thing happens and you’re burned again. I think what we’re seeing here is that customers are tired of getting burned— whether that’s because the tariffs skyrocketed or there’s a container issue or it didn’t get through the port, you name it. So all these things have been happening and they didn’t just happen once they’re happening over and over and over again. So what you’ve got to remove that risk. I remove that risk for the benefit of my business and the customers that I service. And for AHF and the resilient space, we’re very well positioned, fortunately, to take advantage of that and to deliver to our customers what they need.”
Mohawk Industries is also heavily invested in its U.S. manufacturing and has facilities in Dalton as well as Mexicali, Mexico, to service its North American customers. The Dalton facility produces waterproof sheet, flex and rigid products while the Mexicali plant—the latest addition to the company’s manufacturing footprint— produces rigid products. “Mohawk is one of the first companies that got into resilient through our IVC acquisition,” Ward explained. “We’ve had the rigid production, sheet, so we’ve had a lot of that for quite a while now. I think domestic continues to be an attractive option with the ever-changing tariff environment.”
Shaw, too, is heavily invested in domestic flooring production. “The growth of resilient manufacturing in North America is creating more agility for the entire industry,” explained Kelley Fain, president, Shaw Commercial. “Domestic production expands speed and customization capabilities, while global sourcing continues to play a critical role in offering breadth, innovation and value. Together, these levers allow the category to respond more quickly to evolving design trends, performance expectations and project timelines—especially in commercial markets where specification flexibility and delivery consistency are essential.”
Fain added that Shaw continues to expand its domestic resilient capabilities as part of its broader make-and-source model. “Our U.S.-based operations, including our resilient plant in Ringgold, Ga., are running at high utilization and we’re in the midst of a $90 million expansion that will double capacity by 2026. That investment supports greater customization, enhanced service and faster responsiveness for both commercial and residential customers. Our strength comes from combining both domestic and sourced production.”
Novalis has spent the past several years strengthening its North American operations to support long-term growth and reduce supply chain risk. “While our global footprint remains a key strategic asset, we also recognize the growing importance of regional production,” Hill explained. “Our current efforts are focused on maintaining—and where possible, increasing—domestic capacity and improving lead times to better serve our distributor and retail partners across the U.S. market. The growth of domestic manufacturing has added much-needed stability and responsiveness to the category.”
Engineered Floors, considered a “new kid on the block” in the category, started 100% production of its PureGrain DLVT at its Seretean Plant in Dalton in 2023. The company made a large upfront investment to repurpose a section of the facilituy to produce DLVT and continues to invest in its capabilities. “The growth of resilient manufacturing in North America has been a significant and strategic shift within the industry and Engineered Floors is a key player in this trend,” Ruppert noted.
“The impact on the category is profound. It’s leading to a more robust, responsive and reliable supply of resilient flooring, supporting innovation and ensuring that high-quality products are readily available for the North American market.”
