Harsh winter weather may have closed stores, disrupted shipments and postponed installations for many flooring retailers, but it was not enough to prevent dealers from posting mostly positive returns through the first six weeks of 2026.
After some fits and starts to begin January, the consensus among the dozen dealers contacted by FCNews is that business in 2026 is headed in the right direction so far. Weather was an issue, at least initially, for Sackett’s Flooring Solutions in Kalamazoo, Mich., with unrelenting January snows blamed for delaying several installs. However, with the help of some larger projects that were approved in late 2025, business has recovered nicely. “I was just talking to our project management team this week that we have been busier with walk-in traffic this time of year than we have been in previous years,” said Ryan Boender, owner and general manager. “I am optimistic based on the amount of traffic and bid requests that we will pass our delivered sales year to date in the next couple months vs 2025.”
However, the year didn’t start off so rosy for dealers like Yates Flooring & Design, Lubbock, Texas, which experienced one of its slowest starts in several years, with overall sales down approximately 17%. A major ice storm was the culprit, significantly impacting operations, according to Ryan Rogers, CEO. “All three of our Texas locations were closed for more than three days, and our area is simply not equipped to handle that type of weather event. I believe this disruption played a major role in the slow start to the year. That said, February has started off much stronger. We are seeing a noticeable increase in foot traffic, although the sales numbers have not fully caught up yet. I expect to have a clearer picture by the end of this month and into March.”
For those who didn’t deal with the storms, the year started off mostly sunny. “We posted double-digit growth over January of 2025,” said Tom Heffner, president of About All Floors, Douglassville, Pa. “Overall, we’re very optimistic about 2026 and are targeting upper-single-digit year-over-year growth this year. We are solid in retail, builder and commercial.”
In southwest Florida, home to many snowbirds this time of year, business started off strong. Take Taylor Carpet One Floor & Home, Fort Myers. “Traffic continues to be very strong, so we believe there is great opportunity, which also gives us confidence that this will be a stronger year for us,” said John Taylor, president.
Based on feedback from the winter markets, M&M Carpet Showroom in Houston was bracing for a lackluster start to 2026. But that has not been the case, said Tom Connell, president. “At the conventions this year we heard from many suppliers that they were predicting flat or low growth, but our 2026 business to date gives me optimism that the year will be positive,” Connell said. “This time of year, we usually experience slower business conditions. However, this year has been anything but. Our business continues to grow, especially in the high-end custom rugs category.”
Business has also trended upward for some of the industry’s bellwether flooring dealers. “We started January with shipments up high single digits compared to last year, while order entry was essentially flat,” said Bruce Odette, president of Carpet Exchange, with 17 locations in Colorado and Wyoming. “Looking ahead, we expect to see modest growth through the first half, and stronger push in the second half.”
For Ted’s Floors & Beyond, Anniston, Ala., business in January was up 5% over the year-ago period and February is trending about the same. “We are typically positive so we believe there is no reason 2026 will not be at least as good as 2025,” said Ted Gregerson, president. “We are actually hoping for an increase due to how much pent-up demand there is out there, and we are also hoping tariffs have been talked about so much over the last year that people in general have forgotten about them. With gas prices remaining low and interest rates being as low as they have been the past few years, we are hoping consumer confidence will increase some.”
In Canton, Ohio, Bob & Pete’s Floors is up a couple of percentage points compared to last year. “I feel good about what we’re quoting and the opportunities that are out there,” said Bob Pireu, co-owner. “As we move into March, and the weather begins to improve, I expect to see activity pick up and projects start moving forward.”
Some flooring dealers are benchmarking against record years, so admittedly the bar has been set high for them. That would be the case for DeGraaf Interiors, Jenison, Mich., which benefited in 2025 because of its grand opening sale of a new showroom. “We have seen traffic flows affected by weather but then bounce back,” said Doug Schuitema, merchandise manager. “Because of this, our sales are close to where they were at this time last year.”
After a solid 2025, Boss Carpet One Floor & Home in Dixon, Ill., has picked up right where it left off, even tracking ahead of the same period last year. “The biggest surprise has been how steady both residential and commercial demand have remained despite the broader [economic] uncertainty,” said Ben Boss, president. “Our confidence in 2026 comes from a healthy pipeline, market share gains and continued focus on operations and customer experience.”
Following a flat January, Frazier’s Carpet One Floor & Home, Knoxville, Tenn., surged in February, putting the retailer ahead of last year’s sales numbers. “Based on Q4 consumer spending, we saw and felt positive growth,” said Mitchell Parton, general manager. “With tax season right now, potential lowering of interest rates and home buying evening out, we want to maintain our aggressive stance and be ready for the positive impacts it should have in 2026.”
Looking ahead, flooring dealers say the outlook really depends on tariff activity and interest rates.
