- Posted by Warren Tyler on December 22, 2009
"There's nothing new under the sun'" is an old saying. Well-constructed carpet has always been an easy to clean floor with or without stain resist. Since starting my career fifty years ago as a carpet cleaner, I always remember wool being easy to clean and slow to soil. Hand-woven Orientals were the best for cleaning. If you read the warrantees on stain resist carpets, some of the best-known brands exclude just about everything you could possibly spill on them.
Year after year, some fiber company sells something to the mills that can't possibly work such as olefin plushes or ultra soft yarns. We all remember singles yarn polyester which unfortunately turned off two generations of flooring dealers. The real old guys remember rayon viscose which we fondly referred to as the “disappearing fiber." The fiber disappeared soon after the check cleared.
Color and style trends come and go. Long multi-denier shags are actually coming back – from the West coast heading east, as do most fashion trends. Berbers, thankfully, are fading fast. It always offended my sensibilities to name an ugly plastic carpet after those beautiful hand-woven ropey rugs made by the Berber tribesmen of Northern Africa.
A positive trend is the multitude of well-designed patterns the mills have been making, particularly in the mid- to high-end price ranges. What is disappointing is the amount of beiges that are selling. The lack of color is depressing, which I attribute to the mood of the American consumer. During the happy days of Reagan/Clinton/Bush, color sold. Another positive trend is the realistic natural designs of vinyl sheet goods. Most of these products are so well designed they can be used anywhere – not just kitchens and baths anymore. Among the most realistic and the best vinyl sheet goods are the new-to-America fiberglass backed vinyl. This is the fastest growing segment in the industry.
Solid vinyl tile or luxury vinyl tile are so realistic that when I see them on a commercial floor, I can’t tell the difference and am fooled even when I touch the product. Back in the ‘60s and '70s, these terrific looking floors from makers like Amtico and Kentile were used for entries, hallways, stairs and dining rooms. Again, nothing new under the sun.
Where can you see all of these products? Where can you learn styIe and color trends? Where can you spot the next old/new flooring? Nowhere else but at SURFACES. In this economy, you can't afford not to have the most current and up-to-date displays and samples. You also can't afford to lose a single customer. Today's consumer is shopping with a bloodIust and will shop at every store until she thinks she can steal it. Why do you think more men are coming into your store than ever before? They are not there to buy. They have agreed with their wives to purchase flooring but, with the economy being so uncertain, he has to scope out the store that promises the best value. Please be at my 10:30 to noon on Monday to learn how to teach your people how not to walk a customer.