Consumer Preference Survey 2014: Purchasing habits and product perceptions

By Calista Sprague

At times the flooring industry gets so wrapped up in the various routes to market that it forgets to step back and consider flooring from the perspective of the residential consumer.

To get a better sense of the mindset of the American consumer, Floor Focus, with the help of Mohawk Industries, recently polled homeowners nationwide who shopped for or purchased floorcovering within the last two years, targeting a cross-section of shoppers that is fairly representative of the U.S. population as a whole. We compared the results to a similar survey that we conducted in 2008, in the deep days of the recession, and although many responses were consistent with the 2008 results, some of the findings are surprising.

CONSUMER HABITS
Consumers once again rated hardwood the most desirable flooring type in 2014, and carpet came in at second place, as it did in 2008. But, surprisingly, laminate squeaked past ceramic tile to capture third place. While laminate’s visuals and performance have improved over the years, the category accounted for only 5.1% of the total flooring market in 2013, and that number has been in steady decline since 2009.

If laminate were truly a product that the market desired, wouldn’t we see it gaining marketshare? Ceramic, on the other hand, has been steadily increasing its marketshare and now accounts for 19% of total flooring. Was something else at work?

For the complete Consumer Preference Survey story, see the November 2014 issue of Floor Focus Magazine.