Making Money With Laminate - 08 Retailers' Guide
Try to avoid positioning laminate flooring as an inexpensive alternative. Customers will think it’s inferior. And they’ll think it isn’t real. There are many good reasons why laminate flooring is a popular choice; at the top of the list are ease of maintenance and durability. Over the past five years laminate has come into its own as a flooring category with its own unique characteristics.
The best of today’s laminate looks are not only stunningly realistic, but they’re loaded with glamour, thanks again to advancements in technology. Invite the customer to dream about bringing the outdoors in (the latest interior décor trend) by featuring and displaying laminate’s grains, including exotics, distressed looks, and stone marbling. Install a vignette using different categories, say two different wood species or stones, or border an Italian stone look with an exotic wood in laminate.
Extol the virtues of laminate’s versatility in that it can be installed almost anywhere in the home and that recent improvements in underlayment technology have virtually eliminated the hollow sound that was once a negative characteristic of laminate flooring. Great laminate has great value. Try purchasing a few “sticks” from the local big box outlet and compare them to the value and breadth of fashion you offer instead.
Feature not only the traditional three inch wide wood looks, but also plank and tile formats—especially larger format stone look tiles, a look that continues to grow in popularity.
The big cost savings with laminate comes with the installation. Explain that you still recommend a professional installation but with a floating/interlocking floor, prep time is drastically reduced.
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