Resilient Market Update: A retailers’ guide to the category in a choppy market – Oct 2025

By Meg Scarbrough

The residential resilient flooring market is navigating one of the most complicated cycles in recent memory. Tariffs on imports, persistently high interest rates and a squeeze on housing affordability have made consumers more cautious and retail traffic more uneven.

“I never remember so many significant macro forces at play at one time within the residential sector,” says Bill Blackstock, president and CEO of the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI), which represents the industry’s resilient manufacturers and suppliers.

And yet, resilient remains flooring’s linchpin. With its breadth of options, durability and waterproof nature, the category has grown to become the largest flooring category in the business. For retailers, the challenge is no longer just stocking resilient-it’s knowing which formats, channels and messages will carry them through headwinds and into recovery.

Resilient's rise: From niche to No. 1

In its early days, resilient was a much smaller business dominated by sheet vinyl. That began to change with the rise of LVT and, later, rigid core products like SPC and WPC. These formats didn’t just add volume, they redefined the market.

“Today, it’s a powerhouse, having nearly tripled its marketshare, driven by the explosive growth of LVT and especially rigid core products like SPC,” says Eric Ruppert, senior director of residential sales for Engineered Floors.

The Covid years accelerated that trajectory. With consumers locked down at home and sitting on federal stimulus, remodeling surged. Resilient-waterproof, scratch-resistant, affordable-became the default choice for kitchens, basements and whole-home makeovers.

By 2024, resilient had overtaken carpet as the largest category in U.S. flooring, reaching $7.55 billion, according to Market Insights. It was the only category to show growth last year. 

But the post-Covid boom has cooled in the past couple of years. “Hard surface and resilient are still taking from carpet, but at a much smaller, single-digit rate now,” observes Yon Hinkle, vice president of product management for AHF Products. “We will see what happens over the next several years around innovation, because that’s what tends to move the needle one way or another.”

Tariffs and pricing: Volatility at the core

Much of the resilient flooring sold in the U.S.-particularly SPC-is manufactured overseas, with nearly 80% coming from Asia. That means trade policy doesn’t just affect factories; it lands directly on showroom price tags.

Since 2018, tariffs on Chinese imports have shifted repeatedly, and the uncertainty is far from settled. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear challenges this year that could leave current tariffs in place, roll them back, or-if overturned-force repayment of duties already collected. Until then, suppliers and retailers are operating in limbo.

“The tariff policy has been all over the place, and that’s created chaos in the industry,” says Hinkle. 

Tariffs have also pushed sourcing beyond China, with manufacturers diversifying into Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, South Korea and India. But even those supply chains are under pressure, as trade reviews and new tariff proposals put fresh questions on the table.

That uncertainty is showing up on invoices. In recent months, manufacturers have issued price increases of 10% to 15% tied to higher landed costs from tariffs and freight volatility. Retailers are left explaining to shoppers why a floor that cost one amount six months ago is suddenly higher.

“We’re in uncharted territory [on tariffs],” says Adam Ward, vice president of resilient for Mohawk. But, “the market adapted during Covid; it will adapt to this, as well.” 

One way that manufacturers are adapting is by diversifying sourcing. Shaw’s Benjamin Liebert, president of residential, says relying solely on imports or solely on domestic production leaves companies exposed.

“Our approach is balance,” he explains. “To build a resilient supply chain, you need both make and source. Domestic capacity is critical. We’ve invested more than $250 million in our Ringgold, Georgia facility since 2019, with another $90 million underway to double capacity by next year. But global sourcing also plays a role. The combination allows us to withstand cycles and keep products flowing.”

That balance extends into distribution. Shaw has built one of the most extensive supply chain networks in North America, with regional distribution centers positioned coast to coast. “It’s not about putting everything everywhere,” Liebert says. “It’s about curating assortments by region-the right colors in the West Coast, the right textures in the Northeast-and making sure inventory is close to where it’s needed.” 

Housing affordability and interest rates

Beyond tariffs, the biggest brakes on demand are macroeconomic: high mortgage rates and strained affordability.

“Sixty-one percent of those who can purchase a home today need it to cost $250,000 or less, and the average [existing] price is about $410,000,” Blackstock notes. That mismatch has sidelined many would-be buyers. 

Millions of homeowners locked in mortgages at 3% or less; trading up to today’s 6%-plus rates simply doesn’t add up. “You’ve got so many existing homeowners who need to move…but they’ve got mortgage rates significantly lower than today’s rates, and they do the math, and they’re just waiting,” Blackstock explains.

For flooring, that translates into fewer move-related remodels. “Remodel typically takes place during the sell-buy transaction,” Blackstock adds. “And with sales slowed, that’s on hold.”

Ward sees the dynamic play out on showroom floors. “People will replace a water heater or AC because they have to, but they can live with an ugly floor,” he says. “Aspirational purchases are being delayed until people feel better about the economy and interest rates.”

Yet, there’s a silver lining. Today’s homeowners are sitting on record equity, and as long as home prices remain elevated, that wealth could eventually unlock a new wave of renovation activity. “The opportunity lies in the residential remodel and replacement sector,” Ruppert says, “as homeowners are choosing to improve the homes they’re in, and resilient flooring is perfectly positioned to meet that demand.”

By segment: Remodel, builder, multifamily 

Resilient’s trajectory is tied tightly to the housing cycle, and each segment tells a different story.

  • Remodel remains the anchor, even as growth has cooled from pandemic highs. “If you zoom out to the broader U.S. resilient market, remodel still accounts for most residential sales, even with the current slowdown,” says Novalis’ Kimberly Hill, vice president of product and marketing. Lifestyle-driven projects like kitchens and baths continue, though discretionary upgrades are deferred.

Ward highlights the bifurcation: “The upper end of the market is performing better than the middle to lower end. People with money are still spending it. People without aren’t.”

  • Builder has softened as affordability weighs on housing starts. Yet resilient remains the go-to surface for speed, durability and value. “While cyclical, this segment consistently produces strong demand, particularly as housing shortages drive new home development,” says John McElroy, merchant with MSI Surfaces. “It’s a critical engine for flooring growth, especially in suburban and Sunbelt regions.”

  • Multifamily is in digestion mode after a wave of new units hit in 2023 and 2024. Leasing activity is catching up, and developers are expected to return once that stock clears. In the meantime, property managers are leaning on resilient for quick turns. Flexible formats, with their repairability and lifecycle value, remain a favorite here.

Greg Wrenn, vice president of product and brand for International Flooring Company (IFC), notes that multifamily is tilting toward SPC on volume but showing growing interest in higher-performing formats. “2025 has shown significant growth in WPC in both single and multifamily,” he says. “Multifamily still leans more toward SPC, but on the high end, where sound and comfort become more important, there has been growth in WPC and our Canopy Flex products.” 

“We watched last year as producers of SPC undervalued their products to hit a lower price point,” says Jamann Stepp, vice president of hard surfaces for Stanton. “The resulting product failures drove demand in the resilient category over to looselay/gluedown on the builder side and WPC in the retail replacement sector.” 

As a result, Stepp says, Stanton is adding 12 new SKUs in loose lay and a total of 68 SKUs of WPC since this time last year.

Design and the consumer story

Consumers may be cautious, but design still closes the sale. Wide planks, lighter tones and matte natural textures dominate current demand. “Warm, warm and warmer, earthy and natural seem to be prevailing,” says Amy Tucker, The Dixie Group’s director of hard surfaces.

Retailers should look to paint as a leading indicator. “We track shifts from Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore to create products that coordinate with their best sellers,” Tucker explains.

Hinkle adds that visuals increasingly blur the line with hardwood: “The visuals have gotten so good. … Sometimes I have to touch a floor to tell if it’s engineered wood, solid wood or resilient.”

Liebert stresses that many consumers enter the showroom only once every seven to ten years. “They don’t know SPC from WPC when they walk in,” he says. “We have to tell those stories, not with technical speak, but with benefit-driven speak around waterproof, quiet, warm and easy to clean. The best story wins.”

Wrenn echoes that less is more in merchandising. “Consumers are coming into stores armed with more information than ever,” he notes. “With AI, they can generate recommendations instantly and find the same product elsewhere. Limited, focused assortments create clarity and help retailers hold their ground.”

And having a strong mix is key. “We continue to ensure that our retail partners have the colors their customers are gravitating toward,” Noah Fulton, vice president of business strategy of Karndean. “Over the past four or five months alone, we’ve introduced more than two dozen new wood- and stone-inspired designs across three of our collections. Each collection has different specs, and we want to ensure retailers displaying those collections are getting maximum value from them.”

The long game: Preparing for recovery

Despite turbulence, resilient’s fundamentals remain strong. Floors continue to age, housing shortages persist and consumers will eventually re-enter the market. “This too shall pass, and it’s just another cycle,” says Shaw’s Liebert. “Being prepared for that moment is really important.”

Blackstock frames it this way: “Your success is determined in headwinds and not tailwinds…it’s from the decisions and how you deploy yourself.”

For retailers, that means:

• Sharpen sales strategies: Train staff to sell benefits, not specs.
• Curate assortments: Keep options but avoid overload.
• Engage locally: “Don’t wait for customers to walk into your store,” Tucker advises. Community events, like the Missouri retailer who gives rugs to teachers, pay off in loyalty and free media exposure. 
• Align with suppliers: Look for partners that can flex sourcing, supply chain and product development as conditions shift.

“Regardless of where everything settles, we know these costs are real and will be passed through at some level,” says Noah Fulton, vice president of business strategy of Karndean. “To the extent consumers are able, they’ll naturally time purchases to avoid the financial impact. It will take many months, though, for an impact on demand.”

As Wrenn notes, the next inflection could be closer than expected. “We’re starting to see some strong signals of a rebound as we move into the fall season and have some clarity around tariff impacts,” he says. IFC is “cautiously optimistic” regarding 2026, citing likely rate cuts and delayed projects waiting for relief.

Success depends on turning market turbulence into strategy: choosing the right mix, telling the right story and investing in community relationships that last beyond the cycle. Those who prepare now will be best positioned when the pendulum swings back.