Carpet Increasingly Preferred in Commercial Market

Dalton, GA, Aug. 6, 2010--A recently completed survey for the Carpet and Rug Institute shows that carpet, especially carpet tile, continues to make inroads into the commercial market.

CRI President Werner Braun, writing in the Dalton Daily Citizen newspaper, said the "future of commercial carpet appears bright."

Braun said that more than 60% of those surveyed report having increased their use of carpet tile over the past two years and more than half report having increased their use of broadloom carpet — or using a stable amount of it — over the same time period.

"This survey is good news for the carpet industry and its suppliers," Braun said. "It shows that carpet is highly competitive with other flooring choices and the perceived value of carpet continues to increase steadily across all commercial sectors."

He also noted that performance ratings for broadloom carpet and carpet tile have increased over the past two years, with broadloom up 11 percentage points, from 49% in 2008 to 60%, and carpet tile ratings increasing from 72% to 80%.

He said the hospitality market continue to rate broadloom carpet performance the highest while corporate customers give the strongest rating to carpet tile.

Braun said the largest change in the perception of carpet has been among government customers who have tripled their ratings for carpet in the last five years.

To hear our interview with Werner Braun, Click here