CCA Finalizes Details of Retail 2.0 Merchandising Program

Nashville, TN, August 11, 2022-The main focus of CCA Global’s summer convention, which ended yesterday in Nashville, Tennessee, was the group’s Retail 2.0 initiative. In development since 2019 and piloted for the last 18 months, the new merchandising program will begin shipping in March to members who buy into the program, culminating in Q1 2024. The 100 stores that are part of the prelaunch will be set up in the next couple of weeks.

While not mandatory for members, “everything we do going forward is going to be in support of 2.0” Keith Spano, president of CCA’s Flooring America, Flooring Canada, International Design Guild and The Floor Trader division, told attendees.

The program utilizes a hub and spoke model anchored by a welcome center flanked by merchandise categorized by look-wood, soft surface and tile-and then by color. Hard surface will feature two categories: wood-all engineered, with the option to purchase additional displays or utilize approved existing ones to cater to regional preferences-and waterproof, denoting laminate and LVT. Soft surface will feature four categories: patterns, multicolors, loops and solids/tonals, titled by lifestyle alignment, for example, classic, expressive or casual.

“Those who win at retail today provide the customer with simplicity,” Spano said.

Routine changeouts are key and common practice among consumer-facing industries. CCA’s current program, Select a Floor, was introduced 21 years ago-and continually added to since. In conjunction with the streamlined store aesthetic, CCA is culling its Retail 2.0 selection to 268 carpet products, 390 hard surface products and 45 tile-look LVT products. Private-label products are being condensed to a single brand: Room by Room for Carpet One members and Room to Explore for Flooring America members.

Redeveloped sample holders maximize the sample-size space, with simple icons denoting key attributes, and QR codes on each sample card will link to warranty information, performance characteristics and room scenes. Large kiosk monitors will offer interactive touchpoints to help customers compare products, learn about promotions and estimate their projects.

Warranties have also been streamlined through the use of icons and updated, straightforward language. Additionally, pet performance coverage has been expanded.

CCA Carpet One division president John Gilbert reported that pilot stores saw sales increase 14.5% overall compared with the control group of stores. Two-thirds of that growth came from the average order size, the rest came from the speed of the sale, as the system is meant to simplify the process not only for the customer, but the sales associate as well.

Listen to the interview with John Gilbert for more on Retail 2.0, here.

Pic: CCA's Cathey Gundlach.