Kansas Stone Mountain Goes Floor Trader

Wichita, KS, July 24, 2007--The Stone Mountain Carpet Outlet in Wichita will close Aug. 20 for a major remodel, according to the Wichita Eagle.

Store manager Mike Johnson said the store will reopen Labor Day weekend as Floor Trader, the new name for a store that will focus more on hard floor coverings and less on carpet.

"It's really a move everyone in the marketplace is making," Johnson said. "People like tile, stone, hard floor coverings."

The 16,000-square-foot store will be remodeled into a "more modern" look, Johnson said.

In the meantime, the Stone Mountain inventory is being liquidated.

The hard-coverings emphasis is an industry trend that's been developing for years, said Chris Goebel, president of Wichita's Star Lumber.

"We've re-set our floor several times in the past few years, and every time we've increased the hard coverings," Goebel said.

It's a trend driven by younger buyers, he said.

"The main thing is the young people love grouted tile, the new looks, the laminate floors," Goebel said.

"I think a lot of it comes from California, from Mexico. If you're one of those Sun Belt people in your thinking, you've got a lot of interest in tile."

The store's seven employees, including Johnson, will remain on the payroll, he said.

"We'll continue to offer carpeting," Johnson said. "Stone Mountain was heavily carpet-oriented. This move is just to stay ahead of a market trend."