The flooring market in the US was the focus of this year’s European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF) spring conference in Germany.
Guest speaker Kimberly Gavin of the New York-based Floor Covering Weekly (FCW) informed delegates about everything from market figures, distribution structures and trend developments to future opportunities for different floor coverings in the US.
Members were told that home ownership is on the increase in the US, along with investment in home improvements and renovations, and significant growth is forecast for hard floor coverings such as laminate and wood. FCW has predicted that laminate flooring will have a 10% market share by 2004, compared to 3.7% in 2000, while hardwood floors will reach 9% compared to 8.4% in 2000.
The North American market currently accounts for 13% of the EPLF members’ exports, a figure it hopes to increase through a focused marketing campaign.
Mrs Gavin said laminate and hardwood floors are currently only distributed via wholesalers in the US, but American flooring producers are beginning to sell through direct marketing.
Another significant development, she said, is the formation of ‘marketing groups’ – single retailers who are joining forces to have more leverage with producers.
