Articles
2018 marketWise: Housing, LVT & tariffs
Housing activity is the best barometer for how the flooring industry performed in both residential replacement and builder business. And in 2018, housing activity disappointed. As a consequence, the flooring sales in those two sectors also under-performed, unlike years previous. Read More
Stats for 2018 tallied better than expected
U.S. floor coverings manufacturer sales for 2018 ended up higher than the estimates Catalina issued earlier in the year. Dollar sales (shipments minus exports plus imports) are estimated to have increased by 5.7 percent in 2018 to $27.2 billion, while square foot sales could have increased by 5.1 percent to 23.8 billion. Manufacturer sales strengthened in the second half primarily due to a 20 percent increase in total floor coverings import shipments. Read More
The Life of Luxury
“There’s no question Baby Boomers and Gen X have more money,” said Milton Pedraza, chief executive officer of the Luxury Institute. He added that while younger consumers may have more debt and are less affluent, it’s a matter of time before they catch up as Boomers transfer wealth in inheritances. Read More
Labor shortage continues to impact industry
The labor shortage for the remodeling industry continues to impact the industry, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers. NAHB released the survey results, which highlights availability of labor and subcontractors, to kick off National Home Remodeling Month in May. Read More
Tile in 2019: Growth, change & challenge
Tile and stone continues to be a growth leader for floor covering sales and in 2018 — its growth outpaced overall U.S. Flooring Covering growth for 2018, according to Catalina Research. And, the category gained significant share last year. According to the quarterly report, dollar sales are estimated to have increased 6.8 percent, while square footage could have increased by 6.2 percent. Read More
First-time home buyers battle rising prices
First-time home buyers make up 37 percent of all households who purchased homes in the two years preceding the release of the 2017 AHS, down from 39 percent in the 2015 AHS. The median price of homes purchased by recent home buyers, including first-time buyers and previous home owners, known as trade-up buyers, increased by 10 percent from the 2015 AHS. Read More