Articles

“U.S. floor covering sales remained weak in the first quarter of 2025, and we are not surprised by the slow start,” the company stated. Sales continue to be impacted by slowing building construction spending, sluggish housing starts and weak existing home sales. The rise in interest rates in the first quarter stalled any recovery in these primary drivers of demand. Read More

As the luxury vinyl tile (LVT) market faces dual pressures from rising tariffs and increasing demand, manufacturers showcased strategic pivots at Q1 2025 trade shows, revealing an industry in transition. With Chinese imports now subject to a 45% tariff—up from 25% just months ago—and the global LVT market projected to reach $52.86 billion by 2030, North American manufacturers are ramping up investments in domestic production while exploring alternative supply chains throughout Southeast Asia. Read More

A slight uptick in the fourth quarter of 2024 enabled Mohawk Industries to reduce its decline in full-year revenue compared to the -3.8% reported in the first nine months. For the global flooring giant, 2024 closed with net sales of $10.8 billion, a decrease of 2.7% compared to the $11.1 billion of 2023. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted operating income both increased by 0.7% versus 2023, while adjusted net earnings grew by 5.1% to $617 million. The company generated $680 million of free cash flow, ending the year with approximately $1.6 billion in available liquidity. Read More

World production and consumption of ceramic tiles: forecasts to 2028 Feb 07, 2025, from Ceramic World Web Newsletter The MECS Research Centre has published the… Read More

In 2024, ceramic imports were down for the third consecutive year, while vinyl flooring imports increased though share gain seemed to be slowing, reports Truist. Read More

Kitchen and bath product manufacturer sales (domestic shipments plus imports minus exports) weakened again in the fourth quarter of 2024 after turning upward in the previous quarter, according to the Catalina Research report. In the fourth quarter, sales were hurt by rising mortgage rates after declining over the previous three months. Rising rates turned consumers cautious, leading to inventory accumulation at distributors and dealers. Read More

o see what’s in store for 2025, Builder Magazine analyzed several residential design predictions from sources including the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Taylor Morrison, Houzz, Zillow, and Fixr. Read More

According to CNBC, President Trump has agreed to pause tariffs on imports from Canada for at least 30 days. Hours prior, Trump stated that tariffs on imports from Mexico would be paused for one month. The pauses on tariffs comes after all countries involved came to an agreement on preventing the trafficking of the opioid fentanyl into the U.S. Duties on Canada, Mexico & China weigh on business Read More

President Donald Trump issued an executive order that will impose double-digit tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, to take effect on Feb. 4. At press time, the tariffs against Mexico were delayed for one month according to numerous reports. According to statements, the U.S. and Mexico will use the pause to continue negotiations. The proposed tariffs will be an additional 25 percent of duty on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10 percent on imports from China. The tariffs will apply to all imports except Canadian energy resources exports, which will face a 10 percent tariff instead. Read More

At the 2025 Shaw Flooring Network convention in Orlando, Florida, Betti Packman, partner/principal with EY-Parthenon and Ivan Kleinfeld, senior director with EY-Parthenon reported that, in the last 22 years, the percentage of remodel budgets devoted to flooring fell from 11% in 2003 to 6% in 2021. Read More