Articles

A sharp 63% decline in pickup charges from China to the U.S. over the past three months is offering favorable conditions for traders, reports Container xChange. Read More

Homeowners are shifting their approach to bathroom renovations in 2024 with personal comfort and long-term usability increasingly prioritized over resale value considerations. The latest Houzz U.S. Bathroom Trends Study surveyed more than 1,200 respondents and found that homeowners are putting personal needs first during primary bathroom renovations with those focused on resale value dropping by 5 percentage points (26% in 2024 versus 31% in 2023). Additionally, the share of homeow Read More

As 2024 is nearing a close, there are still a lot of uncertainties. Flooring retailers have reported a noticeable slowdown in their businesses through the third quarter and are unsure how the fourth quarter will shake out. With so many issues in the market — from the election to a port strike — retailers are facing unchartered territory again. In the face of this, many leading retailers are deploying creative tactics, including sweepstakes and improved sales efforts, to bolster business and close the year on a high note. Read More

U.S. floor coverings manufacturer sales (shipments minus exports plus imports) could have declined by 4.0 percent in dollars and 3.1 percent in square feet as distributors and retailers cut back purchases to reduce their inventories. Channel inventories accumulated in late 2023 and the first half of 2024 when sales at floor covering retailers and household floor coverings spending declined at a sharper rate than manufacturer sales. For example, manufacturer dollar sales could have declined by 0.2 percent in the first half while retailer sales could have dropped 6.7 percent. In the third quarter, Catalina estimates manufacturer dollar sales could have declined by 4.0 percent while the drop in retail sales could have slowed to some 2.0 percent. Read More

Flooring Industry “Aims for the Ceiling” at the Inaugural Sustainability Summit in Washington, DC Read More

A majority of single-family homes started in 2023 continued to have two full bathrooms, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Read More

The term “large-format tile”, or LFT as it has become known, is a term that has been circulating through the U.S. tile world for over 20 years. According to the Tile Council of America Handbook 2001, under the header “Bonding Large-Format Tile for Coverage and Support” it states, “Large tiles are generally considered to be 8” x 8” and greater.” Under the “Subsurface Tolerance” header it states, thin-set tolerance to be ¼” in 10’, to conform with the ANSI specifications. However, the words “large-format tile” were not connected to the subfloor requirement. Read More

-Lowe's reported net sales for Q2 2024 were $23.6 billion, a 5.6% decline compared to $25.0 billion in the prior-year quarter. Read More

The Tile Shop reported net sales of $91.4 million for Q2 2024, a 7.3% decline from Q2 2023’s $98.6 million. Comparable store sales declined 6.9%. Read More

Houzz Inc., the leading platform for home remodeling and design, empowering industry professionals and their clients with all-in-one project management and design software, today released the Q3 2024 Houzz U.S. Renovation Barometer. The Barometer found increases in Q2 business activity compared with Q1 among home remodeling and design professionals. This is the fourth consecutive quarter-over-quarter increase for architectural and design pros. Notably, it also marks the first positive shift in the construction sector following two years of decline. Businesses across all sectors remain mildly optimistic about activity in the coming quarter. Read More