When asked about their expectations
for tile sales in 2008, more than 60% of respondents to an NFT survey predicted an increase
while a small minority—5%—said sales will dip. Expectations for stone flooring
were not quite as rosy but still upbeat: About 55% said it will increase next year
while about 7% said sales next year will be off.
The Guangdong region of China topped other
leading provinces — more than 75-percent — in the export of its building
ceramics products in 2006. The Fujian province (with 15.83-percent), comes in
second.
Italy remains the primary exporter of ceramic tile to the U.S. And while Mexico, Brazil and Spain remained relatively stable from 2005 to 2006, China's influence in the U.S. market continued to growing dramatically.
Aside from price, retailers consider a resilient
floor’s reliability, design and distributor support the three top factors in
selecting a brand. Source:
Resilient Flooring Market Study, April 2007. Copyright 2007 BNP Media.
Sheet products make up 51 percent of
resilient sales, according to retailers. Source: Resilient Flooring
Market Study, April 2007, Copyright 2007, BNP Media.
Ninety-three percent of retailers selling
and installing resilient floors specify all the products needed for the job, including adhesives and underlayment. Source: Resilient
Flooring Market Study, April 2007, BNP Media
Fifty-seven percent of specialty retailers reported increases in ceramic tile sales last year, followed closely by hardwood. Source: Hardwood Flooring Market Study, March 2007, Copyright by Clear Seas Research/BNP
Media
Sixty-four percent of
specialty flooring retailers surveyed say eroding profit margins impact their
carpet sales. Source: 2006 NFT
Carpet and Area Rug Market Study. Copyright 2006 by Clear Seas/BNP
Media.
Seventy-one percent of NFT specialty flooring
retailers expect their residential hardwood flooring sales to increase this
year, while 39% feel commercial hardwood floor sales will increase in
2007.
Source: Hardwood Flooring Market Study, March 2007, Copyright by Clear Seas Research/BNP
Media
