Are Price Increases the New Normal? BY ELISABETH STUBBS
It’s summertime. You need new appliances, pool supplies or meat to grill. You are ready to make a purchase: a new refrigerator, a new HVAC system, chlorine for your swimming pool, chicken. But there’s a problem. You can’t find it anywhere. Or, if you can find it, the prices are ridiculously high, like plywood, a used car or steak. So what’s going on? Demand is outpacing supply, and prices are going up, if you can get the product at all. Costs to ship products have increased dramatically, especially on imported items. You may be wondering what this has to do with flooring. Well, similar challenges are being faced in the flooring industry. U.S. manufacturers of hardwood flooring, laminates and carpet padding are having a hard time keeping up with demand. They are selling products as quickly as they can make them. If the product is imported, such as most luxury vinyl plank flooring, there are extensive delays and costs involved with receiving the product. It’s a challenging time. Normally, when clients have to wait on flooring, they are waiting for installers. Right now, clients are waiting for products. Another challenge is pricing. Every manufacturer 30
AROUND CANTON | July 2021
we work with has had at least one price increase this year. As of June, some manufacturers were on their third price increase. Unfortunately, that means flooring companies are able to honor only some estimates for 10 to 14 days since pricing changes so quickly. Industry experts do not expect product availability or pricing to stabilize until 2022. The “new normal” for many clients is they either have to wait for exactly what they want, or flooring retailers have to continuously check availability on products to find the color that they love in stock. But don’t give up; everything isn’t on backorder. Contact a trusted flooring expert to assist you during these unprecedented times. Although the “new normal” may make the process a little more difficult than it once was, flooring experts can help you make your home beautiful.
Elisabeth Stubbs is one of the owners of Enhance Floors and More, one of Atlanta’s top-rated flooring dealers, located in Marietta.
