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FLOORING’S MAIN EVENT
MORE EXHIBITORS. MORE PRODUCT. MORE EDUCATION. MORE NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES.
THAN ANY OTHER SHOW
A million reasons to attend TISE nforma Exhibitions, the organizer of The InBeyond the exhibition space, TISE offers a Inered ternational Surface Event (TISE), has partrobust education program. Recently rebranded with FCNews to bring you this special as Converge, the program welcomes thought supplement focusing on the many ways the event continues to bring value to attendees— as told by some of the thousands of retailers who have participated in past shows. TISE, which is slated for Jan. 22–25 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, is the most comprehensive floor covering, stone and tile buying and designer sourcing industry event offering a wealth of products from the U.S. as well as international brands. Spanning more than 1 million square feet of exhibits, and featuring a bevy of educational and networking opportunities, there’s literally over a million reasons #whyTISE is the premier flooring industry event. “As the first event of the year, TISE is perfectly positioned to offer new product introductions and critical first-of-the-year buying opportunities to help flooring dealers be more successful in the coming year,” said Amie Gilmore, CEM, show director, Surfaces. “It is the premier industry marketplace for buyers, specifiers and influencers to purchase products, gain design/trend inspiration and develop their business strategies.” If last year’s show is any indication, Surfaces 2019 is poised to continue posting strong numbers. According to Informa, attendance at Surfaces 2018 was up 12% over 2017. This following increases of 10% and 7% in 2016 and 2017, respectively. “Those are strong increases for attendance in the 2018 event and a whole lot of new and returning attendees discovering, specifying and buying products on the show floor,” Gilmore noted. “The entire feeling of the event was electric with energy and positive sentiment. Exhibitors and attendees were impressed with the event traffic, the trade show floor, the new and innovative product offerings from exhibitors and their overall experiences.” Another noteworthy statistic, according to Informa, pertains to the number of exhibitors who secured their booth spaces for the 2019 event while the 2018 show was still going on. “Nearly 80% of the entire floor rebooked on site while at TISE 2018,” Gilmore noted. “In addition, exhibitors booked larger spaces and vowed to bring even more incredible new technology and products to display at the 2019 event.” 4 I December 24/31, 2018
leaders from both inside and outside the industry to share their knowledge and ideas with attendees. “We have three learning paths with classes for all groups—suits, hammer and nails, and creative types,” Gilmore explained. “Classes are a full day of learning the day before the show opens, followed by three education and show days. When the show floor opens, the classes are in the morning, leaving the afternoon free to roam the exhibit floor.” Converge focuses on innovative learning models—unlike the typical classroom style setup. Informa further supplements its educational offerings with live, instructional demonstrations conducted by industry experts and associations across the show floor. Then there’s the DISH (Design and Installation Showcase Hub) area, which features three stages—one on design, one with exhibitor demonstrations and another with association-led demonstrations. The value doesn’t end there. Informa also announces Vibe, a unique networking event which enables prequalified buyers and suppliers to connect with, meet and do business with each other in an exclusive setting. “This program allows TISE to offer additional ROI and value to their show audience as well as add a whole new experience to the excitement already evident at TISE,” Gilmore said. “These qualified and highly matched meetings will ensure suppliers are showcasing the newest and most innovative products to allow buyers to make purchasing decisions while at the show.” A proud history TISE, which has served the flooring industry for more than 30 years, is reinvented annually with carefully sourced exhibiting brands, crafted content and networking events. The show also boasts next-generation innovations to meet the ever-evolving needs of the industry. “We would like to send a special thank you to the entire industry for their continued support and the value they place on TISE,” Gilmore stated. “It is our goal to create a marketplace for the industry to gather, do business and build relationships. We’ll continue to listen and strive to fill the needs of the floor covering industry.”
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NEW PRODUCTS/TRENDS
One-stop-shop for flooring innovations Much like the popular multi-state lottery slogan, “You have to be in it to win it,” dealers looking to discover the latest and greatest in new products and emerging design trends need to be present at Surfaces to see firsthand the vast array of flooring innovations, colors, patterns and textures on display. Many successful, savvy, fashion-minded dealers use Surfaces as the platform to identify hot new flooring collections—as well as product upgrades—that ultimately may end up on their showroom floors.
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The ability to meet with vendors in one setting is critical.
All the major players in one location
Our Abbey group has its own convention but those are organized by label and I have noticed the displays and products offered have been somewhat abbreviated compared to the full lines that are actually available. If a company is not involved with the Abbey group, I want to go and see them at Surfaces firsthand to get the chance to look at the full lines of products and other technologies I may have previously missed out on. The only way you can make the decision of what is best for your store is to see all the players and product lines that are involved.
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—STEVE DELAMORE Abbey Carpet and Floor San Jose, Calif.
Keeping an eye on design
Cove Carpet One Floor & Home Summit, N.J.
6 I December 24/31, 2018
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Get the best for less
We use Surfaces as a guide of where we need to make a change in our inventory to keep up with the times. We meet with our suppliers and they know we want the newest of the new. A deal can be made right there on the spot if we feel the product is an investment worthy of our showroom floor and all of our financial needs are met. We are always willing to be the guinea pigs; as a result, we get good deals and more exclusive products.
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I go to Surfaces to see the trends that might emerge based on what the manufacturers are showing in terms of color, style and even shapes. We serve a higher-end clientele, so we’re particularly interested to see what’s trending in wool. We look for that common thread among wool manufacturers. At Surfaces we also look to see what’s new in prefinished wood and LVT.
—DONNA DWYRE
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—COLE STERLING Abbey Carpet and Floor Anniston, Ala.
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Access to broadloom exclusives
This is the show to attend for the broadloom carpet industry. A lot of the people I do business with don’t have showrooms and therefore use Surfaces as their prime platform to introduce new products. This is the show where manufacturers show you the whole product collection and exclusives, so you have the chance to see all of your options up close and compare details to effectively choose what best suits your showroom and clientele. If you don’t attend Surfaces, you will not see the product introductions or get shown the samples for the new products until the reps come around to your store; by that point, the deals won’t be nearly as good and your hands are tied because it is very difficult to hunt down what the other broadloom carpet competitors have to offer.
—BILL WARD ABC Carpet & Home, New York, N.Y.
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Quality you can compare
We go to Surfaces knowing exactly what we are looking for. Everything is side by side and it gives us the opportunity to observe the products in person. You need to feel and touch the products and learn about texture and available finishes. Those important details are lost when looking at a monitor. It becomes a matter of utilizing your time to see as much as possible until you find suitable product options that will benefit your business. Then it becomes a game of finding the best buy and comparing product details—which you can easily figure out because you are seeing all of these products back to back with the vendor interactions fresh in your mind.
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—TOM TWELLS Airdrie Carpet - The Flooring Store Alberta, Canada
No substitute for up close and personal
A major reason I attend Surfaces is to see the new wood and high-end carpet product introductions in person. You need to look at (and feel) the material the flooring is made of and pay close attention to the visual details; you can’t learn everything you need to know from a photo. Wood flooring will look promising in a picture almost every time, but it is when you see the product in person that you will know if you have found a solid wood floor or a floor attempting to mimic the wood visual. That is the only way you are going to invest in worthy products for your own showroom every time.
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—BHAJAN JAHANBANI Artifacts Salt Lake City
Cashing in on opportunities
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—DAVID COTA
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Fun times with new brands
—CATHY BUCHANAN
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Surfaces sets the tone
Surfaces is the first chance to see the new options that will be introduced and ultimately becomes the selling focus for the rest of the year. If we place an order at Surfaces, it is not uncommon for us to receive the product six or seven months down the road. We consider Surfaces a preemptive strike because if you wait until the trend has been established, your competitors are usually on top of it and carrying what you should have purchased months ago.
—WENDY KYBA Atmosphere Interiors Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
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The art of negotiating the deal
Surfaces offers the opportunity for us to see all the new products at one time, which makes it much easier to negotiate buys for the year. You have everything in front of you all at once to make more effective product comparisons when dealing with quality vs. price. Plus, having a vendor’s competitor a few steps away offers a bargaining chip with pricing. You can visit all the booths that have products suitable for your clientele, and you leave feeling confident with your purchases because you got to take a closer look at all your options.
—TIM HENSON America’s Floor Source Columbus, Ohio
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Surfaces gives you a head start
It’s about product. A number of years ago when Piet Dossche was at Beaulieu, they launched the Waverly brand. I actually got to help cut the ribbon with Piet, and a year and a half later it was a part of our program.
Independent Carpet One Westland, Mich.
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I am a smaller dealer so the only place I would be able to learn about all of the new products being launched for the year is at Surfaces. I go to learn everything there is to know by paying close attention during the product introductions and demonstrations. That is followed by taking the time to negotiate with distributors to develop relationships with the major players in the floor industry who I would have never had contact with otherwise.
Artesano Flooring Phoenix
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It’s convenient being exposed to the newest products coming into the market which you can’t see all in one place anywhere else but Surfaces. A lot of products that we get involved with and develop come from Surfaces. I expect to get a product or two or three from visiting Surfaces every year.
—DARREN BRAUNSTEIN Worldwide Wholesale Edison, N.J.
December 24/31, 2018 I 7
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NEW PRODUCTS/TRENDS
Taking a ‘big picture’ view
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Surfaces gives you the opportunity to see what’s going on outside your community. You’re able to see trends and what the industry is doing as a whole. The event also helps you come up with strategies to implement for the long haul and make more money. You can also get some really good deals that are only available at the show.
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—JON WEST Chillicothe Carpet Chillicothe, Ohio
The place where smaller vendors shine
We go to Surfaces with the focus of seeing hardwood, vinyl and laminate products. (We can see most carpet products at the regional shows.) Surfaces also allows us the opportunity to see the smaller hard surface suppliers—which has a tremendous value. The opportunity to see the direction and trends in the industry under one roof is the best thing about going to Surfaces.
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—BRIAN WITKIN Avalon Carpet Tile and Flooring Cherry Hill, N.J.
Stay on the cutting edge
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I attend Surfaces primarily to find new flooring products and trends, and to see how the vendors that I’m not currently buying from stack up to the ones I currently deal with. I can tell you our promise to our customer, and we publicly state it, is they are going to see the newest trends and colors when they come into one of our stores, so we need to stay on the cutting edge.
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—KELLY COSGROVE HOM Furniture Minneapolis, Minn.
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Comparison shopping, apples to apples
At Surfaces we set up about 90% of our buying for the coming year. It allows us to look at all our options, compare those options, work out our deals and set up the next 12 months. Surfaces has all the companies in one place.
—ROB ELDER Hiller’s Flooring America Rochester, Minn.
8 I December 24/31, 2018
Exhibitors use Surfaces as a platform to test drive products.
Finger on the pulse of design trends
The most important thing I get from attending Surfaces is being exposed to the key trends for the new year. A few years ago everyone was introducing grays. I incorporated that in my stores, and that immediately translated to success. It’s still a strong trend in my market. I am even painting the walls a shade of gray in some of my stores to accent these gray floors.
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—ASHLIE BUTLER Bob's Carpet & Flooring Tampa, Fla.
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Time of year to make connections
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My main reason is to see new products, connect with existing manufacturers that we don’t see all year round because not everyone comes into the store. Also, we connect with customers that we do see, but we get to see the new lines. We’re always looking for new sources.
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—JOSEPH STERN Boro Rug & Carpet Brooklyn, N.Y.
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Sometimes it pays to be first
We take advantage of the special pricing offered. We like to make purchases that allow us to be the first in our market.
—JON DAUENHAUER Carpet World Bismarck, N.D.
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All work...and a little play
We go Surfaces to see the latest and greatest offerings for spring introductions, purchase deals to bring in immediately and to learn and socialize with fellow flooring buddies.
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To me it’s the exposure to all the vendors under one roof. You get to see everybody. Surfaces is a great show and has really revived itself in the last five years. We get more accomplished there than any other show. It’s about finding that diamond in the rough, that new vendor that maybe we don’t do business with. My father always taught me, if you find one new vendor, one new thing, one new product at a show, it was worth going. We stumbled onto USFloors at Surfaces when they were in their infancy and that has been a home run for us.
Sterling Carpet Anaheim, Calif.
So much to see, so little time
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—BRUCE SOLOMON Country Carpets Syosset, N.Y.
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If you snooze, you lose
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I go to the show see what’s out there, what’s new. In fact, Surfaces is where we found COREtec. It has been exciting to see how that product line has evolved.
Keeping up with the Joneses
Surfaces, for us, is a way to connect with new product and trends and to really be on top of it. You can’t always rely on a manufacturer rep or a mill to represent the products you’re interested in. There, you can see firsthand all of the products and determine what you want to bring into your showroom. It’s great to identify small, unique or new players in the field and be introduced to new product.
Aztec Custom Rug Colorado Springs, Colo.
The Flooring Gallery Louisville, Ky.
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—JIM RODRIGUEZ
—NICK FREADREACEA
We take the time to see as many products as we can—even though the programs shown at Surfaces might not actually be launched for two years. It’s a great opportunity to speak to the vendors to learn about what’s new. That’s important for us because, as retailers, we are on the front line with the consumer so we’re involved in that decision-making process. I would also love to see some of the niche vendors come back to Surfaces.
—RICH AND DAN MANDEL
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The first place to spot a new trend
Surfaces is the only place where you can see everything in one place. It is THE show for our industry, and if you want to know what the next trend in flooring is going to be you have to be at Surfaces to catch that trend early.
Sometimes all it takes is one lucky break
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—MICHAEL LONGWILL Airbase Carpet and Tile Mart New Castle, Del.
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—JOE BURKELAND CTW Abbey Carpet & Floor MacFarland, Wis.
You get out what you put in
I get the most out of Surfaces by pounding the pavement—going to the different exhibits to see what’s new and exciting. It usually takes about six to nine months before you actually get the new products in the store, but it’s good to see what’s coming out. We also go to see some of the smaller flooring distributors while we’re there.
—WAYNE COX Crestview Floors Calgary, Canada
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December 24/31, 2018 I 9
EDUCATION & TRAINING
It’s never too late to learn something new No matter how long you have been in business, there is always something new to learn about flooring, experts say. From new product rollouts to getting a better handle on the way today’s consumers research product online, there’s always something retailers can glean from the educational sessions available at Surfaces. Where else can you gain access to three full days of seminars, all under one roof?
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TISE is renown for its robust educational programming.
Knowledge at every turn
Surfaces is where you need to go to learn about the new materials, colors and technologies. The flooring industry is one of the most creative, so you can never make assumptions about what they will come out with next. We take advantage of every avenue of learning, which includes talking to as many companies as possible so no stone is left unturned because if you see something that sparks your interest at Surfaces, it is a worthy source to learn about because you will only find the best of the best.
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—KRIKOR AKOUBIAN Aquakor Pacoima, Calif.
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Experience is the best teacher
One of the most memorable classes I have taken is the class that discussed product failures. The instructors went through various product categories and the major issues that have arisen and how to avoid making the same mistakes. The time we would have spent to focus on product issues can now be focused elsewhere.
—BILL STEIN
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Affordable Flooring Warehouse Steamboat Springs, Colo.
10 I December 24/31, 2018
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Learn installation techniques to apply to your own jobs
I focus on the educational classes that teach the newer installation techniques and other useful tips, so I can pass on the information to my subcontractors back home. I work with a lot of people who have been in the industry for years and don’t necessarily like to change the way they do things. However, if I am knowledgeable of various installing practices, it can turn into an open conversation that will determine the fastest and most successful form of installation that will work for all parties involved.
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—DONALD PHILIP LARIMER Arizona Fine Floors and More Chandler, Ariz.
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Getting a leg up on digital marketing
We love the digital marketing classes offered at Surfaces because digital is where everything happens now. We have been in business for 32 years, and for a majority of that time we used newspaper ads and other marketing avenues that have now faded out. Now we need to continuously learn how to utilize things like Facebook, Yelp and Google pay per click because those avenues are always evolving. It is our job to do all we can to learn how to maximize each post and have a superb online presence, so the consumers can rely on our business to receive the information.
—HASSAN KANY Action Carpet and Floor Décor Oceanside, Calif.
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A chance to ask questions
Come early, leave educated
Our company is in a bit of a unique situation because we are located in Colorado, where a lot of products fail because we do not have a lot of humidity. There is always a challenge depending on where you are located, and the knowledge we take in at Surfaces is what helps us determine which wood and vinyl flooring products to carry. It is easy to believe that after being in the flooring industry for 30 years you know all there is to know, but products are constantly adapting and are made to solve specific problems in the industry. I have learned something new each year I have attended, and what I have learned will ultimately help my customers by offering the best product selection for our climate situation and save them money.
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—LARRY DRABEK A+ Hardwoods Floors Denver, Colo.
Attending Surfaces is an opportunity to learn a copious amount of information about the new products that are being launched, but go in with an open mind because you never know what the flooring industry will create next. It is an environment designed for us to ask questions until we feel comfortable enough to return home to educate and sell our customers the newest products of the year. You would rather take advantage of the situation than be clueless when a customer asks you information that you did not confirm when you had the chance.
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—DEBORAH HARRISON Arrowhead Floor & Window Covering Blue Jay, Calif.
All the education you need and then some
The amount of information I can learn at Surfaces in an hour would take me years to learn in my little box in my store back home. About 95% of my showroom design and set-up is now changed because of what I have learned at Surfaces. I have a few employees who I am bringing along with me so they have the opportunity to become experts in other areas of the business. Not to mention, it takes some of the pressure off my shoulders because business back home does not stop. If I have to be on the phone during a class, I can rely on my employees to learn and digest the information to relay it all back to us in the store.
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—PAUL PAVLYUK 916 Floors Roseville, Calif.
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Information galore
Surfaces offers a copious number of classes that could benefit just about anyone involved in the flooring industry. We have brought along sales reps who can focus on sales tactics and customer interaction as well as marketing specialists who focus on the best marketing avenues because the most popular and effective social media website is always changing. The class I personally make a point to attend is the QFloors software class because that is what we use in our flooring store. There are a lot of ins and outs to that system, so it is my job to use this resource to learn the extras so we can better utilize the system when we return home.
—MONICA BOOKER All Flooring Design Frisco, Colo.
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Not just product, but installation tools
Surfaces, of course, offers a lot of the newer products and installation techniques, but our focus has been the installation tools. It may seem like a small part of the puzzle, but manufacturers put on demonstrations and seminars so you can learn how to use these tools and then take them home and put them to use the following day. The tools I have come across at the convention have made it possible for our jobs to get done much faster and easier without compromising the quality of the job, which means we can get more jobs done in a shorter period of time.
—JESSE OGUMA
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American Carpet One Floor & Home Honolulu, Hawaii
December 24/31, 2018 I 11
NETWORKING
It really is about ‘who’ you know Maybe you come to Surfaces to catch up with all your key vendor partners. Maybe you’re interested in meeting some of your favorite speakers or presenters? Or perhaps the goal is to pick the brains of other retailers to find out how they are grappling with ongoing issues. Whatever the need, chances are there’s someone, several people or an industry association who might be able to help you in your quest for answers. From the WFCA pavilion to the various networking lounges and social events held in and around Surfaces, there is no shortage of networking opportunities.
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Inhaus CEO Derek Welbourn consults with a visitor.
Personal connections make the difference
Getting to know your business partners a little better
By attending Surfaces, we are able to meet with management of the companies that we already have solid business relationships with who have learned through my previous purchases the type of product lines I would be willing to jump on board with and sell. I end up with the perfect product lines to represent my store and ultimately everyone makes more money.
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—AL ECHOLS Amerifloor Denver, Colo.
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Benchmarking ensures you’re moving in the right direction
We feel Surfaces is an important tool for our business. We enjoy networking with manufacturer and distributor reps. We learn what the focus will be for those companies for the upcoming year and it helps us plan our year. We also learn something new from other retailers. It’s a great educational opportunity.
—JON DAUENHAUER Carpet World Bismark, N.D.
12 I December 24/31, 2018
Surfaces offers an amazing networking opportunity; my personal favorite is the young professionals mixer. It is always beneficial to meet and discuss with other people in the industry, but the previous generations have developed relationships that have made the flooring business much more personal. The younger generations need to make similar connections; otherwise, technology will take over in 10 to 15 years and turn flooring into a business filled with interactions done through a computer as opposed to making personal connections that benefit both parties.
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—BILLY MAHONE III Atlas Floors Carpet One Floor & Home San Antonio
Sharing information is priceless
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At Surfaces you can discuss business strategies with industry professionals who are not your competition. It offers a feeling of encouragement when you trade information with other stores because you can learn about what works well for other businesses and then can apply those strategies to your own. When you return the following year, you can learn if the advice was a success or failure. As a result, you can develop relationships with people in the industry all over the country who are rooting for your success.
—DALE MILLER Austin Fine Floors Austin, Texas
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Never underestimate the power of camaraderie
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I have many friends in different parts of the country and we can come together at Surfaces to share ideas. You can’t do that back at home because the guy down the street is your competitor.
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—DMITRY LYUBOMIRSKY Allstate Flooring Brooklyn, N.Y.
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You’re able to network and really talk to each other about what’s going on in the industry. The tremendous number of vendors at Surfaces really helps you see what’s out there and fill a niche that you may not be able to fill through local distribution.
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—JON WEST
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Make the trip, save some money
Completely Floored Everett, Wash.
Brilliant minds in abundance
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Aztec Custom Rug Colorado Springs, Colo.
Not just colleagues, but friends —ROB ELDER Hiller’s Flooring America Rochester, Minn.
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Attending is a privilege
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I mainly go to Surfaces to support the mills. If they are making the effort to invest in showing at Surfaces—and it costs them a lot of money—then I feel it’s my duty to go.
We go to Surfaces every year to solidify our relationships with manufacturers. It’s also an opportunity to look at new vendors. Also, there are so many special buys at the show. We go for the savings.
—BILL MISSLER
—JIM RODRIGUEZ
One great thing about Surfaces is it’s the one time of the year to renew friendships and acquaintances.
Exposure opens the door to opportunities
Chillicothe Carpet Chillicothe, Ohio
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The ultimate meeting place
Surfaces is the only chance each year to see all of the people you do business with on a daily basis face to face. Everything in our industry is a personal relationship even if it started as a business affiliation. There is always someone new who you could be meeting, but it is also important to nurture those relationships you already have. These people are flooring experts, but behind that they are individuals with families and friends. Getting to know them as you do business reminds you it is not always just about the numbers. When you strengthen your social relationship, the business side and what you both can accomplish together becomes much stronger.
—DONNA DWYRE Cove Carpet One Floor & Home Summit, N.J.
Brothers in arms
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The best thing about attending Surfaces is it gives you the opportunity to network with professionals from all over the country. Another plus is the educational seminar program, which focuses on our industry.
The best thing about Surfaces is connecting with people, especially other NFA dealers.
—NICK FREADREACEA
Worldwide Wholesale Edison, N.J.
The Flooring Gallery Louisville, Ky.
Talking with your peers can give you tons of ideas Attending Surfaces is a good opportunity to have a dialogue with colleagues from other areas of the country who might have a different clientele than ours. It’s great to share best practices and learn some of the things other retailers are doing to promote business. Virtually every aspect of this business can be discussed.
—BRUCE SOLOMON Country Carpets, Syosset, N.Y.
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—DARREN BRAUNSTEIN
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December 24/31, 2018 I 13
BEST PRACTICES
Tried-and-true tips to navigating TISE Surfaces provides the ideal venue where retailers from various corners of the country (or continent) can meet with both their peers as well as manufacturers and distributors to discuss a host of issues and subjects. The key, Surfaces veterans say, lies in planning your booth visits and distributor meetings to make the most efficient use of your time. Understanding how to navigate the show floor and negotiate the best deals also comes in handy when trying to make the most of a three-day show that offers so much to see and do under one roof.
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Plan your visits well in advance of attending the show.
Seek out distributor partners
Surfaces has become very domestically focused. This does not necessarily mean the product lines will be cheaper, but it offers the benefit of having local distributors so you do not have to store containers worth of product or guess what you will sell when placing an order. The situation is much more flexible where you can simply place a special order for each job as opposed to running the risk of having piles of unsold product sit in your inventory.
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—CYNTHIA CAMPANILE Artistic Tile & Stone San Carlos, Calif.
Look for the one-of-a-kind products
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My objective is to stand out from the big box stores by finding the unique products no one else would think to carry. I wander around the floor to see what I stumble upon and if I haven’t seen it before, I want it. A rule of thumb is if I am walking down a busy aisle and I see something that pulls me off my path, it is worthy to learn about and possibly carry.
—LETICIA TREVINO Acme Carpet Cleaning McAllen, Texas
14 I December 24/31, 2018
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When scouting out hot new products, follow the foot traffic
When we attend Surfaces, we try to focus on finding out which product categories are shining in the spotlight for the year as opposed to finding standalone, unique products. If you take the time to notice the most discussed product category, you are telling yourself which products you need to stock up on because that is what most likely will be the trend for the upcoming year. The products that are the focus usually have the largest variety, more product lines to choose from and have the best deals because that is what manufacturers want people to buy.
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—JEFF ALEXANDER All-American Remnants and Rolls Fresno, Calif.
Purchase unique products based on their future potential
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One of the things we like to do after we have hit all of our main contacts is to search the floor for oddball manufacturers and vendors. Even if we don’t necessarily think what we find is something that will sell, we still want it in our showroom because then people will say, ‘Wow, this place has everything and then some, so they must have what I am looking for.’
—ALAN PETLIN Alan Petlin Gourmet Floors San Antonio
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lessons learned
How to stand apart from the pack One of the largest hurdles many independent flooring retailers face Offerings. Do you feature any distinctive brands that aren’t availis learning how to stand apart from the crowd in the eyes of the conable elsewhere in your market? Do you have a group affiliation? Do sumer. Promotional budgets are often insufficient to make a signifiyou have unique product or labor warranties? cant impact in our local media. The products we sell are perceived by In-store staff. Does your staff dress appropriately? Do they have the public to be largely the same. No matter the size of the any amount of experience or tenure with your company showroom visited, consumers are likely to see the same that the customer would find reassuring? Is an owner or handful of brand names represented in each of them. manager available at all times? So, how can your store stand out in the customer’s Estimating. Do you use in-house estimators? Do your mind when she is ready to make a purchase decision? The estimators have an installation background? answer is to be proactive in your approach. Determine Installation. Do you offer specific warranties covering where your real strengths lie. Focus heavily on your proyour installer’s workmanship? Are your installers employprietary offerings that other firms may have difficulty comees of the store? Have they received any special training? peting with. Every flooring business should be doing There are many factors that enter into a customer’s desomething outstanding. Mediocrity in all areas of your TOM JENNINGS cision of where to purchase other than price alone. To sucbusiness will not lead to a happy ending. ceed in today’s retail climate, independent dealers must What are your firm’s unique attributes? Let’s examine perform well in those areas where the chain stores have difa few possibilities: ficulty executing. Place your focus on segments where you can excel. Facility. Is there something about your location that is outstanding? Is it easy to shop for those who are physically challenged? Is your Tom Jennings is vice president of professional development for the World showroom well accessorized to make visualizing products easier? Are Floor Covering Association (WFCA). A retail sales training guru, Jennings you open convenient hours for the customer? has served in various capacities within the WFCA.
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Bring your designers along for the ride
We take our designers to Surfaces because they are an important part of the team and they need to be present when we meet with our mills and browse the new releases and trends. The products we choose to invest in will affect their job for the following year, so it benefits all parties to have them involved during the selection process to ask questions, make connections and help identify the best products to buy. We are looking to find the best deal and combine that with our designers’ preferences because their ability to bring these products to life is what will resonate with customers back home.
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—DAVE REID Action Flooring and Design Abilities Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Take advantage of face-to-face interaction
55 Flooring Anaheim, Calif.
Don’t just buy, buy smart
Surfaces allows us to make year-long commitments to the latest styles, colors and product lines as opposed to making random purchases throughout the year. Based on the deals we find, we then know what we need to invest in and take the time to learn the most about so we are prepared to sell the newest trend before our competition down the street.
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Surfaces represents a great environment to make deals because you are able to not only see the products, but also the vendors themselves. You can meet them, see how they do business and take a closer look at their products to see if it is someone you want to build a relationship with moving forward. The products may have a price tag, but the value of being able to have face-to-face interaction when doing business is priceless.
—EBRAHIM EZZATI
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—TED GREGERSON Abbey Carpet and Floor Anniston, Ala.
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Effective strategies to keeping your vendor partners honest
I visit the foreign booths to get a good picture of how much of a mark-up I am being charged by my suppliers. It helps me with my product choices and the knowledge of specific mark-up percentages helps me to negotiate because I know how much profit the manufacturer is looking to earn and how much wiggle room I have when making the deal.
—ANDY ANDERSON Andy’s 5 Star Flooring Bothell, Wash.
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