The Stocklists - June 2023

Image courtesy of Victoria Carpets & Design Floors

FLOORINGNEWS

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on page 26

FLOORINGNEWS starts on page 23

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Solihull showtime

The

Nature's inspiration

Train to gain

DISCOVER OUR REDEVELOPED CASSIUS & DARIUS RANGES

Cassius and Darius in our renowned Invictus brand will get a fashion update this year. 14 updated colours in a 70oz and 50oz pile weight respectively offer a soft saxony product with a heathered appearance, one of the few products to offer this in the market today, the recoloured ranges are planned for launch in May.

Please ask your local area sales manager for more details

2023-2026

Image: Studio Designs Smokey Bay Herringbone CLH15

FLOORING INSTALLATION PRODUCTS

LOOKING AFTER FLOORS AND REPUTATIONS FROM THE GROUND UP.

I'M RECYCLED

100% RECYCLED POLYESTER YARN FROM PET BOTTLES

I'M UNIQUE

A PATTERNED WILTON FROM PET

NEW RUNSWICK BAY • ELEGANCE, GRACE, SIMPLICITY & COMFORT

6 patterns in 4m width. Bleach cleanable. 120 PET bottles makes every square metre.

Your customers know right now that we need to give the planet a break. Make it easy for them with a superb carpet range with the comfort, appearance and performance of polyester – with the impeccable environmental credentials of recycled PET.

www.fellscarpets.co.uk

Making a House a Home

Perfect Home is an 80/20 wool blend, constructed with our 100% British Wool Britannia Yarn, where every linear metre contains yarn from each of the four nations. This carpet is available in four and five metre lengths, and is suitable for heavy domestic use, including living rooms, bedrooms and hallways

Choose from 20 incredible colours: whether it’s the cool green Limestone, the deep blue Bloomsbury or the inviting grey Heirloom, there’s a perfect colour for everyone!

Get in touch

Kingsmead Carpets Ltd

Relay Park, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B77 5PR

T | 01827 831424

E | sales@kingsmead-carpets.co.uk kingsmeadcarpets.co.uk

Meet the team!

FIND YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE HERE:

SCOTLAND & BORDERS

Stephen Cawley

M: 07718 762236

E: stephen.cawley@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: All Scottish Regions.

NORTH

WEST & NORTH

Ian Henderson

M: 07974 141919

WALES

E: ian.henderson@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire (inc SK9, SK10, SK11), Greater Manchester, (inc SK1 to SK8, SK12, SK14 to SK16), Clwyd and Gwynedd.

SOUTH EAST, LONDON (N,W&E) , HERTS & ESSEX

David Harris

M: 07801 538763

E: david.harris@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Hertfordshire, Essex, North London, West London and East London.

WEST MIDLANDS & WORCESTER

Emily Davis

M: 07753 983714

E: emily.davis@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Gloucester, Avon, West Midlands, Shropshire, Hereford and Worcester.

EAST MIDLANDS & SOUTH EAST

Simon Beeby

M: 07775 913380

E: simon.beeby@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Berkshire (split), Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

NORTH EAST, CUMBRIA & ISLE OF MAN

John Pringle

M: 07825 991405

E: john.pringle@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Cumbria, Kirby Lonsdale via. Carnforth, Isle of Man, Cleveland, Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear.

YORKSHIRE & THE HUMBER

Christine Searle

M: 07939 051608

E: christine.searle@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: North Humberside, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire.

SOUTH EAST & LONDON (South & Central)

Chris Gee

M: 07919 047930

E: chris.gee@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Kent, South London, Central London, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex

SOUTH YORKSHIRE & EAST MIDLANDS

Guy Legg

M: 07801 357622

E: guy.legg@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: South Yorkshire, Sheffield, South Humberside, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire (inc SK13, SK17, SK22 and SK23).

EAST ANGLIA, CAMBRIDGESHIRE & BEDFORDSHIRE

Gavin Walters

T: 07711 353 982

E: gavin.walters@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.

SOUTH WEST SOUTH COAST

Graham Wood

M: 07825 171482

E: graham.wood@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

NORTHERN IRELAND & REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Herbie Montgomery (Agent)

M: 07774 695333

E: herbiehsm@gmail.com

Areas covered: Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.

To find out more, please call our sales team on 01706 639 866 or visit penthousecarpets.co.uk

Nigel Woollard

M: 07767 213236

E: nigel.woollard@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Berkshire (split), Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Isle of Wight.

WALES (East, Mid, South & West)

James Thomas (Agent)

M: 07932 458032

E: juncture2002@aol.com

Areas covered: West Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan, Gwent, Dyfed and Powys.

HERRINGBONE COLLECTION

Decors are also available in our Acoustic Rigid Core plank and herringbone collection.

Each herringbone pattern has been skillfully created using a new super matt technology (Gra-Matt Ultra) that makes the floor visually closer to natural wood, unlike many other glossy LVT products. The herringbone design accurately mimics the texture of natural timber while incorporating multi-tonal variance to give your herringbone floor realistic character and depth.

Award winning state-of-the-art underlay.

FLOORINGNEWS

Victoria's mosaic for the monarch

Royal Warrant holders Victoria Carpets of Kidderminster have marked the coronation of King Charles III by creating a giant portrait mosaic using 3cm x 3cm squares of carpet. At over four metres square and utilising over 3,000 individual pieces of carpet, the finished portrait took over 16 hours to produce, and faithfully recreates an official portrait released to celebrate the then Prince of Wales’ 60th birthday.

The mosaic is the brainchild of the Victoria Carpets’ marketing team, comprising head of marketing Debbie Turvey, digital communications assistant Rebecca Cash, and marketing executive Frances Brewer. Debbie took inspiration from a similar styled piece by Turkish artist Deniz Sagdic she had seen on Instagram, and asked her team if they thought it would be possible to achieve a similar effect using squares of carpet.

Commenting on the project, head of marketing

Debbie Turvey said; “We’re very proud of our royal connection here at Victoria, and when we started this project, we had no idea it would turn out so well. Full credit to Rebecca and Frances for making it happen and taking an initial concept and turning it into a giant carpet mosaic."

Rebecca and Frances worked out that by pixelating an image of King Charles III, they could convert the pixels to carpet colours, and then match them to actual carpet squares. Then over four weeks the project took shape, leaving the final piece to be assembled in their Kidderminster warehouse as that was the only place large enough to house it.

Victoria Carpets were awarded their Royal Warrant after supplying the red carpet for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2013. Amazingly, the team have been able to use some of this same carpet from their archive to help create the red of the King’s ceremonial uniform of the Welsh Guards in their portrait. See how it was done at: https://youtu.be/-GuwAcejYcU

LeoLine inspires new generation

Solihull showtime

The agenda setting show reveals the latest products and key themes for 2023 pages 42-56

Inspirational nature

Rita Bancroft examones the impact of natural themes across flooring design pages 34-36

Train to gain

Selling, servicing and installing – there's a lot to learn to boost your business pages 37-40

For over three decades, LeoLine has been providing a diverse collection of cushion vinyl floors to homes across the UK and Ireland. Designed and made entirely inhouse in Belgium, the LeoLine name has long stood for great looking floors that offer superb value and quality.

Now, as it launches a new look 2023 collection, LeoLine is also unveiling a fresh feel for its brand with a vision to make cushion vinyl the contemporary and savvy way to create the floor you want.

Michelle Magill, marketing manager, LeoLine explains, “Our market research showed us that LeoLine had the potential to appeal to a new generation of householders and tenants looking to add style to their home in a way that’s easy and affordable. We set about rethinking our brand and have created a whole new feel with an energetic new look and a promise to create ‘floors as unique as you are’.”

The playful brand inspires consumers to think differently about their choice of floor. Across updated displays, brochures and a new website, LeoLine explores how the flexibility, simple fitting, functionality and durability of vinyl floor can be the start of a new story for their home.

“We see a lot of potential in rolled vinyl flooring, particularly with generations that don’t own their own home and who want to add their style to a rental property, or for homeowners that are simply looking for an affordable way to add some unique style. The new brand locks into this psyche and with some fabulous new designs and rejuvenated collections, we’re really excited to seeing how it changes the market.”

The new look LeoLine will be rolling out to selected retailers this month.

T 0800 032 3970 www. leoline.co.uk

“We’ve been overwhelmed at seeing people’s reaction to it, from walking past us as we stuck tiny pieces of carpet onto a much larger backing carpet, to finally seeing the finished effect."

Visualising cork trends

Granorte has introduced an online room visualiser, making it easy for consumers to see just how TRENDCollection by Granorte cork floors and Delivering Nature cork wall and floors make homes more beautiful.

Now live on trendcollectionbygranorte.com, Granorte’s room visualiser tool lets customers try out the entire collection. Across a range of realistic rooms, they can try out over 80 floors available in the consumer focused TRENDCollection by Granorte, or more than 160 flooring options found in the designer Delivering Nature range. It’s also possible to select over 130 different wall looks.

By selecting colour, floor type or collection, users can quickly narrow down their options, trying out different laying directions and patterns in a room view. With the compare feature they can see different choices side-by-side or see how a change of laying direction affects the look of the room. The tool also lets them take snapshots of their favourite choices and find out more on each floor.

Paulo Rocha, Granorte, says; “Our room visualiser tool makes it easy for consumers to make an informed selection from the comfort of their own home. It also helps the retailer, adding another touch point in the marketing of our cork floors and walls, as it can be used in store on a tablet or screen. It’s a useful sales tool that we hope retailers will embrace.”

Once the final selections are made, room images can be printed or downloaded directly from the tool, as well as saved to a folder. The room visualiser can be experienced at https://granorte.materialo.com.

T01952 443 555 www.granorte.co.uk

Crowning glory on the high street

Carpet retailers rolled out the red (white and blue) carpet to mark the coronation of King Charles III with impressive window displays across the country.

The Wool Carpet Focus Group launched a competition with help from British Wool, SMG, The Stocklists and the major wool manufacturers to find the best window display for Coronation Day on May 6 and offered afternoon tea at a Royal palace among the prizes.

The initiative is supported by the Campaign for Wool of which Charles was patron when he was Prince of Wales.

The winners were Warm Sanctuary of Durham with second place going to Dible & Roy in Bradford on Avon.

Runners-up were Barsleys Department Store, Tonbridge; Bristol Flooring; Fashion Carpets, Tunbridge Wells; Sturtons & Tappers, Bournemouth and Superior Finish Flooring, St

Ives.

1st place – Warm Sanctuary of Durham

2nd place – Dible & Roy in Bradford on Avon

3rd place – Sturtons & Tappers

Floors as unique as you are

The new LeoLine is ready for the colour, vibrancy and variety of every space. Drawing upon our flooring know-how, we’re making cushion vinyl the contemporary and savvy way to create the floor you want. After all, everybody deserves their perfect floor.

*Terms and conditions apply. For more details visit: https://www.tradechoice.com/red-carpet-club/red-carpet-club-terms-conditions/

FLOORINGNEWS

Learning with Lion Floor

The affordability and durability of commercial sheet vinyl floors make them a popular choice for education environments. With high-traffic levels and a need to maximise value, it’s important that the installation upholds the integrity of the floor finish to maximise durability. Choosing Lion Floor ensures a subfloor for sheet vinyl floors that provides a smooth and flat finish with excellent durability.

Lion Floor is a pre-conditioned engineered fibreboard that’s made in Finland from locally sourced and highly sustainable wood by-products to be an alternative to BS 8203 compliant plywood. It’s construction and density mean it’s highly durable and impact-resistant and so ideal for education environments, as well as other contract flooring projects. Available in larger than 8'x4' sheet sizes for big areas, it is the first hardboard panel to be designed and manufactured specifically for the flooring industry.

Lion Floor eliminates the problems that come with the core gaps and overlaps found in plywood and unlike other oil-tempered hardboards, it doesn’t need wetting before installation. The flat, strong panel is ready to receive screeds and feather compounds and fitting is simple to, as it is laid in the same way as plywood and can be cut with either a knife or saw.

Peter Jones, Finnish Fibreboard (UK) Ltd, says: “Reliability is key to the long-term success of an installation and so it’s good to know that Lion Floor eliminates the potential pitfalls of using plywood, with an engineered fibreboard that’s reliable and confidence inspiring. What’s more, it’s also affordable and no more expensive than BS compliant plywood, making it a genuine alternative in education and other contract installations.” www.finfib.fi

Flooring guru joins fitting elite

Head of training at F. Ball and Co. Ltd., Tim Green, has joined an elite group of UK flooring professionals to achieve Master Fitter status.

Master Fitters are practising fitters who demonstrate the highest level of competence and knowledge in floorcovering installation, accredited by the National Institute of Carpet & Floorlayers (NICF). Founded in 1979, the organisation aims to promote excellence within the flooring industry and an understanding and awareness of the British Standards Code of Practice for the installation of textile, resilient and timber floorcoverings, as well as provide assurance of quality of workmanship to the public.

Candidates are required to demonstrate proficiency in installing a wide range of floorcoverings, including Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVTs), carpet and wood, through both practical and theory examinations, as well as submit references from people who can vouch for the standard of their work.

As head of training at F. Ball, Tim is responsible for devising and delivering courses at the company’s Centre of Excellence, which offers free, hands-on training for all flooring professionals, covering subfloor preparation and floorcovering installation through practical demonstrations and exercises using high-performance F. Ball products. Commenting on his award, Tim said: “I’m passionate about the flooring trade, and I pride myself on staying up-to-date with the latest in flooring industry developments, so I’m delighted to receive this award as recognition of that. I look forward to continuing to inspire the highest standards in flooring installation.”

T 01538 361 633 www.f-ball.co.uk

Wise advice with underlays

Consumers spend time deciding on the style of their carpet, but enhancing the longevity and comfort of their carpet with a good quality underlay is often an afterthought. With the wide choice of floorwise underlays, it is possible to make sure that every carpet benefits from better comfort and a longer life.

While it’s often tempting to skimp on underlay selection with budget carpets, a good quality underlay is really essential. This is because it flatters cheaper carpets by supporting the thinner pile thereby helping to prevent wear as well as masking imperfections in the substrate which will be felt through thinner low-quality carpet and underlay combinations. Worse still, budget underlays are generally thicker and less dense than better quality products, so carpets are prone to rucking and ruching as they compress over time. These problems are often exacerbated in the most used areas of the home, such as hallways, staircases, landings and lounges.

Andrew Gill, group product manager, floorwise: “A new carpet is an investment and something which customers want to make sure lasts. By recommending a quality underlay to provide the best support for their carpet, there’s a chance to secure extra revenue, and even if the customer doesn’t choose the very best, it’s likely they’ll opt for something above what they may have gone for without that recommendation, or if it was simply a price issue.”

The floorwise range features a wide choice of PU underlays, ranging from cost-competitive MD+ (medium density plus) qualities right up to UHD+ (ultra-high density plus) for the best long-term performance. With a quality underlay at every price point, retailers can be confident in finding an underlay that gives the best possible support for the customer’s budget.

T 01509 673974 www.floorwise.co.uk

Roots redefines retail displays

Coinciding with the launch of Roots, Moduleo’s new luxury vinyl flooring collection, the company has updated its retail displays including its impressive shop-in-shop concept.

The new look displays come in 36 and 72 board models. The 36 model holds some of the best sellers from the Roots collection, while the most popular 72 model holds all of the Roots collection including herringbone designs. Both stands show the standout variety, authenticity and detail of Moduleo Roots. Featuring striking new room images and communicating the benefits of choosing Moduleo Roots, each display comes in high and low formats.

For retailers looking to make the most of Moduleo Roots, there’s the shop-in-shop concept. This brings a large and impressive stand featuring a consultation hub with overhead, built-in AV display and a fully stocked cupboard housing take-away samples (replenished free), brochures and swatch books.

The display also features a panel for matching accessories and combines the Moduleo LayRed display for an immersive floor shopping experience. Installations of the unit include a show floor to create a defined zone. The shop-in-shop is available in linear or corner formats and with or without the hub.

Housing projects boosted by carpet “waste”

Greendale Carpets have formed a partnership with The Salvation Army to utilise the obsolete carpet in their warehouse in housing projects throughout the UK.

Eamonn Prescott, Chief Executive of Greendale (pictured above): “It’s become increasingly important to recycle and reuse where we can. Some of our obsolete carpet may have gone to landfill, but by partnering with The Salvation Army, we have found an outlet that will take these carpets and utilise them for those in need, the most vulnerable in our society.

Richard Shea, Service Development Manager at SATCoL, The Salvation Army’s Trading arm who run the projects, said: "Our partnership with Greendale Carpets has given new life to carpet that would traditionally be seen as waste. SATCoL have found a way to repurpose offcuts and make them accessible to everyone. It’s a win-win for the industry, people and the planet, I am excited to see how this grows in the future."

Matthew Brook, national sales manager, Moduleo says: “The launch of Roots has redefined the Moduleo luxury vinyl collection and our updated displays reflect that. In all formats, they reflect the quality and attention to detail found throughout our Belgium made range. For retailers looking to capture the appeal of design-orientated luxury vinyl tiles, the new Moduleo Roots displays are an investment in the future.”

T 01332 851 500 www.moduleo.co.uk

Glenearn go green

The plan is for carpet to be delivered on a regular basis to SATCoL donation centres around the UK. The first delivery of carpets has already been made, delivered by Eamonn in person.

By the end of 2023, Greendale estimate they will have diverted over 10 tonnes of material from landfill to recycling/reuse projects.

T 01432 852000 www.greendalecarpets.co.uk

Based in Perth, Glenearn Flooring are one of the latest flooring companies to take delivery of a Kenburn Carpet Crusher. Glenearn’s Steve Rice comments: ‘’We’re a family run business with over 60 years of flooring trade history and we’ve built up a reputation for providing excellent customer service.

‘’We felt our next level of commitment to this service was to introduce an environmentally friendly waste recycling initiative in order to create a zero-to-landfill waste policy which has been well received by all our new and existing customers,” said Steve. ‘’We’ve been very impressed with the performance of the carpet crusher and now all our carpet and underlay waste is collected and recycled.’’ Kenburn is suggesting flooring companies find out more about the carpet crusher and to see how their recycling scheme has been extremely successful over the past eight years in reducing ever increasing waste disposal costs.

01727 844988 www.kenburn.co.uk

Curated into six distinctive themes and a choice of 130 different SKUs, Moduleo’s new Roots collection is appealing, aspirational and as diverse and vivid as nature itself. Designed to handle whatever life throws at them, these slip, scratch and stain resistant floors are warm, comfortable and silent underfoot.

They’re sustainable too - being fully recyclable and made from up to 50% recycled materials. So, for floors everyone can be proud of, make it Roots by Moduleo.

Discover more at moduleo.co.uk

We’re delighted to share our latest collection with you.

We’re exceptionally proud of our Roots

Laminate launch on new displays

To make sure retailers can enjoy the full potential of its reinvigorated Laminate flooring collection, BerryAlloc has developed a wide range of standard and store optimised displays.

With the update to its new laminate collection, BerryAlloc has given consumers a choice of 50 natural and authentic wood looks, 15 of which are shared across Ocean+, Chateau and Connect. The result is a laminate collection focused on choice and including 100% water-resistant floors, herringbone and affordable styles.

To make the most of this new collection, the Belgian manufacturer has introduced a range of display options to create the perfect in-store experience. Topcards with real stopping-power, inspirational pictures and clear communication of the unique buying reasons sit with full plank displays and updated toaster racks to create a customisable display for every store.

Alongside the individual toaster rack, the standard display concept is available in three packages starting with a single long plank display and toaster up to a single plank display and three toasters. Each version of the concept includes top and side cards to catch the attention of customers. The standard displays are flexible and can be arranged in multiple ways to fit best with individual store layouts.

The made to order Laminate Beach House is designed to make the new laminate collection stand out even more. Measuring nearly 3.5m wide and 2m deep, the impressive walk-in experience highlights the collection beautifully and gives a fantastic opportunity to maximise the sales potential of its high-quality and unique reasons to buy.

Scott Arundell, sales director, BerryAlloc, explains more; “With the launch of the new Laminate collection, we’re making it easier for customers to choose a natural effect floor that meets functional, style and budgetary needs in every room of their home. We also wanted to make it easy to silently tell this message in-store and our new standard displays and Laminate Beach House achieve exactly this. They provide the scope for customisation to suit the needs of every store while fully taking advantage of the new collection’s improved choice.”

Alongside the in-store display options, BerryAlloc also provides sample boards, inspirational brochures, strapsets and a DIY concept for the new laminate collection.

www.berryalloc.com

Major UK flooring retailer, Colourbank, is inviting retailers into a franchise partnership to create a powerful new force in flooring, with access to highly competitive pricing and a full support package.

Unique carpet and flooring franchise opportunity

One of the UK's most successful flooring retailers and distributors has announced a new franchise model to partner with independent businesses to "build a secure and profitable future."

Colourbank's superstore in Leicester is among the largest in the East Midlands and is backed by a major warehousing facility and a national distribution network.

The company enjoys substantial discounts as a bulk buyer from all the major manufacturers for its own operation and now franchisees will be able to buy at these prices – a major opportunity to enhance their margins far beyond what they could achieve individually.

“We have the buying power to ensure our franchisees are competitive and the expertise and resources to ensure they can offer a reliable, professional service to consumers,” says Trevor Johnson, chairman of Colourbank.

“This is a compelling retail investment opportunity.”

Franchisees run their own business independently but have access to Colourbank's 400 carpet and vinyl ranges plus wood, laminate and artifical grass.

their homes more luxurious and comfortable - all at guaranteed lowest possible prices”.

This franchise model is perfect for sales people, managers, company representatives or other persons within the carpet and flooring trade who would love their own business. It is also ideal for established carpet retailers who want to increase their profitability

“Franchisees could already be independent carpet and flooring retail operators looking to strengthen or extend their business," says Trevor.

"The extensive Colourbank benefits of our franchise and our entire supply chain and bulk buying power, with own-brand products make this a compelling proposition for independents. It will improve your competitiveness, strengthen your business, expand your customer base, sales, profitability, and cash flow," he said.

Established retailers can use the franchise to overhaul their existing business and streamline their operation, reducing hassle and improving financial security. Colourbank is an ideal model to refresh existing shop displays as well as displaying more profitable ranges.

Colourbank

A unique retail business opportunity to partner with the UK’s leading independent carpet & flooring retailer and build a business with a secure & profitable future.

A unique, professional franchisee support package designed to offer you a genuine profit opportunity and return on investment.

How the franchise opportunity works:

• As a franchise business owner, you will own and operate your own Colourbank carpet and flooring store in your chosen location.

• You will follow Colourbank's systems and processes, deploy its marketing and promotional campaigns, and use an agreed store design and layout

• Colourbank will be your dedicated supplier for everything you need for each and every customer order – from carpets & flooring to underlays, glues, and consumables.

• The franchise licence fee is £10,000 plus training fees and store fitting and POS costs.

• There are no stocking costs, Colourbank supplies just in time for every customer order.

The comprehensive support package from Colourbank includes:

• Guidance in selecting suitable retail premises and recruiting staff

• Advice on store fittings, displays and technology.

• An initial training programme, covering all aspects of the business

• Professional marketing activities, website and social media

• Market trends monitoring with continual updating of ranges

• Colourbank’s expert team is always at hand to advise & support you in all aspects of operations.

T 0116 274 7958

franchise@colourbank.net

MISSION STATEMENT: “To simply and effortlessly enable all our customers to make

was established 30 years ago and is a leading "forward-thinking" brand with a reputation for quality, service and reliability.

Marketing insights

The inspiration of nature

There's nothing quite like the beauty of nature. And now, we can bring a little bit of that natural beauty into our home with nature-inspired flooring. In this feature we explore the latest LVT and carpet collections and no matter what your style, there's a flooring option inspired by nature that's perfect for your home.

For an authentic wood or stone floor without the price tag or maintenance to match, Amtico LVT is the perfect solution. Affordable, authentically designed and easy to clean, it’s perfect for all rooms of the home including kitchens and bathrooms. It’s also warm and comfortable underfoot and can be teamed with underfloor heating to prevent cold spots.

With so many realistic wood and stone styles to choose from, it’s easy to create a natural effect with the texture and in-register embossed finish of LVT that looks and feels like the real thing. Whether it’s the organic timber knots and grains of Barrel and Amber Oak or the textural appeal of stones, Amtico’s Form Collection is ideal for classic and contemporary interiors alike.

This expertly crafted collection includes 36 different wood and stone effects, each with organically influenced surface textures and a choice of realistic natural tones. Feel the difference with three realistic grain textures and have peace of mind that the super-tough wear layer gives

“We offer retailers the possibility to build a brand corner dedicated to our natural effect floors, choosing collections from across our product categories that suit the demographic of their customers best. With a unified look – whether mixing laminate and high-pressure floors, vinyl and laminate or all three – BerryAlloc brand corners are a great way to bring a wide range of natural effect floors with unique reasons to buy.”

“We offer retailers the possibility to build a brand corner dedicated to our natural effect floors, choosing collections from across our product categories..."

Rare Breeds by Brockway brings understated, elegant colours whilst keeping an ethical and environmentally friendly vision to the fore. Made from pure, undyed wool, blended to create warm, on trend, neutral shades that will enhance any room in your home. Hard-wearing and luxurious, Rare Breeds features Brockway’s revolutionary Envirobac system, an eco-friendly carpet backing that makes their carpet easier to transport and fit.

long-lasting protection for a floor that looks and feels fabulous for years to come. Amtico Form woods and stones come in various shapes and sizes to bring added charm and character to any space. From Parquet and Basket Weave wood to Hex and Pavestone stone, the options are endless.

Scott Arundell, sales director, BerryAlloc, says the manufacturer has natural effect flooring to suit a wide range of customers.

“Whether your customers are looking for a luxury vinyl, practical laminate or hardwearing high-pressure floors; our collections bring an impressive range of natural looks. From pale natural woods like Lime Oak and minimalist stones, through to tropical tones in Java Brown and the almost black of Bluestone Dark; we’ve a natural effect floor to match all interiors.

“Giving consumers choice, our floors also offer many reasons to buy. Whether that’s the 100% water-resistance of our Ocean+ laminate or the patterns and simple installation of our DreamClick equipped Pure luxury vinyl tiles or planks; the BerryAlloc range can make a natural flooring look affordable, practical and easy to live with.

Brockway – Basket Weave, Lakeland Herdwick Collection

BerryAlloc – Pure Intense Brown

Amtico – Amber Oak, Form Collection

"This expertly crafted collection includes 36 different wood and stone effects, each with organically influenced surface textures and a choice of realistic natural tones."

Grown in Cumbria, spun in Yorkshire and crafted in Kidderminster, Lakeland Herdwick carpets by Brockway are authentically British. This stunning, high–performance carpet collection shows the same soft, warm resilience as the yarn from which it’s made.

Lakeland Herdwick is an exceptional and beautiful range, in the very best of British tradition, is made from yarn comprising the wool of Herdwick sheep, native to the Cumbrian Fells in the Lake District. Brockway’s Lakeland Herdwick is soft underfoot whilst demonstrating the hardwearing and robust properties of the natural eco-sustainable. The natural tones and textures of Herdwick wool loop pile made into striped, patterned or elegantly plain carpet, are quite simply, fashion for your floor

Crucial Trading design, manufacture and distribute the finest and most innovative flooring and rugs. Leading the way in creative design since it was founded in London in 1986, the brand remains true to its original core values – to continuously explore new weaves, textures and patterns using 100% natural materials.

The most recent addition to their collection, wool Rococo combines bold, contemporary style with the illustrious exuberance of the Rococo era. A careful balance of the ornamental and simplistic results in a timeless design that honours art and architecture of the past.

Rita is Director of Bancmarketing Ltd and has over 30 years of marketing experience with a proven track record in both business to business and business to consumer multi-channel marketing.

Inspired by the lightness, elegance and curving natural forms that define Rococo style, the thick loop pile exudes opulence and offers warmth and comfort. A chalky palette of pearl greys, salon golds, and sculpted whites were chosen to highlight the wool composition and bring decadence to the modern interior.

Whether in a grand interior juxtaposed against historic parquet flooring or layered on cool tiles or concrete in a modern home, the floorcovering’s grounding hues and rich loop pile creates a sense of theatre and grandeur. Rococo is suitable for rugs and broadloom.

Karndean Designflooring is expanding its popular Van Gogh range with a stunning dual format collection of contemporary designs. Inspired by the beauty of the natural world and materials sourced from different countries, Karndean’s refreshed Van Gogh collection offers highly realistic wood and stone designs.

Stella Coyle, national retail sales manager at Karndean Designflooring said: “This is Karndean’s widest collection to date with a total of 70 unique wood and stone designs. We are launching stone designs to the

range for the first time as well as wood designs in on-trend herringbone and chevron options. The collection oozes character and elegance with options to suit individual tastes, from traditional English country style to modern minimalist. Home decorators will appreciate the extensive variety of colourways and tile sizes as well as a convenient choice of formats to suit different installation needs.”

The nine new wood designs, range from characterful Highland Oaks and rustic Farmhouse Oaks to warm American Cedars, as well as fifteen new stone designs featuring the striking veining and natural variation of marble, slate and terracotta.

She adds, “Our Farmhouse Oaks were inspired by original source material from Holland: decades old painted floorboards that over time had seen the paint wear away, leaving a worn patina with remnants of colour across the boards. With a growing trend in the market for painted woods, our designers recognised that these boards offered a shabby chic feel that morphs to suit different interiors.”

Introducing stone designs into the range for the first time, Karndean has created a collection of iconic marble, slate, and terracotta designs in cool tones, from the fresh white colouring and distinctive veining of Palazzo Marble to the clean charcoal hues of Milanese Slate.

“Slate continues to be a popular look in flooring and with our new Italian Slates, our designers wanted to introduce a subtle variation to this known classic. The directional markings within the tiles are vertical rather than horizontal and tiny flecks of tonal colour add depth and interest to the design. A smooth emboss allows the colour and design to attract all the focus” adds Stella Coyle.

The new range offers the ultimate selection of beautiful designs with most available in both a rigid core and gluedown format to cope with common subfloor conditions.

continued on page 36

Crucial Trading – Rococo, Sculptured White Pebble

Karndean Designflooring – Silver Farmhouse Oak

Karndean Designflooring – Milanese Slate

"Made from pure, undyed wool, blended to create warm, on trend, neutral shades that will enhance any room in your home."

"The most recent addition to their collection, wool Rococo combines bold, contemporary style with the illustrious exuberance of the Rococo era."

"This is Karndean’s widest collection to date with a total of 70 unique wood and stone designs."

Marketing insights

The inspiration of nature continued from page 35

Kersaint Cobb has launched eight new additions to its Moroccan Runner collection. Handcrafted and made from 100% sisal, each new colourway is inspired by the beauty and magic of Morocco. All runners are made from 100% sisal, a great hardwearing material perfect for those busy areas.

Moroccan Runners are a great way to add interest and dimension

wool sourced from farms situated in each of the four nations - England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales The aim of this yarn is to increase the usage of British wool in carpets and, in turn, help local farmers and the planet.

Matthew Brook, national sales manager, Moduleo, reveals why their Roots collection is the best choice for retailers looking to provide homeowners with the latest natural trends:

“There are few floors quite as versatile in design as luxury vinyl tiles and this is characterised by our Roots collection, which features an impressive array of natural looks in wood and stone, plus exciting materials like terrazzo and concrete.

to any home. Instantly creating the illusion of an elongated hallway or wider room, the striped design will enhance any interior whether it is contemporary, traditional, or a mix of both.

Established in 1988, Kersaint Cobb is a British natural flooring specialist that produces beautiful natural carpets made from the finest fibres sourced across the globe. From the hills of New Zealand, the beaches of India, the forests of Asia, the deserts of Africa and South America – these are just some of the regions the brand sources its materials and derives inspiration from for its range of traditional and modern floor coverings. Suitable for busy areas of the home, Kingsmead ‘Perfect Home’ range comprises of 20 colourways and is made with exclusive 100% British yarn - Wool Britannia. Made with an 80/20 wool blend the carpet is easy to maintain, whilst still maintaining all the luxury qualities of wool. Using exclusive 100% British yarn - Wool Britannia, this product has been developed in partnership with British wool and with the support of ‘The Campaign for Wool’. Every linear metre of the yarn includes

“That’s a good job because in styling our homes, there’s one underlying trend that’s relevant to everyone. We’re getting back to nature and our surroundings as an opposing force to our increasingly digital orientated lives –whether that’s work or personal relationships – we crave tactility and connection to the outdoors, whatever that looks like.

“From here though it’s about finding those influences our customers might personally connect with. We’ve worked with trend forecasters to create six interior themes reflecting macro trends within this idea of reconnecting to the natural world. Each has their own aesthetic and flooring looks.

“There are few floors quite as versatile in design as luxury vinyl tiles and this is characterised by our Roots collection, which features an impressive array of natural looks in wood and stone,"

Futuristic textures to the pure, reviving experiences of glacial water –Roots is everything a thoughtful flooring collection should be: mature, timeless, fresh, inclusive and with the versatility to give everyone their perfect floor.”

For more information contact:

Amtico 0121 745 0800 amtico.com

BerryAlloc +32 56 52 84 80 berryalloc.com

Brockway Carpets 01562 828200 brockway.co.uk

Crucial Trading 01562 743 747 crucial-trading.com

Karndean Designflooring 01386 820100 karndean.com

Kersaint Cobb 01675 430 430 kersaintcobb.co.uk

Kingsmead Carpets 01827 831424 kingsmeadcarpets.co.uk

Moduleo 01332 851 500 moduleo.co.uk

Suitable for busy areas of the home, Kingsmead ‘Perfect Home’ range comprises of 20 colourways and is made with exclusive 100% British yarn - Wool Britannia.

Join

Kingsmead – Perfect Home, Chesterfield

Kersaint Cobb – Moroccan Runners, Rose Water

"Handcrafted and made from 100% sisal, each new colourway is inspired by the beauty and magic of Morocco."

Moduleo – Rock the Classics Theme

FLOORING FOCUS

Skilling up for success

And many of the issues have been aggravated by the suspension of training activities during the pandemic which cost the sector well over a year of training time, and the loss of some skilled, experienced personnel post-pandemic.

As we report below, training in the installation sector is back up to speed and seeking candidates but there are also interesting opportunities in retailing and service.

Increasing the number of skilled floorlayers within our industry is essential in order to provide a constant and correctly trained source of skills and labour for the sector, says FITA. “Training courses and apprenticeships are a key focus in helping to battle the skills shortages that we are facing due to an ageing workforce,” comments Shaun Wadsworth of FITA.

FITA, as the only not-for-profit training organisation in the industry has provided specialist training for the floorcovering sector for over twenty years and has continuously trained the next generation of floorlayer.

“We offer over 20 flooring training courses at various levels meaning there are courses to suit real beginners in the industry as well as upskilling courses aimed at converting workers moving trades into professional floorlayers,” says Shaun.

FITA also delivers apprenticeship training in the East Midlands and employing an apprentice can be linked directly to improving the productivity of a business.

“The role of training in addressing one of the biggest challenges facing the industry means that it is in the interests of manufacturers to ensure that there is widespread access to high quality training,” says Darren Kenyon, sales director of F. Ball & Co. Ltd

This is one reason why F. Ball offers free training courses for flooring professionals of all skill levels, led by industry experts, at the purposebuilt F. Ball Centre of Excellence at its Staffordshire headquarters. These include specialist courses for apprentices and flooring retailers.

“In order to help flooring contractors meet ever-changing demands, training providers should regularly evaluate and refresh content to keep up with industry changes, as well as tailoring content to flooring professionals at different stages in their careers,” says Shaun “Experience also shows that people get the most from practical instruction. This is why courses at the F. Ball Centre of Excellence have been configured to offer dynamic, hands-on learning experiences with the chance to use a range of F. Ball products,” he said. (See also page 39)

“The role of training in addressing one of the biggest challenges facing the industry means that it is in the interests of manufacturers to ensure that there is widespread access to high quality training,”

The new Academy for Excellence in Flooring in Liverpool sponsored by Quick-Step and Pergo is now open and has recently been accredited by the NICF

With a decade spent training the next generation of installers at its previous location, the Academy has opened its doors on its new Knowsley, Liverpool facility. Taking 10 years of refinement into a brandnew centre has allowed the Academy to create the perfect training environment for novices and experienced professionals alike.

Now with six 12m2 bays, the Academy has achieved the perfect balance between course attendees and trainers. A dedicated training room provides the right environment for theory-based learning and product tuition, with the breakout area providing a space to gather between sessions away from dedicated learning areas.

The Academy also features a special cutting room that keeps dust and noise to a minimum, allowing for a cleaner and more supportive practical learning environment.

And to make sure that knowledge is shared equally among all, a dedicated demonstration zone gives ample room for everyone to get a good view.

Whether it’s selling flooring, fitting or service, it is often investment in skills development that is left behind when businesses are battling to preserve their position in a tight market.

“Training courses and apprenticeships are a key focus in helping to battle the skills shortages that we are facing due to an ageing workforce,"

F Ball Training Centre

A new Academy for Excellence in Flooring opens on Merseyside

FLOORING FOCUS

Continued from page 37

After an evaluation visit to the Knowsley site, the Academy’s new facilities and Master Installer course content has also been accredited by the NICF (National Institute of Carpet & Floorlayers). This means that those successfully completing the Master Installer Wood & Laminate programme at the Academy, can also qualify for NICF Master Installer status. Currently, Master Installer Wood & Laminate is only Academy for Excellence course accredited by the NICF.

The Academy for Excellence in Flooring is now taking bookings on course dates throughout 2023.

“It is vitally important that the flooring industry accelerates skills development to meet demand and ensure that the general competence of floor layers remains high – and that’s why we run the Bostik Academy,’ says Paul Sycamore, Training Manager at Bostik.

“A salesperson who knows more, sells more!,” says AW, “ and apart from the practical help, we also share our latest vision on customer experience and the importance of lifestyle, colours and brands.

CLEANING UP ON COLOUR

The WoolSafe Academy is the training arm of The WoolSafe Organisation, the cleaning industry service provider, devoted to promoting best practice in carpet and rug care.

The Academy provides professional training courses (both classroom and online), technical literature, manuals, professional standards and expert advice to all those involved in the manufacture, sales, ownership and maintenance of carpets and rugs.

A new focus is on the variety of issues related to colour loss or colour change in carpets and rugs. which can be caused by a wide range of factors including chlorine bleaching, sun fade, pet urine contamination, benzoyl peroxide bleaching and staining from spills.

“Based at our headquarters in Stafford, the Bostik Academy is a knowledge centre that has been carefully created for professionals in the construction market. It’s a calm, pleasant environment where we provide both theoretical and practical training on the Bostik range in a hands-on way,” says Paul. “The aim is that attendees will go away with a good understanding of and confidence in using our products, and know that they can call us anytime for advice or a refresher if needed.

The Bostik Academy offers all kinds of training, and is adapted it to whatever the attendees want, whether it’s at Bostik headquarters, out in the field, or online. If someone wishes to enhance their knowledge of smoothing compounds, for example, they can focus on smoothing compounds. Every session they do is unique, whether it’s for two people or 24.

SMARTER SELLING SKILLS

On the retail shop floor, Associated Weavers are on a mission to turn sales staff into “carpet and flooring champions” and the company invested in a new AW Academy which opened in Q4 2022 at the company’s HQ in Halifax.

The company hosts multiple sessions each month with a full-day training on carpet and another focussing on LVT. The course can be taken separately or they can be combined into a two-day course. The sessions are designed to be exciting and engaging with a mix of presentations, films, hands-on training and a visit to the impressive Invictus Experience Centre that sits alongside the Academy at the Halifax Dean Clough Mill site.

“We have great news,” says Steve Bakker, WoolSafe Global Marketing Director. “WoolSafe is launching a network of Approved Colour Restorers in 2023 to train up our experienced WoolSafe Approved Service Providers in the art of colour restoration.”

“We have teamed up with Gabriel Andreca of Brio Dyes and look forward to helping commercial and residential clients avoid costly replacement and extend the life of their carpets and rugs by correcting the damage that has occurred. Colour repairs carried out by WoolSafe Approved Colour Restorers is usually invisible and permanent,” says Steve.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

AW ACADEMY • 01422 431100 • www.associated-weavers.co.uk

BOSTIK • +44 (0)1785 272625 • www.bostik-profloor.co.uk/training

F. BALL • 01538 361633 • www.f-ball.com/training

FITA • 0115 950 6836 • www.fita.co.uk

QUICK-STEP ACADEMY • T 028 302 58094 • www.quick-step-academy.co.uk

WOOLSAFE • 01943 850817 • www.woolsafe.org

“The key is meeting the clients’ requirements and ultimately ensuring that floor layers can learn the skills they need to meet demand and provide the best possible service.,” says Paul.

Bostik Academy training

The Invictus Experience Centre in Halifax

Woolsafe – Sodium hypochlorite bleach spot

FLOORING FOCUS with F. Ball & Co. Ltd.

Working together for a better finish

When it comes to ensuring that flooring meets standards of other design features, such as furnishings and fittings, following best practice in subfloor preparation and flooring installation is as important as the floorcovering selection itself. Tim Green, head of training at the UK’s leading manufacturer of subfloor preparation products and adhesives, F. Ball and Co. Ltd., explains how training in these areas can help achieve a design edge and how to access the best free provisions available.

Living up to expectations for the appearance and longevity of flooring installations requires an understanding of subfloor preparation in order to create a super smooth base that will optimise the appearance of new floorcoverings. Flooring adhesives need to be selected for their compatibility with different floorcoverings, as well as specific performance features. It is also essential to know how to avoid common causes of floor failure, chief of which is still unmanaged subfloor moisture, and flooring retailers should be able to advise how certain processes and products can help achieve optimum results when installing floorcoverings.

For these reasons, both flooring and design professionals would benefit from receiving an induction in the basics of subfloor preparation and floorcovering installation.

Flooring professionals should strive to continuously improve and develop their knowledge throughout their careers. This has become particularly necessary as advances in technology have accelerated the development of subfloor preparation products and adhesives with advanced properties and applications.

For example, advancements in adhesive technology have enabled F. Ball to create a specialist, solvent-free, vinyl adhesive with pressure sensitive characteristics that can hold floorcoverings in place over a wide range of temperatures. Extreme temperature fluctuations can cause floorcoverings to expand and contract significantly, resulting in tenting and gaps at the edges of floorcoverings over time. This is often an issue in heavily glazed areas subject to solar gain, such as rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Similarly, combinations of new, fast-drying smoothing compounds, waterproof surface membranes and adhesives mean that contractors can now install floorcoverings in as little as a day, helping to meet increasingly demanding time constraints.

Having a good knowledge of the range of new products available will also help in choosing the optimum product for a particular job and avoid compromising the finished appearance of an installation. For example, particular vinyl adhesives are recommended to avoid visible trowel serrations showing through thin vinyl floorcoverings or to facilitate the creation of complex designs and patterns, an advantage when installing increasingly popular Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVTs). There are also smoothing compounds that are designed especially to withstand heavy loads and high foot traffic and others designed to accommodate movements in subfloors of metal and wood.

People invested in flooring need to keep abreast of wider changes affecting the flooring industry too. For instance, calcium sulphate screeds are increasingly common in new builds and require specific treatment to ensure against floor failure. In such cases, traditional cement-based smoothing compounds may not be suitable and the use of a compatible calcium sulphate-based smoothing compound is often recommended.

As a market leader in subfloor preparation products and adhesives, F. Ball believes that it has a responsibility to promote industry standards and best practice and, by extension, the positive reputation of the flooring industry. This is why flooring professionals of any skill level can attend free training courses at the F. Ball Centre of Excellence, the purpose-built, state-of-theart training centre at F. Ball’s Staffordshire headquarters.

Training programmes, which run year-round, are led by experts from within the company, cover subfloor preparation, moisture management, and adhesive selection, and provide an opportunity to use a range of F. Ball products. These include specialist courses for flooring retailers and a three-day course on achieving optimum results when installing LVTs. For more information about the F. Ball Centre of Excellence and to book a place on a course, visit www.f-ball.com/training, telephone 01538 361633.

A training course at the F. Ball Centre of Excellence

Enter the industry Oscars now!

The 2023 Flooring Innovation Awards are off to a good start with a steady flow of competition entries from all sectors of the industry already flowing in and a high calibre new judge joining the scheme's independent panel.

"We have been very impressed by the quality already of the entries that are starting to come in for this year's awards," said Flooring Innovation Awards organiser Bridgette Kelly.

"And this year we are delighted to welcome NICF President Brian King to our panel of judges," says Bridgette. "Brian brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the role, with a lot of literally hands-on experience of flooring products.

The national Flooring Innovation Awards (FIA) sets out to identify products and services that are genuinely new and exceptional in the sector. Award categories cover not only flooring products, but also recognise achievements in service, technology and marketing.

Last year there were more than 100 submissions to the award scheme and 34 shortlisted entries received the coveted Innovation Star. The judges then went on to select the Innovation Gold in each of 10 categories to receive the ultimate award. The 10 categories are:

• Carpets & rugs - natural fibre

• Carpets & rugs - man-made fibre

• Smooths (vinyls, laminate, woods)

• Design - carpets and rugs

• Design - smooths

• Underlay & accessories (trims, profiles, anti-slip, etc.)

• Installation, products & tools

• Environmental initiatives

• Marketing concepts and merchandising/POS

• Technologies (techniques, apps, online, etc.)

MEET OUR NEW JUDGE...

The latest judge to join the panel for the Flooring Innovation Awards is Brian King, President of the National Institute of Carpet & Floorlayers (NICF).

Brian has been fitting floor coverings for over 25 years, running his own flooring company in NW England. Brian joined the NICF in 2003 and became a Master Fitter in 2008. He became a FITA instructor in 2010 and joined the NICF Council in 2011.

Our FIA 2023 judges

The “star” judges line-up (l to r): Chris Moffat, Wendy Adams, Laurance Bird, Bridgette Kelly, David Spragg and Brian King.

Buy ing Groups National Flooring Show

A game of two halves

Market review from the show in Solihull

If BGNFS is a key fixture in the flooring calendar, then this year’s event was like a tough team talk in the dressing room at half time by the captains of the industry. Disappointing first half, but lots to play for in the second!

Plenty of innovation and creativity is lined up to tempt hard-pressed consumers to start spending in the “golden quarter” towards Christmas, but there’s no hiding that 2023 has been hard going so far.

A dismal start to the year showed signs of improving in the Spring, before poor weather and a congestion of bank holidays disrupted the game plan. Most commentators reckon the industry is down 10 –15% - and significantly worse in the entry level market.

No-one is panicking yet – the pandemic interiors boom still leaves some money in the bank for many manufacturers and retailers – but energy and raw material costs have taken their toll and the year needs to improve for sales after the Summer if the market is to gain strength.

So while the mood in Solihull was subdued, there's a sense that the second half of the season will "normalise" as consumers who spent up in 2022 return to the market and the cost-ofliving crisis and inflation hopefully starts to back off.

The presentations from manufacturers at the BGNFS demonstrated that manufacturers and suppliers have not been sat on their hands. Investment is all around among the main players with some key product development and innovations in service and marketing. Interestingly, many are growing their sales teams to secure future market share.

The pages that follow (and more next month) show just how much innovative activity there is out there.

It is striking that the premium market is doing well whether its carpet, smooths or even underlay – quality is selling well. If there are less buyers out there, make sure they spend more - trade them up!

In carpets, this means higher-end ranges are rolling out fast - and most noticeably this means wool. Natural fibre is exceeding expectations in sales performance so while wool houses are benefitting, it's interesting to see that mainstream mixed manufacturers like Cormar and Abingdon are further developing their wool portfolio (or in the case of Furlong, going "Beyond Wool" - see opposite). Wool loop especially has seen major developments.

In resilient flooring, many LVT portfolios have been overhauled during the lull to present well thought through collections which are less complicated for consumers to navigate and technology in this sector is ensuring top quality performance.

Service in terms of both distrubution networks - there are a lot of new warehouses in the flooring world this year compared to pre-pandemic – and portal technology to facilitate ordering and tracking has seen major investment.

NEXT MONTH, we'll publish a trends review based on the Solihull show which covers what's happening in

design

colour

style

texture

patterns.

There's a sense that the second half of the season will "normalise" as consumers who spent up in 2022 return to the market and the cost-of-living crisis hopefully backs off.

Review: Showtime in Solihull

The Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show 2023

Boldly going above and beyond Furlong Flooring

Heard all about the booming interest in wool? Now listen up for “Beyond Wool” – now the buzz is getting louder for a breakthrough concept that Furlong Flooring introduced into an unsuspecting market at the BGNFS show.

Furlong has had huge success with Elegance which was launched in 2011 after intensive yarn development to create a wool-like twist. Industry experts were impressed.

Now, a dozen years later, Furlong have announced the new Beyond Wool collection with two loop ranges in 100% recycled PP and those same experts are amazed – one veteran of wool tweeted the same day, calling it a game-changer.

The launch was with two options Amesbury and Castlerigg – a tight, neat, low-level loop and a ribbed high/low level construction. More design options are coming soon to extend the collection.

All the performance credentials consumers love are there. Bleach cleanability, 10-year wear and stain warranty, resilient 2-ply yarn, no moth issues, and with Furlong’s popular Combi-bac backing that's easy to handle and fitter friendly.

Unstoppable one-stop shop

“We are the unstoppable one-stop shop. Retailers can rely on Furlong to deliver new ideas and innovations that keep customers interested in buying,” said Ian Collacott. “And when they do make a purchase, we’ve got the proven operation that delivers the flooring on time.”

Other key highlights at the show included the recently re-launched Trident – the bestselling twist, now with enhanced performance from a 2-ply, tenth gauge construction and a larger choice of contemporary colours.

Furlong also launched its new LVT collection which has been carefully created to provide the widest choice of options in an accessible format. On-trend authentic wood designs and herringbones sit alongside beautiful modern tile designs in natural stone.

T 01772 696787 www.furlongflooring.co.uk

"We have had an incredible reaction to this launch at the show says Ian Collacott. “No-one has said no – it’s yes, yes, yes! There is nothing like this and it fills a gap for texture that retailers have been asking us for – a mid-range, quality man-made loop that’s so close to wool, without the premium price."

New Trident in Rose-Quartz

Ian Collacott with the latest "Beyond Wool" concept

Review: Showtime in Solihull

The Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show 2023

Right royal celebration of wool Victoria

Victoria is a company at the centre of the buoyant market for quality wool carpets right now and has great ambitions to build on their strength and reputation in the sector.

Victoria has “high hopes” for one of its latest showcase launches in wool, Tudor Co-ordinates, which rolls out to retailers this month featuring 20 plain and 4 stripes in a smart loop pile range. Based on the best selling colours of the popular Tudor Twist range, the coordination is sophisticated with neutral, pastel shades –described as "very wearable" by Victoria.

Also on show were important updates to the best–selling Strathmore Berber with the introduction of a meltbond construction to give a more precise finish to the rustic appearance across the range’s 12 colours.

There are also new options for Victoria’s man-made collections with the launch of EasiCare Vision – a heathered heavyweight in a spectrum of colours made from 9 shades using a tri-colour yarn. This is a substantial carpet, weighing in at 97oz on a 6-ply yarn.

Mosaic of the monarch

Victoria has also increased the flexibility of its attractive wall display system by introducing a new double unit in addition to the current triples This gives some additional flexibility in the configurations retailers can deploy in store as well as the opportunity to pair up two ranges on one tand where appropriate.

T 01562 749300 www.victoriacarpets.com

As a Royal warrant holder, Victoria was keen to honour the occasion of the coronation of King Charles and did so with a stunning mosaic made from 3,000 carpet pieces – turn to page 23 for details.

"Wool is certainly coming back strongly with the consumer,” says sales director James Caldwell. “We have a lot coming through in the months ahead to meet that demand and we’re going for growth."

Tudor Co-ordinates - shown on Victoria's award-winning "cake stand"

POS "Going for growth" – L to R: Sam Armfield, James Caldwell, Mark Paice, Daniel Alp and Martin Pitcairn.

Review: Showtime in Solihull The

Sneak preview of 2024 Louis de Poortere

Belgian woven rug and carpet manufacturer, Louis de Poortere, give a tantalising preview of forthcoming designs in its 2024 collection. Buying group members also saw just how the company is innovating through the introduction of a monopolymer 100% polyester construction, which gives the potential for recycling back into new rugs.

Alan Russell, sales director, Louis de Poortere, says: “It was a successful couple of days and a great chance to bring visitors up to date with some of our most exciting news to date.

"The introduction of a mono-polymer construction is the first step towards closing the loop. While we’re just at the start of our journey and there are significant steps to take, but it’s a great start and shows just how committed we are to making a lasting and positive change.”

The 100% polyester construction – even down to the rug label – will be introduced for Louis de Poortere’s 2024 collection later on this year. By using only one material in construction, monopolymer products are considered easier to recycle and with no cross material contamination, are less energy intensive to return to new products.

The stand also saw Louis de Poortere tell of its Richelieu Mix and Match programme. Recently expanded to nine patterns and 144 colour options, there is an extraordinary number of pattern and colour pairings. The company also demoed the programme’s interactive runner builder, showing how easy it is for homeowners to create their favourite runner from the comfort of their own home. info@depoorterelouis.com www.louisdepoortere.com

The start of a new

Premium quality laminate floors.

Review: Showtime in Solihull

The Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show 2023

Value of premium approach Interfloor

Interfloor succeeds in setting itself apart with a premium approach to product development that gives retailers valuable opportunities to trade up consumers – improving the value of sales but also generating increased customer satisfaction.

But it is not just a cosmetic thing, The Tredaire Premier range of underlays was launched at the BGNFS to great acclaim last year. “The range has been so well received and distinguishes itself against the competition,” says Gary Cowley of Interfloor.

“With eight options in the collection to choose from, retailers can select the range that suits their customer base and the obvious quality of each product gives them a real opportunity to upsell,” she says. “The feedback from fitters says they love it too!”

Tredaire Premier is made from an eco-friendly recycled foam and distinguished by a high specification printed backing layer adorned by the now famous feather motif. It is available in thickness from 6 to 11mm and four different densities.

Premium profiles

Interfloor’s remarkable renu underlay has a new home in a striking point-of-sale presentation launched at the BGNFS event.

The eye-catching green (of course!) tower takes the smallest footprint but is big on selling the sustainable story that has caught the imagination of consumers. The underlay is made from 98% recycled content and is 100% recyclable, using post-consumer used foam, a bio-based film and even vegetable inks printed on the recycled paper backing.

T 01706 213131 www.interfloor.com

Alongside impressive underlay, installations can be enhanced with the polished performance of Gripperrods Premier, Interfloor’s super shiny set of top quality floor edgings. Available in chrome or brushed steel nickel, these profiles give a highly visible quality finish to the floor fitting and let consumers take pride in their premium purchase.

"renu has such a great story to tell and the new POS unit is s strong communicator,” says Lynn. “And it’s not just the eco credentials – we’re emphasising this is a premium underlay with top-quality performance."

Premiership team (l to r): Danny Bell, Jackie Lambert, Alex Brassington, Lynn Bamber, Elouise Redfern, Dawn Arnold and Gary Cowley.

Review: Showtime in Solihull

The Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show 2023

Inspiration transformation Hugh Mackay

This year at the buying group show Hugh Mackay showcased a vast array of product. Their axminster stand displayed their Stock and Infinity Fast Track products. For a minimum of 20m2 Hugh Mackay offer a bespoke design service. The customer can select from six stock colour palettes to design their own bespoke carpet masterpiece making a personalised solution more accessible than ever before.

Origins emerge from iconic wool brands

Natural Origins is derived from the iconic Hugh Mackay Natural Weave range. Natural Origins is an economical choice made up of designs associated with premium products. It is available in a herringbone design, a rib design and a boucle design. With eight colour options, the product is supplied in 4 & 5m widths on a hessian back. Unitary and stock will be available July 2023.

Riverside Origins is derived from the iconic Hugh Mackay Riverside Twist range. This entry level wool twist is available in rolls only. The range consists of 8 colour options, 4 from the existing Riverside range and 4 new colours. It comes in 4 and 5m widths on a hessian back. Unitary and stock will be available in June 2023.

Customers will be able to work alongside one of the Hugh Mackay design team who can help to realise their requirements and supply them with images of design options to make final selections from. This process is well established and efficient so designs can be developed and refined within a matter of days. The designer will then generate a final design and colour sample for customer approval allowing them to see what the finished carpet will look like before committing to their order. The sample is chargeable and then discounted off the order once a final decision is made and the order is placed through your retailer.

The production takes approximately eight weeks to be supplied so similar lead times to most furniture and other soft furnishings of this quality resulting in a truly bespoke flooring solution for their project at a very competitive price.

Hugh Mackay also saw the launch of three new products at the buying group show, catering for both the premium and economical sides of the market-place.

Hugh Mackay are hoping to launch a further 2 new products at the National Flooring Show in Harrogate, in September and their full portfolio can be viewed on stand A33.

T

Hugh Mackay's inspirational "Infinity" display. The show organisers presented the company with the best stand award for their presentation.

Charlotte Jarvis with MD Stephen Donlan

Meanwhile the pace of product development is undiminished at Associated Weavers with significant extensions throughout the company’s comprehensive offer coming through this summer.

For Invictus LVT, expect a major update to the collection to be unveiled soon. “Invictus has made a huge dent in the middle/upper market for vinyl tile,” says Gavin. “It’s going from strength to strength and the new updates are going to accelerate its increasing popularity.”

AW is also encouraged by stronger support from installers who have found Invictus friendly to fit.

All new at AW Associated Weavers

There is always lots happening at Associated Weavers but 2023 looks like being a stand-out year for new developments – many of which are focused on impressive enhancements to its service to retailers.

“We have always been ahead of the curve on product development but a key focus now is on service and we have made an incredible investment in the UK to get this absolutely right,” says Gavin Pugh, managing director.

The step change in service centres on AW’s new warehouse in Northampton which will be fully stocked to its capacity of 6,500 rolls by the end of June. Most importantly, the facility will allow a significantly faster cut-length service which prices delivery within 3 to 5 days by Q3 this year.

Alongside this physical infrastructure is the major launch of AW’s new customer portal which is undergoing final testing prior to its deployment in the Summer. This is a state of the art platform to allow 24/7 ordering, stock checking and delivery tracking for retailers, across the full range of AW products.

Across the carpet ranges, there’s a push on the exemplary performance of family favourite Vivendi, a solution-dyed nylon collection – “It’s everything you could want from a carpet” says Gavin. There’s a major colour update coming for the Autumn.

The Invictus carpet collection is adding to its invincibility with four new colours in the luxurious polypropylene ranges Cassius and Darius reflecting the warmer shades that were seen in sumptuous Orion and Sirius last year.

Gaia, AW’s newest collection launched last year, is doing very well – hitting the sweet spot that only polyester can deliver between comfort, performance and cost. The current four ranges will be joined this Summer by Mekong, a traditional saxony in 12 colours which will appeal strongly to British tastes.

T 01422 431100

www.associated-weavers.co.uk

"We have always been ahead of the curve on product development but a key focus now is on service and we have made an incredible investment in the UK to get this absolutely right,” says Gavin Pugh.

MD Gavin Pugh with all that's new for 2023

Review: Showtime in Solihull

The Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show 2023

Innovating for choice Abingdon Flooring

Abingdon is going all out to extend choice across its comprehensive portfolio of products, and accelerating its innovation to do so.

“We are really pushing the boundaries on innovation – it’s what gives Abingdon our point of difference in the market,” says sales director Graham Marshall. “Retailers know they can rely on us to deliver the ranges and service they need.

Abingdon at Harrogate!” says Graham Marshall.

Abingdon at BGNFS had plenty new to offer with a first look at Festival, the latest addition to the Stainfree family of carpets, which offers practical, deep-pile luxury. The recent launches of supersoft Affection and the classic twist Timeless were also on show.

Two excellent examples of Abingdon’s yarn development expertise are Finesse and Caress. Their new introduction to the family Reflections took centre stage at the show, available in the most popular colours from its sister ranges.

This range has the appeal of a soft-feel finish in bleach-cleanable polypropylene and a fleece backing with the multi-width flexibility of 2.5, 4 and 5m.

T 01274 655662 www.abingdonflooring.co.uk

The Wilton Royal family of wool

Abingdon is really building on the strength of its Wilton Royal brand and the company reckons it has recently tripled the choice in this highly reputable wool collection, capturing the mood of the market and a consumer move into natural fibre.

From a humble start of two twists and one loop, the brand has added berbers, single and 3-ply options and more designs. The family comprises nine ranges at present and over 130 options.

Charter Berber Loop and Charter Plain Loop in 100% wool underline the approach with the relaxed, country look of loop pile carpet in a range of natural colours. The show was also the first chance to see Wilton Royal’s new point of sale, bringing the traditional collection closer to Abingdon Flooring’s modern, fresh and high-energy look.

"We will be increasing the depth and breadth of what we offer in terms of colour and choice and we’ll be making a real impact this year – expect an exciting presentation from

All out for innovation, (l to r) Colin Brown, Charlotte Coop and Graham Marshall,

York can still walk the walk! Ulster Carpets

Many retailers will be very familiar with Ulster’s mainstream 80/20 York Wilton – a reliable, good value twist that goes back 30 years or so since its origins with Crossley Carpets. Well now it’s bang up to date!

Ulster have added 11 new colours, making 60 in all, to ensure the spectrum covers the latest contemporary softer shades, including warmer greys and subtle greens.

York Wilton’s wool is split with nylon for extra heavy wear and is available in full multi-width – 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5m – to avoid waste and make it as economical as possible.

Tackling the important issue of moth resistance for the wool sector, all axminster and wilton carpets from Ulster are now being treated with Ecolan, an effective non-insecticide which is environmentally-friendly being bio-degradable.

Ecolan is applied at the dyeing stage to give maximum penetration of the fibre right down to the base where moth larvae often seek to start their damage. This is a better alternative to the surface treatments deployed by some other manufacturers.

T 028 3833 4433 www.ulstercarpets.com

Stylish opportunities BerryAlloc

Through its wide range of high quality flooring for today’s style conscious homeowner, BerryAlloc demonstrated to BGNFS attendees just how its attractive and fast selling flooring collections can help to realise new opportunities in the market.

With its High Pressure Floors, Ocean+ and Chateau laminate flooring and Pure luxury vinyl tiles and planks all on show, the BGNFS proved the ideal place for buying group retailers to consider their hard flooring offer and strengthen existing categories with better features and accessible alternatives to some of the newest looks in interiors.

Scott Arundell, sales director, BerryAlloc, was in attendance and says, “We’re delighted with the response we had at this year’s event and it was a unique chance to chat to members to find out about business and how the unique reasons to buy our flooring collections can provide a new approach to customers.”

The BGNFS was also the first chance for retailers to see BerryAlloc’s new look laminate collection, available in 50 wood looks, with 15 natural wood effects shared between Ocean+ 100% water-resistant laminate, Chateau herringbone and versatile Connect ranges. This allows homeowners to create a unified look, while altering the style, functionality or affordability from room to room.

Visitors also saw how the impact-resistant, AC6 scratch-resistant and water-resistant HPF collection is available on impressive point of sale options that highlight the unique reasons to buy the world’s strongest floors. BerryAlloc also used the show to demonstrate how DreamClick, the innovative 360° locking system available on its Pure luxury vinyl tiles and planks, allows for fast installation and laying patterns including herringbone and combinations of plank and tiles.

T +32 56 52 84 80 www.berryalloc.com

Carpet

Review: Showtime in Solihull

The Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show 2023

Serious

about

sustainability

Ball & Young

Few companies have taken their environmental responsibilities as seriously as Ball & Young and their Cloud 9 underlay range is underwritten by sustainability credentials that are second to none. “We have stayed ahead of the market on environmental issues,” says managing director Ann Shaw. “Now customers are coming on board as specifiers and consumers increasingly demand to see real sustainability that goes beyond fine words and hopeful claims.”

As part of The Vita Group, Ball & Young is the first flexible PU foam manufacturer globally to have their science-based targets verified by the SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative) to become one of less than 1,500 companies across the globe to have set ambitious targets that are in line with the reductions needed to meet the 1.5o set in the Paris Climate Accord.

The Group received an enhanced grading in the EcoVadis award from Silver to Gold in 2022 to put Ball & Young and The Vita Group in the top 3% of companies for their sustainability.

Only recycled flexible PU foam is used in the manufacture of the high performance Cloud 9 range of underlays, using offcuts sourced from within The Vita Group including the underlay off-cuts taken back from customers saving over 250k tonnes of waste PU from going to landfill.

The paper backing on the underlay comes from managed replenished wood stocks, and the final product is wrapped in recyclable packaging. The company’s manufacturing processes are designed and monitored to minimise environmental impact, and since March 2021, the Corby-based plant has used 100% of its electricity from wind sources.

T 01536 200502 www.underlay.com

2022

Tempting textures Cormar Carpets

Wool was front and centre on the Cormar stand with key developments reflecting the increasing interest in natural fibres. The company has brought together three loop pile products in a new “Wool Textures” lectern, demonstrating Cormar’s ability to appeal to current consumer demand.

First is the brand new Fairisle, a 3-ply, ¼ gauge carpet in 10 natural shades. Inspired by the Shetland Islands, Fairisle is a chunky, textured level loop with a subtle heathered appearance. Fairisle is at the premium end of Cormar’s portfolio yet offers great value in it’s price sector.

Second up is Malabar Two Fold, the popular 100% wool loop pile first launched in 2001, recoloured in 2016, and now enjoying a new makeover with a bank of new colours in two textures – a sophisticated ribbed style and popular weave design. The now 20-strong palette of natural colours includes a wider selection of warmer tones such as Nubuck and Pinto.

Completing the trio is Pimlico, a 50/50 wool loop launched last year as an affordable entry-level range with a level and textured option, plus a selection of pinstripes.

Also showcased were two of Cormar’s new easy clean polypropylene qualities the sumptuous Trinity in 14 tri-colour heather tones and the recently relaunched Primo Ultra range.

T 01204 881234 www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

The Wool Textures lectern

Malabar Two-Fold

Making more of the future Cavalier Carpets

Cavalier Carpets is confident - investing heavily in the future and developing exciting new products across the portfolio.

The investment comes in the form of a nearly £1 million graphics machine commissioned in Q4 2022 to increase the company’s capacity for plain and patterned carpet manufacturing up to 5m wide.

And four new launches at the BGNFS suggests there is a lot of carpet to be made!

Curlew is Cavalier’s latest loop – a stylish range in 3-ply 100% wool with a slightly heathered look and lots of stylish appeal. Also Snowdon, a clean 90/10 wool carpet which won awards when it was previewed last year, is now finally being rolled out to retailers in 16 colours as a sophisticated sister product to the highly successful Pennine Heathers.

The other two launches are all pandering to the public’s appetite for polyester – getting the performance benefits and softness of this fibre compared to polypropylene. New Satin sits alongside Cavalier’s top selling Silken polyester to offer a super-soft hardwearing 50oz option in 12 colours. The company also has a new heavyweight polyester range – as yet unchristened – which will use the fibre’s resilience to support a luxurious, deep pile construction.

T 01254 268 000

www.cavaliercarpets.co.uk

Hard-working luxury Balta

Balta is pushing fast forward to grow its presence and range portfolio in the UK and is backed up by substantial UK stockholding and distribution through its parent Victoria group.

“The product offer is getting stronger and stronger and we are very ready for the demands of today’s customer,” says sales director Filip Poelman as the company showcased several new products at the BGNFS.

Marking a strong re-entry into the natural fibre sector, Woolmaster by Balta is a big initiative to build a compelling offer. On show in Solihull were Prestige Twist, a smart 80/20, alongside Prestige Design, a tight structured loop – both sharing the same six-colour contemporary palette. Balta signalled its intention to further develop its offer in loop with Luxury Weave, a 100% wool 3-ply chunky loop and there will be more to come.

Balta’s Made in Heaven collection attracts attention for its sophisticated appearance and robust performance and three options were on show with Eclipse, Sublime and Crescent. Eclipse and Crescent are soft, dense polyesters which share the same elegant 12 colours with subtle lustre. “We have excellent know-how to produce luxurious but hard-working carpets that consumers love,” says Filip.

T 03303 411 410 www.baltacarpets.com

Wim Verest (left) and Filip Poelman of Balta

L to R – Simon Field, Chris Godley and Hans Lowe

Review: Showtime in Solihull

The Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show 2023

Flying the flag SMG

SMG celebrated the coronation by waving the flag with a wall rack! - a striking display created by some regal recycling of redundant samples.

“We thought there was already enough beige and grey on display and this was the occasion to brighten everything up and celebrate!” said SMG’s Linda Thomas.

The buying group was also showing it’s latest own-label “pure” branding across its POS unitary including the upgraded display table that creates an in-store focal point for consumer conversations.

SMG, the UK’s largest buying group in the flooring sector, has announced the introduction of two new suppliers to its network. Huddersfield-based manufacturer Phoenox offers an attractive package of mats and small rugs for retailers to extend their product portfolio.

High end smooths manufacturer BerryAlloc has also joined with SMG as part of their continuing expansion into the UK with LVT and laminates of exceptional quality and resilience.

T 0118 932 3832 www.smg-group.co.uk

Premium performance – from plants Lano

Lano has the European rights to manufacture top quality carpets with the SmartStrand fibre – the impressive plant-derived renewable fibre that has transformed carpet buying in the United States.

Billed as “the world’s most forgiving carpet”, Live life worry free with a SmartStrand carpet, the first bio-based carpet using a rapidly renewable resource, The amount of energy required to produce the SmartStrand fibre is a full 30% less than with other fibres. The whole production process consequently emits 63% less CO2 than is the case with other synthetic fibres, is the first new fibre introduced in over 50 years and is the only carpet that boasts durability and permanent, built-in stain resistance.

Celeste has been Lano’s best-seller with SmartStrand for several years but now retailers will have an opportunity to upsell discerning consumers to Sofia – a new denser, tighter finish at 2,200gr m2 compared to 1,800gr m2 with Celeste. It will be available this summer in 25 colours, a premium KT backing and in both 4 and 5 metre widths.

“Retailers with experience of SmartStrand are very confident of its performance, durability and resilience, we are pleased to launch our most luxurious Smartstrand development yet, a high-end premium range with the green credentials that consumers love,” says Gary Alp of Lano

T 00800 5266 5266 www.lano.com

Primo Ultra

The SMG display table

Linda Thomas (left) with Wendy Roberts Gary Alp with SmartStrand

Freedom refreshed

With BerryAlloc’s refreshed laminate flooring collection, homeowners can enjoy the same wood look in the herringbone of Chateau, Ocean+ 100% water-resistant laminate or the versatility of Connect. That means a beautifully unified look with the freedom to mix features and different laying patterns from room to room.

In Chateau, BerryAlloc has captured the elegance of historic parquet flooring in 15 natural wood designs. The uniquely small and narrow planks are perfect for recreating the herringbone style, as well as shipdeck, ladder and mosaic laying patterns.

Ocean+ is a 100% water-resistant laminate floor that’s available in all 15 matching wood designs of Chateau, as well as 35 other original wood looks. A superb choice for bathrooms, kitchens and busy living spaces, it features Hydro+ technology. First developed in 2008, hydro+ made BerryAlloc the pioneer of water-resistant laminate floors. Sealing joints with hydrophobic technology, hydro+ guarantees a lifetime of waterresistance and makes Ocean+ suitable for bathroom use. Alongside Ocean+ 8 V4, the collection comes in a selection of planks with integrated underlay, XL planks and the superior performance of 12mm floors.

Connect is a versatile, everyday flooring option that brings the natural beauty of wood in a surface that’s dependable and easy to live with. All 50 designs, including the 15 wood looks of Chateau, come in a standard plank size, with a handful of styles also in BerryAlloc’s impressive XL plank. Homes can also choose from the minimalist look of a floor with no bevels or the classic plank effect of fully bevelled edges.

Scott Arundell, sales director, BerryAlloc, says: “Laminate flooring is loved for its durability, scratch resistance and easy maintenance. As a living proposition, it’s a floor that lets homes concentrate on the more important things in life, particularly with innovations like hydro+, but that certainly shouldn’t mean having to compromise elsewhere.

“We’ve thought about our new-look laminate flooring collection a little differently, giving customers the freedom to choose a floor that fulfils their practical needs across beautiful and authentic wood looks. The collection’s ability to let customers choose herringbone for living areas, Ocean+ for moisture prone areas and Connect for all-round use in a perfectly coordinated natural wood look, shows how we’re thinking about our floors as part of a bigger interior design journey.”

T +32 56 52 84 80 www.berryalloc.com

TRAINING COURSES — 1 TO 4 DAYS

Carpet Fitting — Basic

Carpet

PROFESSIONAL FLOORING TRAINING

FITA provides short training courses, workshops and assessments for both commercial and domestic markets. Both our fully equipped training centres at Loughborough and Kirkcaldy are run by seasoned professional instructors with specialist knowledge of the flooring industry.

Vinyl

Carpet Fitting — Intermediate Carpet Fitting — Advanced

NEW! Carpet — Borders

NEW! Natural Floorcoverings

Sheet Vinyl Installation — Commercial — Basic/Intermediate

Sheet Vinyl Installation — Commercial — Advanced

Sheet Vinyl Installation — Domestic

Sheet Vinyl — Wetrooms Installation — Advanced

Linoleum Linoleum Installation — Basic

Linoleum Installation — Intermediate

Resilient/LVT Fitting — Basic

Resilient

Resilient/LVT Fitting — Intermediate

Resilient/LVT Fitting — Advanced

Wood Laminate and Floating Wood Fitting — Basic

Wood Fitting — Intermediate Wood Fitting — Advanced Wood Sanding and Finishing

Subfloors Subfloor Preparation — Commercial

Subfloor Preparation — Domestic

Supplementary

Cost-Effective Estimating and Planning — Commercial Profitable Measuring and Quoting — Domestic Moisture — Preventing Floor Failures

CARPET WORKSHOPS — ALL 1 DAY DURATION

Carpet

Ocean 8 V4 Select Light Sand

"Positive trajectory" for flooring retail confidence

Leading retail analysts GfK have reported another jump in consumer confidence for big ticket items such as flooring and said "the overall trajectory this year is positive."

GfK's Major Purchase Index which asks consumers if now is the right time to buy furniture, flooring and appliances rose four points in May - the fourth upward move in recent months adn it follows a five point rise in April. The Index now stands at -24, 11 points up on this month last year.

Joe Staton, Client Strategy Director GfK, said: “The cost-of-living crisis has been part of our daily financial reality for a long time, with double-digit inflation and record-high food prices. But despite those pressures, May sees an encouraging uptick in consumer confidence.

Mr Staton added: “While Brits have little control over the general economy, it’s good to see further improvement in how people view their personal finances. Of course, we’re still deep in negative territory and a long way from any ‘sunny uplands’. However, the overall trajectory this year is positive and might reflect a stronger underlying financial picture across the UK than many would think. But everybody must hold on tight as it could still be a rocky ride out of these tough times.”

Likewise doubles sales in 2022

Ambitious UK distributor Likewise plc has reported sales growth of 104% in 2022 and says it is now "clearly established as a leading company in the UK floor covering industry."

In its final results for the year ended December 31, 2022, Likewise reported that sales increased 104.4% to £123.6 million compared to £60.5m in 2021. Underlying profit before tax increased 84.8% to £2.56m from £1.38m the previous year.

Nearly 26% of the increased sales were down to organic growth with the the contribution of the two major acquisitions during 2022, Valley Wholesale Carpets Limited and Delta Carpets Limited making up much of the rest.

"The Group is now clearly established as a leading company in the UK floor covering industry and is well on target to achieve its medium-term targets," chief executive Tony Brewer told shareholders.

Likewise says its number of active customer accounts has increased by 27% and in a trading update on the current year, the company said: "The first four months of 2023 have been positive and [revenue] has shown a further increase of 17.8% over the corresponding period last year."

Victoria moves HQ out of Kidderminster

Major international flooring group Victoria plc has moved its registered HQ out of Kidderminster, the historic home of carpet, to a state-of-the-art office and warehouse centre in Worcester.

The new Victoria Head Office is located within the new, carbon-neutral, purposebuilt 185,000 square foot distribution and administration centre at the Worcester Six Business Park.

This fulfilment centre, one of the UK's first net-zero carbon warehouses, replaces the original UK flooring distribution site warehouse in Kidderminster, and, says Victoria "provides a larger and better equipped bespoke facility to match the strong growth performance of the Group."

The environmental credentials of the new site are impeccable. The buildings features solar panels which provide all of the site's electricity needs including 125kW of electric vehicle charging infrastructure with 32 charge points for electric cars and forklifts. A rainwater harvesting system to provide recycled water for use in the toilets and to wash delivery trucks, and lower energy consuming lighting and heating to ensure the warehouse does not use more energy than it creates.

As well as providing significant environmental benefits, the new site brings a number of operational benefits to the Group, using the latest technology to deliver higher productivity, improving logistical efficiency and improving customer service, says Victoria.

Victoria to deliver tenth year of growth

Victoria’s strong sales sales growth means it will have sold more than 200 million square metres of flooring (nearly 30,000 football fields) for the first time in the Company's history for the year ended 1 April 2023.

In a full year trading update ahead of the group’s results announcement in July, Victoria plc said: “Despite challenging macro-economic conditions, Victoria PLC, is set to deliver its tenth consecutive year of revenue and underlying operating profit growth with revenues for the year ended 1 April 2023 of more than £1.45 billion, alongside continued growth in underlying operating cashflow.”

It added: “Whilst the Group is not immune to the external factors that impact consumer demand or inflationary pressures, the Board is confident that Victoria's inherently low operational gearing, combined with price increases (where essential), cost savings, and tight supply chain management, will mitigate the financial impact of any macro-economic uncertainty in the year ahead.”

Man-made carpet leads flooring inflation

Price inflation for synthetic carpet is 50% more than wool ranges and almost double that of LVT according to a new "shopping basket tool" from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The average price of a square metre of man-made carpet was £24.18 in March this year, up 15% from the same month in 2022. Wool carpets have gone up 10% in the same period, from an average of £35.47 sqm in 2022 to £38.96 now.

This compares to the average price per square metre of LVT at £37.93 in March, up 9% since March 2022 despite the raw material and energy increases of the last year - and maybe reflecting an easing of some of the supply chain issues. Rugs showed the least price inflation with just 8% growth to an average price per sqm of £72.15.

Elsewhere in the home furnishing sector, the ONS Shopping Prices Comparison Tool shows that sofas are up 11% and beds up 10% while curtains have fallen by -3% year on year.

Carpet imports fall by a quarter

The slump in UK imports from Europe continues with a 25% fall in volumes in March – led by a further decline from Belgium.

The latest figures compiled by The Furnishing Report from HMRC data shows the volume of carpet coming to the UK in March was down 24% year-on-year at 14.6m sqm. High inflation in the sector meant that the value of these imports was down by a more modest 10%.

Belgium has been showing a steep decline in recent months and the March figures were no exception - down 21% in value to £18.8m while Holland perforrmed better with a 1.3% decline to £23.3m.

FLOORING FACTSHEET ADHESIVES

SELECTION CHECKLIST

The criteria to select an adhesive will cover the following points. Larger manufacturers offer detailed guides to select the correct adhesive – even indexing floor manufacturer’s products by name to ensure an accurate match. For accurate and up-to-date information consult the F. Ball Recommended Adhesives Guide.

Open Time:

The time you have to fit the flooring into the adhesive after which the bond will no longer be ideal. The time until the floor may be walked on should be checked.

Odour:

Low odour, solvent-free and low VOC products are increasingly favoured and now have the same performance characteristics of older products.

Coverage:

How thick and how far can the adhesive be spread.

Application Method: Different adhesives may be applied by roller, trowel or spray.

Strength:

Including how quickly the adhesive will “grab” the floor covering and its strength when fully cured.

Underfloor Heating:

A lot of modern adhesives are suitable for use with underfloor heating but this criteria must be checked where appropriate.

To find out more visit f-ball.com/training

Subfloor: What surface will the adhesive stick to most effectively including concrete, sand cement screeds, levelling compounds, plywood and chipboard.

While there are multi-purpose adhesives, specialist products will be better suited to certain surfaces.

The porosity of the floor is a key determinant of the type of adhesive to be used and its performance during installation.

Special Performance: Certain adhesives are more suitable for damp, humid or high temperature environments.

Air Quality and the Environment: The old wisdom that the more it smells, the better it sticks is no longer acceptable to modern consumers and solvent-based products are increasingly replaced by water-based adhesives.

ADHESIVE TYPES

Acrylic/Resin: Ideal for plasticised PVC and most modern flooring.

Bitumen: A tar-like material, bitumen has a high degree of moisture resistance and is used for damp-proof membranes and installing tiles, wood blocks and mosaics.

Epoxy Resin: A two-part chemical curing system that is used in aggressive environments such as conservatories, wet rooms, commercial kitchens and exterior installations.

Polyurethane: An adhesive with rapid bonding characteristics, typically used for wood floors.

Polyvinyl Acetate: Typically used for close fitting joints in timber, laminate floors and panels.

Tackifier: An adhesive for carpet designed to increase the tackiness – or the tack range –of an adhesive.

Water-based Adhesive: Many different types of adhesives now use water as their carrier to avoid odours and flammability issues which are common with chemical solvents.

YOU GET MORE WITH BALL REWARDS

EARN 5% CASHBACK ON THESE TEMPERATURE TOLERANT ADHESIVES THIS MONTH.

In a tight market for margins, underlay for carpet and hard flooring offers retailers one of the best opportunities to add value to every sale – with good profitability, trade-up potential once benefits are understood and high customer satisfaction levels.

The Carpet Foundation and its Consumer Code of Practice approved by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) recommend that new carpet underlay is bought with every new carpet.

Many consumers are now aware of the benefits of underlay but more needs to be done to provide information about the different types available and their suitability for different areas of the home.

Setting up in-store demonstrations so customers can walk on samples with different grades of underlay and feel the difference has shown excellent results. Some manufacturers offer point-of-sale units and foot testers.

Benefits

Good underlay will...

• Improve underfoot comfort

• Increase appearance retention, reducing flattening

• Absorb the pressure of foot traffic and reduce wear

• Improve thermal insulation and warmth

• Increase sound insulation

• Smooth out sub-floor imperfections

• Last the lifetime of the carpet

Poor or old underlay will...

• Feel hard and unwelcoming

• Reduce carpet life

• Cause wrinkling and premature wear spots

• Cause carpet fibres to break down more quickly

• Not meet British Standards

How thick?

A maximum of 12mm is recommended (working with gripper will be difficult thereafter) but rooms with heavy traffic will need a thinner, denser pad. The combination of thickness and density is all important as a thick underlay with low density may not perform well. Typically, the thicker the underlay, the better quality it will need to be – 11mm is often used for luxury installations with 9mm and 7mm the common domestic thickness.

Types

PU (polyurethane) foam • This is now the market’s most popular underlay and is typically made from recycled foam offcuts. The foam provides excellent comfort and performance levels with lots of thickness options and densities and provides great insulation – and its light weight helps handling.

Sponge rubber • A more traditionally manufactured underlay available in flat or waffle patterns in a wide range of weights for different applications. It performs well for comfort and has a durable spring retention.

Crumb rubber • Flat and dense, crumb rubber is good for heavy footfall – offering maximum protection but a little less comfort (and very good over stair nosings).

Laminate underlay • There’s still an opportunity to sell underlay with laminate flooring, improving the acoustic performance of the floor and helping the boards float above any imperfections in the sub-floor.

Combination • A rubber crumb base with a felt top layer offers a good combination of protection, durability and comfort. It also allows carpet with seaming to bed into the top felt.

Underfloor heating underlay • Always ask if there is underfloor heating. Most manufacturers offer specialised products. Underlay and carpet with a combined tog rating of 2.5 can be used – which means the underlay would normally have a tog rating of 1.0.

Felt • This traditional (but environmentally friendly) undelay is made from recycled fibres – wool, jute and synthetic – to create a firm, dense pad with excellent thermal insulation. Still a very popular choice among contractors when stretch fitting woven carpets.

Pre-tackified underlay • A self-adhesive single stick underlay in both needlefelt and PU. A removable system for heavy use when comfort is desired.

Underlayment for LVT • This provides a smooth surface on which you can glue down immediately. If there is a time or acoustic issue or a problematic underfloor, a stable, smooth dual underlay system will provide the best solution.

Sponge rubber

Crumb

Combination

PU foam

Buying Groups

Pick the right one

How to decide whether to join a buying group

– and which one…

• Evaluate all buying groups as they all work differently

• Talk to the main marketing contact and/or a member of the committee

Why join?

Buying groups have been a highly successful feature of the floor retailing scene in the last decade or so, giving independents the extra edge they need to compete effectively with the retail park chains.

More than 1000 retailers are now members of one of the several buying groups which operate in our sector and the numbers are slowly, but steadily growing.

While the benefits of bulk buying power are self-evident, the resistance to the buying group concept among nonmembers appears to be centred on fears of surrendering some control to a committee – and most particularly compromising long-established relationships and negotiated terms with current suppliers.

The bottom line is the bottom line. A retailer selling across a broad range of products is likely to improve margins within a buying group – but you don’t need a leap of faith to join up. Ask the buying groups for answers...

Key benefits

Increase margins

• Group purchases to get beneficial rates

• Rebates

• Exclusive higher-margin products

• Special promotions

One of the key reasons to join a buying group is to benefit from the discounts they negotiate as a bulk buyer from manufacturers. The way discounts and rebates are passed on to members varies between groups so make sure it’s absolutely clear how this will be done. You’ll need to work out how this compares with discounts you have already negotiated locally with preferred suppliers.

Access professional services

• Business and financial services

• IT and internet support

• Training and workshops

• Professional bodies

Some buying groups offer an excellent range of other services which may be valuable to your business. Financial services include invoice factoring, credit, loans and insurance. Some of the more sophisticated groups offering marketing packages, software systems to help you run your business operations and customised websites ready to use. Relationships with professional and training organisations can also offer discounts.

• Get a list of members and call up two or three for a ‘real-world’ view

• Establish your territorial exclusivity – where’s the next nearest member of each buying group

• Ensure you understand the financial arrangements, any fees that would relate to your membership, how the bills are paid and whether your fees are refundable if it doesn’t work out. Ask the buying group for a consultation to estimate your potential savings

• Review all the extra benefits and services to see what you would actually use

• Check out the product ranges offered including the own-label options and the UK/European mix

• Ensure you understand any rules that may limit your flexibility to run your business the way you want

Metro Group www.carpet1st.co.uk

Contact: Jill Coward Tel: 01204 393539 jillcoward@carpet1st.co.uk

www.smg-group.co.uk

Contact: Mike Reed Tel: 0118 932 3832 info@smg-group.co.uk

Increase sales

• Best of both worlds’ proposition

• Wider ranges and exclusive products

• POS, displays and merchandising support

Your customers will like the proposition that you are independent but with the buying power of a group –this gives them (and you) the ‘best of both worlds’ with personal service and competitive pricing. Most groups will also offer you ‘own label’ ranges and support with pointof-sale, merchandising and displays. Central stockholding may also be on offer.

Network with other independents

• Members-only exhibitions with preferred manufacturers

• Regular meetings and supplier presentations

• Regional workshops

• Helpline

A lot of retailers enjoy the buying group environment of being independent but not alone out there on the High Street. Groups hold regular meetings and some have their own trade shows, regional meetings and workshops to help you develop your business. The network gives you someone to call when you need advice on, for example, an unusual installation, a technical consumer complaint, legal issue or business dilemma.

Associated Carpet Group www.acgcarpets.com

Contact: Jon Richardson Tel: 01942 825520 jon@acgcarpets.com

www.beautifulflooring.co.uk

Contact: Carl Harris Tel: 01892 549050 charris31@sky.com

www.flooringone.co.uk

Peter Karra Tel: 0121 683 1426 peter.karra@flooringone.co.uk

Flooring factsheet

If you would like to be included in this section or upgrade your listing, please contact Diane Martin on +44 (0)1482 659396 or email diane@mayvillepublishing.co.uk

Vinyl + LVT Supplier Directory

Abingdon SoftStep info@abingdonflooring.co.uk

01274 655 694 www.abingdonflooring.co.uk

Adoretouch +1.631.843.0900 www.adorefloors.com

Alsapan g.folkes@alsapan.com

03 88 59 29 89 www.alsapan.com

Altro enquiries@altro.com 01462 489 516 www.altro.co.uk

Amtico info@amtico.com 0121 745 0800 www.amtico.com

Aspecta

+31 (0) 88 1662500 www.aspectaflooring.com

Beauflor sales@beauflor.com

+32 56 67 66 11 www.beauflor.com

BerryAlloc +32 56 52 84 80 www.berryalloc.com

Brampton Chase support@bramptonchase.co.uk 01604 664855 www.bramptonchase.co.uk

Earthwerks

saleseurope@earthwerks.com

0800 689 1657 www.earthwerks.eu.com

Forbo Flooring info.flooring.uk@forbo.com 01773 744 121 www.forbo.com

Furlong enquiries@furlongflooring.com 01772 316155 www.furlongflooring.co.uk

Harvey Maria info@harveymaria.com

0330 330 1231 www.harveymaria.com

Interface interface.uk@interface.com 0800 313 4465 www.interface.com

Invictus Info@invictus.co.uk

01422 431100 www.invictus.co.uk/lvt

Kährs UK sales@kahrs.com

023 9245 3045 www.kahrs.com

Karndean Designflooring 01386 820100 www.karndean.com

Kellars sales@kellars.co.uk 0161 443 0970 www.kellars.co.uk

Kraus sales@qep.com 01283 245430 www.krausflooring.co.uk

Lifestyle Floors info@lifestyle-floors.co.uk 01827 831448 www.lifestyle-floors.co.uk

Leoline info@leoline.co.uk www.leoline.co.uk

Moduleo salesuk@moduleo.com

01332 851 500 www.moduleo.co.uk

Polyflor info@polyflor.com

0161 767 1111 www.polyflor.com

Tarkett communication@tarkett.com

01622 854040 www.tarkett.com

Quick-Step 08448 118 288 www.quick-step.co.uk

Victoria Design Floors (Distinctive Flooring/Universal Flooring) info@myvictoria.co.uk

01562 749300 www.myvictoria.co.uk

Wineo info@wineo.de +49 (0) 5237 6090 www.en.wineo.de

Westex info@westexflooring.co.uk

01274 861334 www.westexflooring.com

Landscape Parquet by Victoria Design Floors

Victorian Treasure by Invictus Van Gogh Classic Oak by Karndean Designflooring

Studio Designs by Brampton Chase

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl is a fast growing sector of the flooring market due to its durability at relatively low cost and huge range of designs available. Sheet vinyl and cushion floor by the roll are popular but the sector is dominated by LVT. In reality, most of the products sold today are “LVP”, Luxury Vinyl Planks, as wood decors are more popular than ceramics and stone but the term LVT is still used to cover the whole non-sheet market.

Benefits

• Huge choice in terms of decors across wood, ceramic, stone and geometric designs

• Impressive realism – not just in the design but infinishing techniques that allow for wood knots you can feel, tiles you can grout, etc. See appearance options.

• Excellent performance in durability for high traffic areas, scratch resistance and cleanability. Vinyl also tends to be much more nonslip than natural materials. Some products are water resistant for bathrooms and kitchens.

• Warm and soft to touch compared to ceramic and stone floors - and a good heat insulator anyhow, and suitable for use with underfloor heating systems.

• Sound reduction – vinyl has neglible impact sound compared to the tap/click of laminate and transmits less sound and vibration compared to solid floor.

• Considerably cheaper than the ‘real’ thing – both to buy and to fit – and tile/plank approach minimises wastage.

Installation

Installation preparation

Vinyl requires a dry, sound, level subfloor as the relative thinness of vinyl and its light reflection performance will quickly reveal imperfections after installation as well as cause potential wear issues.

Exisitng wooden/MDF floors may need a plywood underlay up to 6mm thick and then the joints will need to be skimmed or taped. Non-wood sub-floors will need a self-levelling screed to be laid to ensure a suitable base for the floor. A damp-proof membrane may be required depending on sub-floor moisture levels.

However, new rigid core products are less flexible and can be laid more easily over existing floors – see Construction.

Product options

• Dry back – a sheet or tile that needs to be fixed to the sub-floor using an adhesive.

• Self-adhesive – tiles with a peel-off backing paper to stick to the sub-floor. Some tiles have adhesive overlaps to stick to each other rather than the sub-floor.

• Loose lay vinyl – tiles that simply drop onto the floor and rely on a high friction backing to keep them in place – they demand a very sound, level sub-floor but are the easiset type of tile to lay or replace.

• Click – tiles that have a mechanical jointing system to attach to one another (like a locked tongue and groove system) and ‘float’ on the sub-floor without being glued down. There are many proprietary versions of the click system which offer fast, clean installation and stability.

Appearance options

Vinyl tiles and planks cover a hugh variety of sizes and shapes and can be mix-and-matched to achieve an infinite number of designs. Current fashions include extra wide and long planks for wood through to very small planks for wood. Border effects can be easy to achieve in LVT. Other notable options include:

• Embossed – this is where the top clear layer of the tile has been embossed to create a realistic texture that matches the style of the stone of wood decor. Registered embossed is the most authentic –the texture matches the design so that, for example, a wood knot or hand-scraped element in the wood design can be felt on the surface of the flooring.

• Grouting and grooving – vinyl tiles can be laid with grouting inlay strips or beads of vinyl for addewd realism – and there are acrylic grouts that can be applied. In wood decors, planks are available with v-grooves or bevelled edges between planks for added realism.

LVT construction

Top coating – A polyurethane or aluminium oxide coating provides protection against scratches and stains and gives enhances anti-slip.

Wear layer – This is a key layer - determining the performance and resilience of the product. A 0.3mm (12 mil) wear layer is a good for heavy wear areas. Commercial installations need 0.5mm wear layers or above with 0.7mm at the top end. The wear warranties and guarantees carried by products will be based on this thickness.

Decor layer – This is the decor itself - in essence it is a paper- or filmbased photographic inkjet print. (A few LVT floors have the image printed directly to the surface of the floor but this implies less image definition and different wear characteristics.)

PVC and fibre glass layers – The construction ‘sandwich’ can vary between products but a combination of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) layers for strength and flexibility and fibre glass layers for structural stability may be used. Any click-system profile will be incorporated into these layers. Products often use a combination of recycled vinyl which is cheaper and virgin PVC which lasts longer and is more stable.

Rigid core LVT has a solid, less flexible PVC layer with maximum stability which means it can be laid over exisiting, less even flooring without showing imperfections and therefore avoiding wear problems.

Base (or backing) layer – The final high density PVC layer varies according to the installation requirement and is designed for taking adhesive or as an ‘underlay’ for loose-lay and click installations.

The Stocklists

Wholesale Distribution

NATIONAL

Fells Carpets

Leeds - see page 12 0113 3071900 carl.cummings@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk

TCS “The Carpet Specialists” Morecambe 01524 840177 info@tcsthecarpetspecialists.com www.tcsthecarpetspecialists.com

Xylo Wood Flooring

London 020 8368 8122 infouk@xyloflooring.com www.xyloflooring.com

NORTH WEST

A&A Carpets

Manchester 01204 701188 sales@aandacarpets.co.uk www.aandacarpets.co.uk

Hathaway Flooring Manchester - see page 14 and Floorwise page 65

Kellars Limited Manchester 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk

Lakes Flooring Supplies

Kendal - see Floorwise page 65

Millbrook Carpets

Darwen 01254 703999 millbrookcarpets@live.co.uk

Preston Underlay Centre Ltd

Preston/Lancashire - see Floorwise page 65

EAST

Beds Flooring Bedford 01234 341234 sales@bedsflooring.co.uk www.bedsflooring.co.uk

Salesmark Ltd

St Neots

Tel: 01480 212888 sales@salesmark.co.uk www.salesmark.co.uk

STS Flooring Distributors

Cambridge - see page 18-19 and Floorwise page 65

NORTH EAST/YORKSHIRE

Fells Carpets

Leeds - see page 12 0113 3071900 carl.cummings@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk

Kellars Limited

Darlington 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk

Fells Carpets

Goole - see page 12 0113 3071900 carl.cummings@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk

RBV Flooring

Bradford 01274 670011 rbvflooring@yahoo.com

Trade Carpets and Floors Ltd

Rotherham 01709 437723 sales@tradecarpetsandfloors.co.uk

MIDLANDS

Birch Distribution Sheffield - see Floorwise page 65

Birch Distribution Leeds - see Floorwise page 65

Birch Distribution Hull - see Floorwise page 65

Cornerstone Flooring Supplies Doncaster - see Floorwise page 65

Cornerstone Flooring East Midlands and Warwickshire 01159 444711 sales@cornerstoneflooring.co.uk www.cornerstoneflooring.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies

Northampton - see page 10 01604 664850 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

Floorwise D & J Ltd

Southam - see Floorwise page 65

Kellars Limited

Rugby 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk

Matty’s Wholesale Carpets

Birmingham 01675 433072 sales@mattys.co.uk

STS Flooring Distributors

Hemel Hempstead - see page 18-19 wand Floorwise page 65

Trade Counter Carpets

Leicester 0845 604 3055 tradecountercarpets@gmail.com

Woodall Brothers Ltd Shrewsbury - see Floorwise page 65

SOUTH WEST

BL Flooring Supplies

Bristol - see Floorwise page 65

BL Flooring Supplies

Gloucester - see Floorwise page 65

Fitwell Flooring Ltd

Redruth - see Floorwise page 65

Fitwell Flooring Ltd

Newton Abott - see Floorwise page 65

Flooring Supplies (Wessex)

Amesbury 01980 625888

orders@flooringsupplieswessex.co.uk

R & M Wholesale

Bristol 01179 531222

Tiverton 01884 258266

sales@rmwholesale.co.uk

Salesmark West Ltd

Amesbury - see Floorwise page 65 Tel: 01980 880933 mail@salesmark-west.co.uk www.salesmark-west.co.uk

Solent Wholesale Carpet

West Sussex 01243 774623 sales@solentwholesale.co.uk www.solentwholesale.co.uk

SOUTH EAST

Ashmount Flooring Supplies

Tottenham 0208 808 2158 sales@ashmountflooring.co.uk www.ashmountflooringsupplies.co.uk

Ballister London 020 8570 1668 london@ballister.co.uk www.ballister.co.uk

Ballister Reading 0118 931 3535 reading@ballister.co.uk www.ballister.co.uk

Beds Flooring Bedford 01234 341234 sales@bedsflooring.co.uk www.bedsflooring.co.uk

Clifford Floors Strood 01634 285900 sales@clifford.uk.com

Culpeck Strood 01634 299000 sales@culpeck.uk.com

Columbia Flooring

Middlesex 020 8443 3322 sales@columbiaflooring.co.uk www.columbiaflooring.co.uk see page 9 for details

DMS Flooring Supplies

Hemel Hempstead - see page 10 01442 502562 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies

Milton Keynes - see page 10 01908 049006 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies

Colindale, North London 0208 036 9945 - see page 10 colindale@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

Flooring Storage UK

Potters Bar 01707 245999 sales@flooringstorage.com www.flooringstorage.com

Littner Hampton London 020 8520 8474 littnerhampton@aol.com www.littnerhamptoncarpets.co.uk

John Palmer Carpets

Fareham 01329 221933 sales@johnpalmercarpets.uk.net

Potts & Ward, Woodcocks Ltd Brighton 01273 557211 sales@pwwflooring.com www.pwwflooring.com

Salesmark

Lancing - see Floorwise page 65 Tel: 01903 750522 sales@salesmark.co.uk www.salesmark.co.uk

Solent Wholesale Carpet

West Sussex 01243 774623

sales@solentwholesale.co.uk

www.solentwholesale.co.uk

STS Flooring Distributors

Basildon - see p18-19 & Floorwise p65

STS Flooring Distributors

Croydon - see p18-19 & Floorwise p65

STS Flooring Distributors

Orpington/Croydon - see page 18-19 & Floorwise page 65

Trade Carpet London

Wimbledon 0208 247 3891 sales@tradecarpet.com www.tradecarpet.com

IRELAND (NI + ROI)

Flanagan Flooring Distributors

Saintfield, Belfast 028 9751 0932

sales@flanagan-flooring.com www.flanagan-flooring.com

Flanagan Flooring Distributors

Republic of Ireland 048 9751 0932

sales@flanagan-flooring.com www.flanagan-flooring.com

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd

Dublin - see Floorwise page 65

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd

Belfast - see Floorwise page 65

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd

Limerick - see Floorwise page 65

TCS “The Carpet Specialists” Co. Louth 00353 429 351 351 info@tcsthecarpetspecialists.com www.tcsthecarpetspecialists.com

SCOTLAND

Flanagan Flooring Distributors

Baillieston 0141 773 1122

scotland-sales@flanagan-flooring.com www.flanagan-flooring.com

Kellars Limited

Glasgow 0141 647 7685 sales@kellars.co.uk

MCD Scotland

Uddingston

Glasgow 01698 808000 mcdscotland@mcd.co.uk www.mcdscotland.co.uk

Neil Smith Ltd

Glasgow - see Floorwise page 65

WALES

CBW Flooring Supplies

Pontypridd 01443 492510 www.cbwflooringsupplies.co.uk

Floorwise Wales

Merthyr Tydfil - see Floorwise page 65

0161 872 8003

sales@hathawayflooring.com

10 Cornerstone Flooring Doncaster, DN3 3FE

Tel: 01302 835117

Fax: 01302 302542

cornerstonefloor@ btconnect.com

11 Birch Distribution Sheffield, S9 5PH

Tel: 0114 243 1230

Fax: 0114 243 5118

s.sales@birchdistribution.co.uk

12 Woodall Brothers Ltd Shrewsbury, SY1 3JE

Tel: 01743 441584

Fax: 01743 441629

sales@woodallbrothers.co.uk

13 Floorwise D & J Ltd Southam, CV47 0DR

Tel: 01926 814922

Fax: 01926 817899 sales@fwdj.co.uk

14 Floorwise Wales Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 4TQ Tel: 01685 374243 sales@floorwise-wales.com

15 BL Flooring Supplies Ltd

Gloucester, GL2 5HY

Tel: 01452 223355

Fax: 01452 371284

info@blflooring.co.uk

16 BL Flooring Supplies Ltd Bristol, BS2 9SH

Tel: 0117 955 5454

Fax: 0117 955 2626 info@blflooring.co.uk

17 Salesmark West Ltd Amesbury, SP4 7LN Tel: 01980 880933 mail@salesmark-west.co.uk

18 Salesmark Lancing, BN15 8UN Tel: 01903 750522

Fax: 01903 851111 sales@salesmark-floorwise.co.uk

19 Fitwell Flooring Ltd Newton Abbot, TQ12 6TR

Tel: 01626 835935 sales@fitwell.co.uk

20 Fitwell Flooring Ltd Redruth, TR15 1SS Tel: 01209 214344 sales@fitwell.co.uk

21 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Cambridge, CB23 8UD Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk

22 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7ER Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk

23 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Basildon, Essex, SS14 3DW

Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk

24 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Croydon, Surrey, CR0 4WP

Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk

25 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Orpington, Kent, BR5 3SS Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk

VACANCIES WANTED

DISPLAY STANDS WANTED

Surplus or unwanted display stands, especially wall units, for our new showroom opening soon.

Branded or unbranded stands, lecterns and especially wall units are required. We can collect.

Please ring Trevor Johnson 07973 345103

In an independent survey which asked 450 retailers which of the nine trade titles they actually read, our magazine came top of the pile. Thank you!

To strengthen the sales department of our broadloom division and to make a better & stronger Balta, we are currently looking for a:

Sales Representative

North West, Including North Wales

Your Challenges:

•Managing key retailers and buying group members in your area

•Expansion of the exisiting customer base

•Increasing the product ranges with exisiting customers based on a clear sales strategy combined with a wide range of new products

Your Talents:

•Experienced Sales Manager looking to challenge themselves and thrive in a busy and fast paced environment

•Eager to drive sales and able to spot opportunities for growth

•Excellent time management with the ability to work with numbers and data

•Able to travel approximately 4 days of the week

• Experience in carpet & flooring industry preferrable but not essential

What We Offer:

• Opportunity to have a direct influence on accounts in your area

•The chance to be a part of a world leader in broadloom

•A working environment based around sustainability, safety and strong communication

Attractive salary and other excellent benefits

To register your interest, please send you CV to careers@baltafloorcoverings.co.uk

Flooring Specialist – Insurance Sector

Cannock, Staffordshire : OTE £30,000-£40,000 + benefits

Flooring Specialists are required to join a growing insurance claims handling company. The ideal applicant will possess a broad knowledge of all types of flooring (carpet, wood, tile, manufacturers, brands, quality and costs) gained from working within retail, trade, insurance claims or other relevant sectors requiring flooring knowledge.

The successful applicant will join a motivated team of around 40 staff at a leading insurance claims handling specialist. As a Flooring Specialist, you will process insurance claims in accordance with the company’s best practice and clients individual claim philosophies, ensuring a positive experience for every client. This is a busy role for an organised and confident individual. Full training on insurance and claims handling will be provided.

Responsibilities:

• Provide excellent customer service – deal with customers in a positive and friendly way

• Liaise with the policy holders and Insurance Companies to accurately validate claims circumstances and identify and report any potential fraud indicators

• Establish the type and specification of customers’ existing flooring and identify a suitable like-for-like replacement

• Using your flooring expertise, ensure the most cost-effective solution for customers and client’s expectations

• Arrange inspections and restorations via authorised panel of Inspection Agents

• Arrange delivery of replacements goods within contractual time frames

• Provide the highest level of customer service at all times ensuring compliance

• Achieve monthly targets in closing out claims to achieve bonuses

Skills and experience:

• Experience working in the flooring industry in a relevant role

• Excellent customer service skills

• Highly-organised

• A confident communicator in all situations

• Able to understand insurance policies would be helpful (although full training will be provided)

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced, personable and motivated Flooring Specialist to join a leading insurance services company, offering flexible tailored solutions and delivering a personal service to clients and policy holders alike. In addition to your flooring knowledge there is the opportunity to acquire other product knowledge too.

Fantastic Base Salary with a realistic OTE of £30,000-£40,000 + benefits. Apply now!

RETAIL SALES EXECUTIVE

Ulster Carpets’ is one of the world’s largest and most progressive carpet manufacturers, servicing global retail and contract markets.

We now have a vacancy for a Retail Sales Executive with responsibility for developing sales through our Independent retail accounts covering the following areas:

SOUTH WALES, SOMERSET, AVON, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, DEVON AND CORNWALL.

We offer a competitive salary, company car, medical cover, contributory pension scheme and profit related pay, along with good development and progression opportunities.

To apply send your tailored CV and a covering letter detailing how you meet the following desired criteria:

1. Sales experience as an on the road representative (ideally a minimum of 2 years)

2. The ability to achieve sales targets, provide details of results and achievements

3. The motivation and enthusiasm to grow and increase sales in the territory

Applications should be emailed before Monday 19 June 2023 at 12 noon to recruit@ulstercarpets.com, or by post to The Monitoring Officer, Ulster Carpets, Castleisland Factory, Portadown, Co Armagh, BT62 1EE. To speak with a member of our team telephone 028 38334433. We are an Equal Opportunities Employer

RETAIL SALES REPRESENTATIVE East of England from Norwich to the Thames

The role suits either an experienced Sales Representative from within the flooring industry or a dynamic Salesperson from within the flooring retail sector looking to work on weekdays. Ideally, applicants should live on the territory and demonstrate an excellent knowledge of customer relationship management together with practical experience of updating point of sale. The right candidate will be offered a competitive basic salary, uncapped bonus, company car, excellent pension scheme and private medical cover.

Applicants should send a covering letter and CV to Chris Adam, Managing Director at salesrep@adamcarpets.com or by post to Chris Adam, Managing Director, Adam Carpets Ltd, Greenhill Works, Birmingham Road, Kidderminster, DY10 2SH. Tel 01562 822247

Adam Carpets manufactures high quality wool rich carpet in plain and patterned styles, which is predominantly sold to high street retailers across the UK. Family owner-managed across four generations, the company's premium product and service levels provide the platform of outstanding opportunity for enthusiastic candidates.