Report Description
SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS
The decline in the $20 billion (manufacturers’ dollars) U.S. floor coverings market accelerated in the second half of 2008 and dropped at even sharper rates in the second half of 2009, as the domestic economy went into a severe recession. The drop in 2009 will be the fourth consecutive year of declining sales. This unprecedented industry contraction reflects the 39.0% drop in total U.S. housing demand, the deep cut in U.S. household wealth, and the recent downturn in nonresidential markets as the recession moved through the entire economy. All industry sectors were adversely affected by the decline in U.S. floor coverings sales. However, lower priced products, such as carpet and vinyl flooring, are outperforming overall industry trends as consumers shifted down market as unemployment rates rose. Consumers are also turning to home centers to purchase flooring in a search for the best product prices and the lowest installation costs. The above trends are causing industry profit margins to decline sharply. As a result, manufacturers are cutting capacity, employment levels, and capital expenditures to reduce costs. This has resulted in the consolidation of industry sales into the leading manufacturers and marketers.
FLOORING SECTOR TRENDS
Catalina Research uncovered these trends in our in-depth 291-page report on the U.S. floor coverings industry. U.S. shipments, exports, imports, and price trends are evaluated for carpet and area rugs, wood flooring, ceramic tile, vinyl sheet and floor tile, rubber sheet and floor tile, other resilient flooring, laminate flooring, and stone flooring.
PROFIT MARGINS AND THE COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT
In addition, Catalina Research investigated the cost structure and profit margins of U.S. floor coverings plants. Data trends are compiled for material, labor, and capital inputs. As part of this analysis, Catalina Research profiled 15 leading U.S. manufacturers, compiled company sales and profit margins, and calculated market share. Company profiles cover product lines, manufacturing and distribution, capital investments, acquisitions, and new products.
END-USE MARKET ANALYSIS
Our end-use market analysis segments residential, commercial and other nonresidential, and transportation equipment markets. Construction markets are further segmented into new and replacement purchases, and purchases by manufactured housing manufacturers. End-use market trends are correlated with U.S. housing demand, nonresidential construction, mortgage interest rates, and other economic indicators to uncover the factors affecting U.S. floor coverings demand, and provide insights into the direction of domestic demand in 2009 and beyond.
DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS AND DEMOGRAPHICS
Sales are analyzed for retail and wholesale distribution channels. Retail floor coverings sales are supplied for specialty floor coverings stores, home centers, hard surface flooring and other building material dealers, furniture stores, department stores and mass merchandisers, paint and wallpaper stores, and other retailers. The total number of retail outlets selling floor coverings and total floor coverings sales by region and state are provided as well. Based on this data, Catalina Research calculated per capita sales. The report also includes a regional and state analysis of floor coverings sales by retail outlet and flooring type, as well as sales to households, builders, businesses, and governments. In addition, Catalina provides sales estimates for the leading specialty floor coverings retailers and flooring distributors. A separate section investigates the demographics of household floor coverings purchases. Household spending trends are studied by family income, age of household head, persons per household, and region. Spending demographics are segmented for carpet, area rugs, and hard surface flooring. The number of residential replacement jobs are also included.
INSTALLATION CONTRACTOR MARKET
A separate section analyzes the installation market. Data trends are provided for the number and revenues of U.S. floor coverings installation contractors, revenues by type of job and building, material and labor costs, revenue per square foot of floor coverings installed, and regional and state data. Installation costs are evaluated to consider their impact on the different types of floor coverings sales.