Qualitative research that informs

By Jonathan Trivers

Qualitative market research can guide your business decisions; also it can frustrate your ability to figure out what your customers want; and if it doesn’t match what you really know to be true, the research goes on your bookshelf never to be viewed again.

Both Invista and GE Capital invest in market research. And there are some gems in their most recent research projects.

Invista found that one of the barriers to purchase flooring (this research was done just for carpet, but we feel it is important for all product categories) is the inability for most to visualize what the carpet will look like in the specific room of their house. She looks at a 3” X 5” carpet swatch glued to a cardboard wing card and tries to figure out what it will look like in their master bedroom. And the more expensive the product, the more she worries about the total look.

Clearly bringing out a larger sample to the customers home would help. But that isn’t enough for her. Flooring is the single largest home expenditure she will have after the purchase of the home itself. And we are asking her to visualize what the new carpet will look like from a teeny weenie sample. And if she is adventuresome and wants a wood floor or LVT or ceramic tile her ability to visualize that new look is even more diminished.

We have written about this before but it appears this consumer need is really, really important. Floorfacts.com lists 17 company virtual room setting devices to better see what the floor will look like. Most don’t allow for the customer to see the product on their floor but it is our understanding that technology is available. (No we don’t know who had this for flooring.)

If you are a retailer and plan to join a group, (retail, manufacturer or distributor group) ask them about their virtual room setting technology. If they don’t have it or don’t know of it, pass them by. If you are a retailer and member of a group, badger management to get this done.

Really? Yes. Can you imagine if your sales staff could go into the customer’s home and have her see your products in her home? Fully installed? You would close every sale and she would tell all her friends about how you helped her with that decision.

Talk is easy. Smoozing if fun. But this technology is the key to continued retail success. It is that important.

Consider the following. Invista believes the customer takes, on average, six to 18 months to go through the purchase process. GE Capital says it is around five months. Both agree that one of the issues is her confusion (she doesn’t buy the product often, can’t visualize what new products will look like and warranties confuse rather than give comfort to buying process.) Of all products for the home, GE capital found that the customer took the longest time to decide on flooring. I wonder why?

Lastly, the length of the flooring purchase cycle and price were “highly correlated.” In other words, the really cool new flooring options which are more expensive are not readily sold with a crummy little swatch. I wonder why? Let the customer drive the new car; let her see what she gets. Yep, let the customer drive the porcelain tile. Let the customer really see what she is getting (a beautiful new room with stunning new colors) and she will buy.


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