Armstrong Flooring’s laminate retail display features large samples.
To showcase the newest laminate on the market, flooring manufacturers said they have updated their merchandising systems to ensure displays are eye-catching and user-friendly. The newest displays to hit retail feature larger samples, more forward-facing displays and new sizes and designs.
Shaw Floors recently introduced two new merchandising displays for laminate: a new flip card display designed to showcase top sellers in a small footprint, as well as a new display to showcase its new Luxurious Long Board Collection, which was designed to address the longer, wider hard surface trend that has taken the market by storm, said laminate category manager Jeff Francis.
“A special merchandising display was created to showcase [the Luxurious Long Board Collection] because the consumer could not fully appreciate the length of the product in the existing laminate display,” Francis said. “The planks are 6.5 feet tall and 8 inches wide and through the new display, consumers can fully visualize how the product will look in the home.”
While Mannington Mills’ displays aren’t new this year, the company is showcasing its new and popular products, such as the Restoration Collection, in larger sample sizes, accompanied by large room scene photos on the back of each sample, said Dan Natkin, senior director of residential products.
“This helps both the retail salesperson and the consumer visualize the product as it might look in their home,” Natkin said.
Quick-Step has also introduced larger samples through its Focus display, said Paij Thorn-Brooks, vice president of brand marketing for Mohawk laminate and hardwood, North America.
“The longer/wider size of Reclaimé, Elevae and Envique planks as well as the high levels of style, texture and realism are so outstanding that we felt we had to give our retailers a way to show expansive amounts of product in each sample and also effectively highlight each collection in a display vehicle that would allow the beauty of the product to stand out amidst a store full of flooring samples,” Thorn-Brooks said.
Armstrong Flooring has found that the number one way to sell laminate is to install it on the showroom floor, but the company also utilizes merchandisers featuring large samples, said Katie Raymond, senior channel marketing manager for Armstrong Flooring.
“The Armstrong Flooring Modular System is intended to work for all categories and with different messaging as well as potentially slightly different configurations — cabinet for storage, or no door with shelves for builder boards/portfolios and so forth,” Raymond said.
Phil Koufidakis, owner of Arizona-based Baker’s Bros, said, “The (Armstrong) displays are visually pleasing and the graphic tells enough of a story to grab some customer interest. In addition, since they are moving to all their displays having the same visual it adds continuity. Finally, it is easy to work with (browsing and pulling out the samples) for both the showroom staff as well as the consumer.”
WHAT MAKES A DISPLAY SYSTEM WORK?
Sean O’Rourke, vice president of hard surfaces for New Jersey-based Avalon Flooring, explained there are a few factors that draw customers to one display versus another.
“Differentiation is probably the number one factor, followed by sample size and ease of use,” O’Rourke said. “Larger displays also tend to gain more attention and a familiar name brand doesn’t hurt, particularly in light of the Lumber Liquidators laminate debacle.”
Phil Koufidakis at Baker’s Bros. said customers are often drawn to the first visuals they see, whether that’s a sample on a display wing or eye-catching display graphics.