Avalon Celebrates 65 Years of Success

Avalon Flooring’s legacy of more than six decades lives strong

[Cherry Hill, N.J.] Culture, consistent branding and its unique ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) structure as an employee owned business has all played a part in Avalon Flooring’s successful 65 year legacy. But it’s the company’s people, according to president and CEO Maryanne Adams, that is the key to its growth.

“It’s our team — we have a great team of people here. It’s not just me. Everyone in the executive management team at the vice president level has been here 10 to 20 years. That team was exposed to John Millar (Avalon founder who passed away in 2008),” explained Adams. “And, we are an ESOP so it is all about the team.” Adams has been with Avalon 36 years, in her current role for 15 of them.

With 360 employees, all owners, Adams continued, “I’m asking you to do your job and do your job well, whatever your job is. If you are doing your job really well, we will all be heading in the right direction.”
The retailer continues to grow its footprint. Two new leases, one in Shrewsbury, N.J. and one in Manalapan, N.J., were signed right before the pandemic hit bringing the store count to 17.


Tile has always been a private label program for Avalon which brings in more than 500 containers of product a year.

Nurturing the Brand

When FCW last visited with Adams at the Cherry Hill location a few years ago, the stores were undergoing a rebrand and a new 100,000 square-foot warehouse was opened with space added for the corporate office, HR, purchasing, accounting and operations.

Originally Avalon Carpet Tile and Flooring, the retailer rebranded its name and look. “All the signing had been different,” said Adams. “We invested in making all the buildings look similar. We wanted the brand to be consistent and have the same look.” That is particularly important when some of the store’s customers have homes in Philadelphia and then buy a house in one of New Jersey’s shore towns where the retailer has locations.

As well, the hardwood category had moved to an all private label portfolio. Each step is measured and intentional. Tile, for instance, has always been private label, explained Adams. “We are bringing in over 500 containers a year. When you bring in tile from factories, you have to come up with merchandising. When we did wood, it was very successful. Now we are working on vinyl and laminate,” she offered.

Private label helps remove confusion. “When you have 17 stores with all these manufacturing displays, it becomes confusing. So, you take product, clean through it and streamline — good, better, best — and make sure you have the price points, color and style.”


Now that the exterior from store to store has consistent branding, the retailer is looking inward at merchandising.
 
Avalon is investing in its showrooms. “The exterior and signage was phase one and phase two is taking the time to look at the merchandising in the store — it doesn’t happen overnight,” Adams noted. “We will put it in the Cherry Hill store first and see if it is right. We try to make it easier for the customer to make a selection and on the backend, make it easier for the sales associate to understand and sell it.”

While Avalon continues to move to private label programs, Adams emphasized, “We are very big Mohawk customers and very big Shaw customers. Both are good and have their strengths.”

She also has her eye on the changing demographic. “It was (customers) in their late 50s but is starting to creep down a couple of years,” she offered, adding that the shift also needs to be addressed internally. “You have to bring these younger people into your marketing department. They understand this customer.”

While busy building the Avalon brand and staying true to the company’s heritage, Adams acknowledged there does exist market challenges. “We had a tough November, December, January. March 31st is our year end and we had a decent March. We are trying to tune in (to partners Mohawk and Shaw) to see what is going on,” she said.

In the face of changing market dynamics, Adams said, “You do have to be smarter and go to the different shows. We know manufacturers don’t take prices down so you have to study product mix and look at good, better and best. You’ve got to make sure you are priced right.”

Getting all 17 stores on track is indeed a main focus. “I put together a sales management team. You need to have a team of people driving that sales effort.”


President and CEO Maryanne Adams advised that when it comes to product assortment, you have to look at good, better and best and make sure you are priced right.

Growing the Culture