Mohawk emphasizes sustainability
[Nashville, Tenn.] Mohawk is doubling down on its sustainability efforts and here at its Edge Summit, it talked with retailers about how to sell sustainability.
Paul De Cock, president Mohawk N.A. told FCW during convention, “There is a renewed commitment to sustainable practices. Sustainability is no longer considered a bonus but as a must have — people, planet and performance.”
Indeed, the company created an education session specifically around sustainability where it shared the company’s efforts and also the statistics around different generations and where the topic fits into their buying decisions.
For Mohawk, explained Malisa Maynard, vice president, sustainability, “We look at innovation and how to make a product that lasts,” she said, pointing to products such as UltraWood in hard surface and SmartStrand in soft surface. “It’s really about giving the consumer choices. Sustainability is core to how we design our products.” Considerations, she added, include creating more efficiency and less waste.
Denise Silbert, vice president of marketing for residential soft surface, added, “There has been an environmental message for SmartStrand from the beginning.” The fiber is bio-based utilizing corn but recently, the company leaned into the clean story because of its relevance today. But, she said, sustainability “is a key part of the SmartStrand story again.”
While a lot of the sustainability conversations do center around products and processes such as Mohawk’s Continuum which recycles plastic bottles into carpet, the company’s sustainable focus reaches to health and wellness as well with products such as SmartCushion which supports research at Susan G. Komen.
And, with certifications and important standards such as the Declare labels on many of its products, the challenge remains in telling the story. To that end, Mohawk has found video and QR tags one way to achieve this. “We are finding ways to tell the story that are less technical,” Seth Arnold, vice president, marketing, hard surface at Mohawk, said.
Getting Personal
The consumer’s relationship with sustainability is indeed a personal one. “How does it connect to what’s important to them? What do they care about?” Maynard asked. “We want to have products and solutions that speak to all of our customers.”
Offered Arnold, “There is no lack of good being done in the world. People need to make sustainability their own — it needs to be genuine. Sustainability is an emotion.”
Indeed, shared Maynard, “It’s very personal. You want those things you love to endure.”
--Amy Rush-Imber
Sustainability Stats
According to ThinkLab’s A&D sales strategy consultant Jessica Jenkins, “Sustainability is a huge conversation.” And that, she said, will continue as shifts in home ownership take place to younger generations — some 43 percent of homebuyers are Millennials.
“Millennials tend to renovate more — 75 percent will renovate within the first 12 months of ownership,” reported Jenkins. “The concern for sustainability increases with Millennials and Gen Z. Climate change is the No. 2 concern.”
Jenkins shared additional sustainability stats, including:
--90 percent of Millennials and Gen Zers are making an effort to reduce their personal impact on the environment.
--66 percent of consumers say sustainability is an important criteria when purchasing.
--Gen Z is the first generation to make sustainable selections above other factors.
Why don’t we talk more about it during the selling process? Jenkins asked. “Lack of time and overwhelming amounts of information,” Jenkins answered. “Your customer needs an ‘easy button’.”
Source: ThinkLab research as presented at Mohawk’s Edge Summit