One of the things I missed the most during the pandemic was visiting with retailers across the country. Whether it was driving a pickup throughout Florida, braving the snow and a wandering moose in Montana or hitting urban areas such as Chicago and New York, these trips have been meaningful touchpoints with our retail readers.
The franchise has been successful on many levels — understanding how different organizations operate, what they lean on their vendor partners for and how they make their mark in their region. It was with great excitement that Mallory Cruise-McGrath and I crossed the country to take a look at Southern California.
Mallory first visited with Ian Newton at Flooring 101 when she was covering the Calibu Vineyard ribbon cutting. Then we flew to San Diego where we began a four store visit — Coles Fine Flooring, Carpeteria Carpet One, Sterling Carpet & Flooring and Linoleum City — along with partner meetings.
These trips are at the top of things I love about my job. This trip to California was special for a number of reasons. It was the official reboot of this valuable series — what a great way to bring 2022 to a close.
We first walked the Coles Fine Flooring store in San Diego with third generation Lauren Coles. One of three stores, it takes a unique approach to many aspects of serving its customers. Coles and its relationship with the NFA is evident throughout the store and is even part of its branding. A solid in-stock position is another way the retailer wins in its marketplace.
Carpeteria Carpet One in San Diego recently completed its hard surface transformation to CCA Global’s Retail 2.0. Here, Alex Markarian shared with us the impact it is already having on his sales floor. The concept of paring down product and merchandising by color was something he attempted before. But with the help of CCA, the department was recreated in just a day.
On to Anaheim we went to visit with Dan and Rich Mandel at Sterling, another retailer reaping the benefits of being an NFA member. Their solid business strategy was impressive but it was the genuine love and respect between father and son that stayed with us after the visit the most.
Right outside L.A. we visited with American Home Surfaces Group (AHSG) member Linoleum City’s Patricia Walters. True to its name, the store carries an enormous assortment of linoleum to serve a client base that ranges from the entertainment industry to nearby residents in mid-century bungalows looking to maintain that traditional look and feel.
Each of these retailers offered a unique perspective serving a niche in the market. And each represent the next generation of leadership in their family-owned and operated businesses. Look for all of their stories in the New Year.
Charlton Calhoun, FCW’s sales manager, joined us on day two to meet with some of the industry’s West Coast suppliers. While flooring sales are normalizing, each of them are vigorously preparing for the future whether investing in building their brand, manufacturing or strengthening their infrastructure.
Republic, for example, just leased the old Armstrong warehouse giving it 130,000 square feet of inventory and office space. At Emser, we talked about the introductions headed to the winter markets that will be more fashion-forward than the company has historically been known for. Lions is building its team, recently adding Randy McKellar and industry veteran John Madden. And see some of our visit with CALI and Concord in this issue. There is for sure a lot to look forward to in the New Year.
We saw retailers and suppliers alike making thoughtful investments in the future. Another benefit of this trip? Traveling to different time zones and living out of a suitcase is made better by the company of a smart and committed team.