CARPETS, RUGS & ACCESSORIES etail Cheer


et/flooring sector, what it meant for retailers and how, in many cases, cant increase in business - and why.


Shift in Consumer Attitudes


‘Buy British’ has a bit of a retro ring to it, yet the extraordinary times we find ourselves in has led to a genuine resurgence in demand and enthusiasm for home-grown and made goods. As well as making a contribution to the economy, consumers now want to buy from firms that have a local history and story. What better time to rediscover all the brilliant companies who can furnish our interiors – and that, of course, includes carpet! There are outstanding British manufacturers of all- things interiors, and, as we know in the industry, when the best carpet is required, it is invariably British made.


Supply and Demand


Full credit must be given to manufacturers and suppliers who have adopted new working practices seamlessly and effectively. Demand is exceeding supply and manufacturers, through no fault of their own, are struggling to satisfy some orders. Stock levels are not yet at pre-COVID heights and lead times for raw materials are long. It will take time to get back to ‘normal’ and requires patience and understanding on both sides. This is not unique to the carpet industry – it is widespread. foam issues.


In the furniture industry, for example, there are


that their local retailers were the places for human contact and personal service when they needed it most.


Perhaps, though, the biggest influence on the sales upturn was the change in business practices by retailers and the enforced move to ‘by appointment only’.


Before the pandemic, consumers might go to two shops in a town but, in lockdown, with the appointment-only model, consumers were reluctant to spend several hours on the phone going over the same ground. This meant that, providing retailers did nothing wrong and established chemistry with consumers, the order conversion rate improved dramatically. Furthermore, when visiting properties, they could do so not only armed with a tape measure but also with carpet samples.


As Taro Strowgger, Owner of Floor Coverings in the Cambridgeshire village of Dry Drayton, said: “October was our best month ever in 24 years of trading - 20% higher than most months before the pandemic.


“Before the pandemic, we were guilty on some Saturdays of not spending as much time as we should have discussing client needs. This all changed when appointments had to be made. So much so that I plan to continue appointment only for the foreseeable future.”


twitter.com/TRetailFloors


Looking Ahead Call me an optimist but I do believe there are reasons to be optimistic – certainly in the first half of the year. Remember that, after the first lockdown, home accessories and furniture were big winners as people invested in home comforts having spent so much time at home. Also, it is all too easy to forget that flooring got off to a good start in 2020, with in-store home sales up 9% in January according to BDO retail research. The much-vaunted ‘pent-up’ demand is still there. As one retailer said: “It is like having 20 Christmases at once now.”


On the downside, unemployment is predicted to peak around the middle of this year and the UK economy is not expected to fully recover the ground lost over 2020 for a number of years. A slowdown in the housing market is likely too, while the possible easing of travel restrictions in the latter part of the year could see people flock to holidays and overseas travel at the expense of anything else.


This is a once-in-a-lifetime crisis but what is clear is that interest in our homes has never been greater and the industry is responding really well to the new working practices and the upturn in demand.


It’s not the start to 2021 we wanted, but we’ll get through it. Stay safe and stay positive.


www.carpetfoundation.com Tomorrow’s Retail Floors | 11


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