Demonstrating digital initiative
Dennis Flower • March 20, 2020
There are ever-increasing numbers of examples of improved engagement throughout the flooring sector using all aspects of digital technology.
F-Talk from F Ball
Floorstyle by Karndean Designflooring
Hugh Mackay's Vizualise
Alternative's Show Me My Room
Karndean Designflooring
reports it is the first to release a revolutionary new ‘view in room’ digital tool with the exclusive functionality to view alternative laying patterns and introduce added design features when selecting a floor.
“Floorstyle is accessible to all and makes swapping out different designs and laying patterns simple and a vital part of the decision process. We know home decorators and renovators want to see how different designs will look in their home at a convenient time to suit their needs.
“Being the first to introduce this level of digital tool allows us to make the selection process much more sophisticated when at home,”
Solent Wholesale Carpets
says it now sends all newsletters and clearance flyers via email, as opposed to posting them, and it also engages with its customers over social media, mainly through Twitter.
“We have definitely had a positive reaction
With options to search across different product categories, including carpets, clothing, beds and bedding, consumers can find their five
nearest stores by current location, postcode or town. Once they have located their preferred store, they can view further information and request directions.
Recent email activity includes a headphone promotion to celebrate the launch of Moduleo’s latest collection, LayRed, an engineered vinyl floorcovering. The initiative celebrated the product’s unique red-coloured underside and sound-absorption qualities.
“F-Talk, the e-newsletter for Loyalty Card holders, which wholesalers and manufacturers can also subscribe to, is invaluable for sharing company news, including product launches, as well as rewarding customer loyalty by communicating promotions, including regular cashback on purchases.
Hugh Mackay Carpets
says Visualise offers a new way to choose carpet. The online room visualiser can be used from the comfort of retailers’ premises or consumers’ own home. It is completely free of charge and accessible via the company’s website using a laptop, tablet or phone.
Simply select the photo, select the carpet and Visualise does the rest. You can see our ranges inserted into one of the six sample rooms in real time too. Users can also change the wall colour in these images to suit their room,” the company states. See page 18 for more details.
Available to use on mobile, tablet or desktop, Floorstyle enables home designers to try out a range of vinyl flooring designs in typical room settings and users can even upload their own photo and visualise what a new floor might look like in their home.
“We’re always looking at ways in which we can make selecting a floor to match individual styles and décor schemes even easier,” explains Karndean Designflooring national retail sales manager Stella Coyle.
“Being the first to introduce this level of digital tool allows us to make the selection process much more sophisticated when at home,”
says Ms Coyle.
“We have definitely had a positive reaction
to giving customers more information/resources available to them via their computers and mobile phones.”
“We have also found over the past 12 months a larger percentage of our customers ordering via our website, as opposed to phoning up or emailing orders,” says the company’s Luke Crooks. “We have definitely had a positive reaction to giving customers more information/resources available to them via their computers and mobile phones.”
British Wool
refers to recent studies showing that 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information, with online sales numbers continuing to grow, and says that finding new ways to support local retail footfall are increasingly important.
Its website www.britishwool.org.uk provides information for several stakeholder groups, including specific resources for its manufacturing and retailing partners such as training materials and guides.
A new stockist locator function has recently been added, allowing consumers to quickly and easily locate their nearest retailer of British Wool products. The new functionality is designed to complement the British Wool licensee scheme, which promotes products with verified levels of British wool fibre content.
nearest stores by current location, postcode or town. Once they have located their preferred store, they can view further information and request directions.
IVC Group
UK and Eire national sales manager Matthew Brook explains how vinyl flooring specialist Moduleo engages with its members and retailers on a regular basis via a series of strategic communications.“Retailers are kept up-to-date with new product launches and latest business news via a series of quarterly emails, e-brochures and promotions. News e-shots featuring seasonal trend updates and recent press activity are issued to stockists to enable them to showcase brand activity in their own way in store.”
“By engaging with our ‘sales chain’, we aim to garner brand engagement and loyalty, which in turn will support our partners within their businesses,” Mr Brook concludes.
F Ball
and Co sales director Darren Kenyon says: “As you would expect, F Ball’s website is the first touchpoint for most people requiring information about our products and how to use them. It features product data sheets, videos demonstrating their application, guides to subfloor preparation and floorcovering installation and details of how to contact the F Ball technical team or regional technical representatives for project-specific advice.
“Nowadays, we are increasingly using other digital channels, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, to communicate with flooring retailers and contractors.
Not only do these allow F Ball to provide information, they facilitate two-way conversations, which is great for engaging with the people who use our products,” Mr Kenyon concludes.
It allows a photo of the setting to be uploaded and insertion of the company’s flooring into the room in real time.
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BUSINESS NEWS
Imports of soft flooring including wall-to-wall carpet and rugs were up 8.8% to £74.75m in March, according to HMRC data compiled by The Furnishing Report. With this increase, imports of carpet grew faster during the period than alternatives like vinyl.
GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index decreased by four points to -23 in April. All measures were down in comparison to last month’s announcement. These are the current findings of the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB) powered by NIM. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.
Likewise Group, the UK flooring distributor, has announced its audited final results for the year ended 31 December 2024.
GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index increased by one point to -19 in March. Two measures were up, two were down and one was unchanged in comparison to last month’s announcement.
The prices of carpets and other floorcoverings fell 1.8% in March 2025, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics. This is the second consecutive month of falling prices, with carpets seeing a drop of 1.7% in February, down from 2.5% growth in the same period last year.
As of 1 April, Herman and Age Mulder will take over the management of Rinos as Managing Directors. They represent the fifth generation to join as shareholders of the family business, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Milco Visscher will start as commercial director on 1 May. The current managing director, Peter Kuipers, will oversee the transition and step down on 31 July.
Imports of flooring to the UK this February were up 7% when compared to the same period last year, reaching a total value of £127.9m, according to figures compiled by The Furnishing Report.
Likewise Group, one of the UK’s largest flooring distributors, has announced a “particularly positive” start to the year with gross sales revenue in Q1 2025 increasing by 10.7% against the corresponding period last year. Sales in the Likewise Branded businesses have increased by 14.6%.
The British Furniture Confederation (BFC), the public affairs umbrella body of furniture and beds, furnishings and flooring sector trade associations, has unveiled its new Plan for Growth. The document is said to support BFC’s advocacy across four key pillars: skills and education; trade and exports; standards and regulations; and the environment and circular economy. It has been developed over the past few months, the organisation says, evolving from a combination of position papers written by the associations’ executives and a comprehensive survey of their collective members.
Consumer card spending grew 1.0% year-on-year in February – lower than January’s 1.9% increase and less than the latest CPIH inflation rate of 3.9%, according to recent figures reported by Barclays. In anticipation of higher bills, consumers are said to be cutting back on essential outgoings, but still prioritising discretionary purchases, contributing to an uptick in optimism in the health of personal and household finances.
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