Scott Levy, president of Arley Wholesale, discusses changes in the ceramic sector, including advancements in digital printing technologies, the come-back of stone looks, and the explosion of wall tile. Also discussed is the impact of trade uncertainty with China and the widening gap between high-quality and low-quality tile.

Stuart Hirschhorn, research director, Catalina Research, talks about the current state of the economy, including the housing market and the manufacturing sector. Also discusses the Federal Reserve, investment, and the chances of recession in the U.S. and globally.

Don Roberts, president & CEO of Central Alabama Floor, talks about steps he has taken to increase the closing rates of salespeople, which he notes include learning more about the products carried in the store and the applications they are engineered for, which becomes especially important in this age of better-educated consumers. He discusses the product knowledge session he holds for his salespeople and the specifics he insists be covered, including how the product needs to be installed and its recommended applications as well as what products cannot do.

Chad Ogden, president & CEO QFloors, talks about the company’s 20th year in business as well as the events that normally surround a retailers decision to move to industry-specific software such as moving more into digital marketing or rethinking basic business practices. He discusses the changes required with a retail organization when the company decides to incorporate QFloors or other industry specific software into their company.

John Simonson, president of Webstream Dynamics and Five Star Store Reviews, talks about digital retailing, its growth and its expected growth in the future. Simonson talks about the long-term consequences for floor covering retailers who have opted to not become active in digital marketing and steps retailers can take to conduct digital marketing correctly rather than just conducting it erroneously.

Michael Zmijewski, president of Mr. David’s, on Mr. David’s Challenge an annual, community and fitness oriented event. This year, the Mr. David’s Challenge will be held on Saturday, August 24. This family-friendly event with a picnic atmosphere, with local entertainment held at the Mr. David's Headquarters in Itasca, Ill., features a 25k bike ride and 5k run/walk. Last Year the event had over 220 attendees and raised over $140k.

Scott Levy, president, Arley Wholesale after launching four regional expos this year talks about some of the ideas the company is contemplating for the future. Levy also talks about the Arley app that has been expanded and some of the new tools that have been added.

Doug Chadderdon, president and CEO, Great Floors, talks about some of the unusual features on the company’s website and the unique buildings the company has built for their 22 locations. He talks about the advantages of being a stocking retailer in markets, such as the homebuilder market, the company’s efforts in non-flooring products, and the need to change with changes in the marketplace.

Don Roberts, president & CEO Central Alabama Floor, talks about the importance of closing rates within a retail operation. Roberts discusses the difference between a closing rate and a conversion rate, what a good closing rate is, how technology on the sales floor can increase closing rates and the importance of consistency in measuring closing rates.

John Simonson, president of Webstream Dynamics and Five Star Store Reviews, talks about the retailing concept of "buy online and pick up in store" and its future in the floor covering arena. Simonson notes that it’s a perfect option for large multi-store flooring retailers that stock product. He notes that the big box players do it as do many of the large floor covering specialty retailers. He adds that most retailers have a product catalog on their website and they invite consumers to call for pricing, but few offer a "buy online, pickup in store" option. He notes that the concept is a point of differentiation for retailers. The option affords consumers a means to check stock and can prompt an in-store visit.