Stuart Hirschhorn, research director at Catalina Research, talks about the Catalina organization, the type of market research it conducts, and the reports it produces in the flooring, kitchen and bath, building materials, building services, and other areas. He also discusses the economy in the first half of 2017, the impact of Donald Trump’s first six months in office, the housing market, and the impact of millennials on the housing market.

Haynes Robinson, vice president of product development at Stark Carpet and Fabric, talks about the various historical styles of handmade rugs and the structure of the weaving, which forms the basis of the styles. Robinson also talks about the creative process of linking certain textures to specific types of looms to achieve a desired look. He discusses the antique rug segment and their sourcing, and the handmade rug styles he is currently working on to be launched in the near future.

Haynes Robinson, vice president of poroduct development at Stark Carpet and Fabric, talks about the company’s 17 locations and its custom Axminster, hand loomed, Wilton and broadloom and hand knotted rugs in both the residential and commercial sectors, with a recent focus on hospitality. Robinson also discusses growth in the rug sector, consumers changing rugs frequently, and the possibility of a resurgence in broadloom.

Haynes Robinson, vice president of product development at Stark Carpet and Fabric, talks about the Stark organization and its diversification into not only carpets and rugs but fabrics, wall coverings, furniture, and lighting. Robinson discusses his involvement with carpets and rugs, his focus on carpets and hand knotted rugs, and the need to not only stay up to date with fashions, but see two to three years in the future to stay abreast with a slow manufacturing cycle. Also discussed are the looks and styles produced in various regions around the world.

John Wu, president and CEO Novalis, discusses the Chinese market, repercussions of the Lumber Liquidators situation, the reactions of Chinese flooring manufacturers, as well as the company’s pioneering efforts in phthalate-free companies. He also talks about changes in the domestic Chinese floor covering market, changes he anticipates in the market going forward, as well as Novalis’ plans.

John Wu, president and CEO of Novalis, discusses NeoCon, the first time the company exhibited at the show and AVA commercial specified LVT, featuring two collections, one aimed at the multifamily and hospitality markets and the other at the hospitality market. Wu also talks about the versatility of LVT and its expansion in the hospitality and other markets, as well as the main street market and its opportunities. Wu also discusses is the recent naming of LSI as a Novalis distributor in Canada.

John Wu, president and CEO Novalis, discusses the company’s vision, its history producing luxury vinyl tile (LVT) or multilayer flooring, its partnerships, and its global aspects. Wu also talks about the growth in LVT, the evolution in the variety of products in the category, the effects of a large number of players in the category, and the expansion of various non-wood look products in the category.

John Simonson, president of Webstream Dynamics, talks about Five Star Store Reviews, a brand new service launched by Webstream Dynamics. The service is a platform that permits retailers to gather more reviews once an installation is completed. The services sends an email to the customer upon completion of the job, requesting feedback. The platform also includes links to the major review website such as Google, Facebook, Yelp, and others. If a customer writes a negative review, the retailer has the opportunity to communicate with the customer and remedy the problem, generating a second positive review.

John Simonson, president of Webstream Dynamics, discusses the announced closings of retail stores throughout the country as a result of Amazon on their online sales and its potential effect on floor covering retailers. He notes statistics from the recession revealing a decrease in the number of retail stores, but an increase in retail sales and discusses the factors that may have caused the increase. Noting the ease with which consumers can buy online, he talks about the factors retailers need to adopt to draw them into their brick-and-mortar stores.

John Simonson, president of Webstream Dynamics, discusses the announced closings of retail stores throughout the country as a result of Amazon on their online sales and its potential effect on floor covering retailers. He notes statistics from the recession revealing a decrease in the number of retail stores, but an increase in retail sales and discusses the factors that may have caused the increase. Noting the ease with which consumers can buy online, he talks about the factors retailers need to adopt to draw them into their brick-and-mortar stores.