April 5, 2006

Big Change

My last article in the Floor Covering News celebrates the 20^th Anniversary of one of the leading trade newspapers in the industry. Many of you know of the chance meeting between Al Wahnon and me in the halls of the Atlanta Merchandise Mart over twenty years ago that led to my arrangement with Floor Covering News.

Each year since that time my articles, which have appeared in every issue, have gained in popularity along with my public appearances as a professional speaker and industry educator. My books, CDs and DVDs are, by far, the most widely-read in the industry. In fact, most of the other industry educational programs are based in part on my materials. None of this could have happened if Al Wahnon hadn’t offered me the chance to become a columnist. I’ll never cease being grateful for that opportunity.

Long before the FCN came into existence, Floor Covering Weekly became the greatest and best-read newspaper in the industry under Al Wahnon’s guidance. The aura Al created around the “Weekly” turned out to be a “monster” because it lasted long after Al left and started publishing Floor Covering News. Advertisers remained loyal and it has remained a battle to pry them away, when today audited figures show the FCN circulation to be greater than the Weekly. Al is one of the first members of the Floor Covering Hall of Fame, indisputably the first person of floor covering journalism, an industry icon and a personal friend.

Twenty years is a long time, maybe too long to be entrenched in one place. For some time I have been contemplating branching out and extending my career. For one thing, I am almost too well known in this industry as are my fees. They are exactly what everyone expects to pay for my services even though they are worth far more in other industries. Not that I will ever abandon this industry. It has given me more than I could ever return to it, although I keep trying. My work doesn’t involve a career. In the industry I love, it’s a mission! The vast majority of us haven’t even scratched the surface of industry opportunities. I am also the world's worst marketing person. It is comical to listen to me trying to "sell" myself. In addition, my marketing materials are an embarrassment. To that end I've done something that I've counseled countless others to do over the years and that is to hire experts to do what you can't. The first step on the road to success is being able to recognize your weaknesses and take responsibility for them.

After forty-six years in this industry, it’s amazing what I don’t know. One of the facts that I’ve learned recently is that neither Floor Covering News nor Floor Covering Weekly has the largest circulation. I didn’t know this. National Floor Trends, a slick, professionally published monthly magazine has a circulation approximately 50% greater than the two newspapers.

National Floor Trends’ parent company publishes trade journals for scores of other industries as well. Another industry publishing icon you will all recognize is Howard Olansky, formerly publisher of Western Floors and Eastern Floors, predecessors to National Floor Trends now part of BNP Media.

I Am Now a Columnist for National Floor Trends

It’s a sad event for me that my 20^th Anniversary article in April will be the last article of mine that will appear in Floor Covering News, but the exciting news is my first column in NFT will appear in May. Because it will cover the benefits and pitfalls of joining retail merchandising groups, I wouldn’t want any of my readers to miss it. For your copy and a subscription to the most-read magazine in flooring, log on to www.ntlfloortrends.com or simply call or e-mail me and we will “comp” your subscription. I anticipate at least another 20-year run with National Floor Trends.

This is the first major move in expanding my career, but more than that, it will give me the opportunity to help my clients increase their exposure because I will be able to personally cover their meetings and events. National Floor Trends is in the planning stages of sponsoring meetings featuring my education programs. Overall it is a plus for everyone. My desire has always been to become more involved and NFT has afforded me that opportunity.

Times Have Changed

Over the last twenty years as a writer, educator and speaker, the industry has changed drastically. It isn’t just the carpet industry anymore. Other products have gained momentum. Products that were never or rarely handled in the industry are commonplace. Home interiors merchandise unrelated to flooring have earned a place in flooring showrooms. Consumers, unwilling to jump through hoops to purchase other products have expressed their preference to buy those products in full service floorcovering specialty stores.

Consumer attitudes, sophistication, buying preferences, assertiveness and especially, mobility have changed drastically. These changes have altered the retailing landscape, minimizing department store share and virtually destroying every last old-style retail floor covering chain which once dominated the industry. Believe it or not, these same factors could make smaller independent stores obsolete.

Manufacturers not only make flooring, but distribute and retail it adding a perplexing twist to the mix. As consolidation takes place among suppliers, retailers are actively seeking new sources of supply threatening to bring globalization ever closer to our industry.

Retailers face scores of challenges. The “Big Boxes” aren’t putting small retailers out of business. Small retailers are putting themselves out of business. Adding to the difficulties, employees aren’t anything like employees of twenty years ago. Management is being threatened with this and other overwhelming challenges. Sources of supply are no longer stable and the advertising, buying and merchandising landscape has changed forever.

Our once languid industry heretofore satisfied with incremental annual increases has finally awakened, luring new investors who recognize the opportunities in an under-performing industry making an under-valued consumer product. The amazing saga of the fiber companies who once dominated the industry becoming virtual non-entities (an event I predicted) and what this has meant to the marketing of floor covering. All these remarkable events have changed flooring forever. The writing is on the wall and those who don’t understand how to adapt to these significant events will suffer.

In the months to come, a series of articles focused on the new art of retail will appear in National Floor Trends under High Impact Retailing. The changes will be defined, methods of operations demonstrating how to take advantage of market conditions are going to be detailed as are strategies that will not just help flooring retailers survive, but prosper. The last twenty years have brought more changes for the retailer than the rest of floor covering history, yet most retailers have remained doing business as usual. It won’t last. It all starts with the article about buying groups in the May issue of National Floor Trends.