Topflor China Limited

Consumers today are looking for the perfect flooring solution that has the appearance of natural hardwood or stone, but is practical enough for today’s busy lifestyle. “Consumers want the look and feel of hardwood, without all the maintenance and costs associated with it,” said Randy Gillespie, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Expanko.

The variety of shapes and sizes available in LVT help designers and consumers translate their design visions with less maintenance. “Architects and designers are looking for a quality floor that performs over time, is durable enough to withstand the rigors of a heavy commercial environment, and allows plenty of design freedom,” Mellow said. “Advances in technology have allowed us to create designs that have less repeated planks or tiles for a natural look.”

While the LVT category is projected to grow because it’s an inexpensive flooring material, growth will be realized in square feet at a greater rate than in dollars due to commoditization of the category. “It’s two-fold: On one side, we now see an overcapacity of LVT in the USA and abroad, which will drive the category prices down risking commoditization of the category, which is what happened with the laminate industry,” said Catherine Del Vecchio, director of marketing, Gerflor USA. “That being said, not all LVT is made equal. At the other end of the spectrum, we also expect to see improvement in technical features of high-traffic commercial LVT, including new designs to keep the interest of consumers and designers and new installation methods in DYI.”