When Mohawk Industries purchased Quick-Step’s parent company Unilin NA in 2005, the decision was made to continue bringing the Quick-Step brand to market through specialty retailers. In year eleven post acquisition, Quick-Step continues to experience success with its nationwide network of specialty retail partnerships.
“In today’s flooring landscape that includes home centers, warehouse clubs, lumber yards, shop-at-home and wholetailers, the specialty flooring retailer provides consumers with exceptional customer service benefits that other channels do not,” said Jon England, vice president of independent distribution for Mohawk Laminate and Hardwood, North America. “Quick-Step continues to highly value the unique effectiveness of our specialty retail partnerships.”
Strong Customer Service
“Specialty flooring retailers are uniquely equipped to excel at providing end consumers with personalized service before, during and after the sale,” said England. “By providing customer service in the areas of guidance through the selection process, extensive product knowledge, style and design assistance, and a large selection of products from which to choose, specialty retailers expertly ensure that the end-consumer takes home a product that accurately meets her needs. Many consumers highly value this type of customer service over price point when making purchases for their home.”
Guidance through Selection Process
“Industry research regarding the flooring shopping process has time and time again reported that one of the greatest frustrations the buying public has is ‘feeling overwhelmed’ by the prospect of selecting a floor,” said England. “When the purchasing process seems daunting, many consumers abandon their quest for a new floor, before they even begin. Because purchasing a new floor is not something done frequently by consumers, they will definitely gravitate to a retail experience that makes the process less intimidating and results in a feeling of confidence about their final purchase. The specialty flooring retailer is uniquely qualified to effectively walk the consumer through the selection process, making buying a new floor a hassle-free and enjoyable experience.”
Extensive Product Knowledge
“Personalized one-on-one customer service regarding in-depth product knowledge is another way in which specialty retailers generally out-service their competitors in other channels,” said England. “Again, many consumers value this type of guidance from an expert over price when purchasing a floor. This makes the specialty retail channel incredibly valuable to a brand like Quick-Step.”
Style & Design Assistance
“Specialty retailers generally offer a higher level of style, variety of design and more selection than other sales channels,” said England. “This is a perfect match with Quick-Step’s fashion based product line. By serving as the end-consumers’ style and design expert regarding flooring and overall home design trends, specialty retailers help ensure that each customer goes home with a floor that she will enjoy for years to come. This type of satisfied customer generates future sales through both repeat and referral business.”
Continued Success
"The successful collaboration between Quick-Step and our retail partners continues to provide end-consumers with superior products, consistent product availability and excellent customer service,” said England.
For more information, visit us.quick-step.com.
