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Understanding the future of the flooring industry: Insights from 200+ industry professionals

The flooring industry is evolving rapidly, with market trends, technological advancements, and shifting consumer needs driving change. To better understand these dynamics, Cyncly recently conducted an extensive survey with over 200 flooring industry professionals. This survey uncovered key insights into business priorities, technological gaps, staffing challenges, and strategies for growth—offering a roadmap for businesses aiming to adapt and thrive.

As we approach the new year, these insights offer an invaluable opportunity for flooring businesses to set clear goals and strategic priorities for 2025. With technological advancements, shifting market demands, and workforce planning at the forefront, the coming year promises opportunities for innovation, growth, and adaptability. Here's to a successful and prosperous 2025 for all in the flooring industry!

Key findings from the survey

Here are some critical takeaways from the insights provided by industry leaders:

1. Cost pressures & growth ambitions

   A primary concern for most industry professionals is navigating cost pressures while striving to grow annual revenue. Fortunately, solutions exist to tackle these challenges. By automating workflows and addressing inefficiencies, businesses can gain a competitive edge and enhance financial health.

2. Portfolio diversification beyond flooring

   Many flooring companies are expanding their service offerings, with 60% of respondents actively pursuing diversification opportunities. The top areas of expansion are:

   • Countertops (75%)
   • Cabinets (62%)

   Diversification presents an opportunity to capture new revenue streams while meeting evolving consumer demands.

3. Streamlining operations through simplified workflows

   Survey results indicated that manual tasks and inefficient workflows remain common pain points. A majority are actively seeking technological solutions to simplify workflows and automate repetitive processes. The goal? Reducing operational burdens to improve productivity and profitability.

   While most respondents utilize ERP systems, company websites, payroll, and credit card payment processors, there are notable gaps in certain critical areas:

   • Accounting (29%)
   • Project Management (12%)
   • Quoting (39%)
   • Inventory Control (47%)

   These gaps represent opportunities for flooring companies to invest in technology that integrates these functions seamlessly into their daily operations.

4. Business goals & priorities: Revenue reigns supreme

   When asked about their most critical business goals, 74% of respondents identified revenue growth as their number one priority. This demonstrates a clear focus on expanding profitability, maintaining competitiveness, and navigating market demands through strategic business planning.

5. Technology integration preferences

   Technology plays a vital role in addressing many of the operational challenges outlined above. According to survey responses:

   • 56% of participants emphasized that it was "very important" to have a fully-integrated technology suite.
   • Interestingly, integration with third-party tools did not generate strong responses. This suggests that flooring businesses may prefer a single end-to-end technology vendor rather than a patchwork of tools.

   Cost and ease of integration remain top priorities, with 74% citing cost as their most important consideration, followed by integrated features (56%) and support (46%).

6. Staffing challenges & the labor shortage

   The labor shortage continues to present a significant challenge in the flooring industry, with 60% of respondents identifying it as a top problem. Among these challenges:

   • Hiring and training new employees (45%)
   • Reducing labor costs (42%)

   Despite this, 60% of companies expect to increase staffing over the next five years, signaling a proactive approach to addressing workforce shortages.

7. Marketing challenges: Driving traffic & customer acquisition

   Attracting customers remains a top priority for the industry, with 40% citing driving website and business traffic as one of their top three challenges. Marketing strategies are vital, yet opportunities exist to strengthen outreach efforts. Currently, companies rely on the following key channels:

   • Social Media (86%)
   • Google My Business (69%)
   • Paid Search (51%)
   • SEO (50%)

   However, there is room for improvement in other areas, such as email marketing and text messaging campaigns, suggesting these could represent untapped opportunities for growth and engagement.

8. Strategic opportunities for the flooring industry

   These findings highlight clear opportunities for businesses to:

   1. Adopt integrated technology solutions to streamline workflows and address operational gaps.
   2. Diversify service portfolios by expanding into adjacent markets like countertops and cabinetry.
   3. Focus on innovative marketing strategies to improve customer acquisition and website traffic.
   4. Prioritize workforce planning by addressing hiring challenges and investing in employee training.
   5. Embrace simplified, automated solutions to reduce labor costs without sacrificing efficiency.

Conclusion: The path forward

The insights from Cyncly’s survey provide a valuable blueprint for flooring companies aiming to stay competitive in today’s complex market. The findings reinforce that technology, operational efficiencies, strategic diversification, and improved workflows are vital pillars for future success.

By addressing these priorities—leveraging insights to streamline processes, implement technological advancements, and focus on workforce planning—flooring companies can not only mitigate challenges but position themselves for sustained growth and profitability.