Private-label credit cards are viewed as far more than pieces of plastic at many independent retail outlets across the country. Rather, they are another opportunity for the kind of quality bonding with shoppers that can become a... more

S&G Carpet & More, one of the largest specialty flooring retailers in the U.S., about two years ago launched its retail strategic alliance program. The idea was to allow smaller retailers to capitalize on S&G’s 60-plus years of... more

One reason dealers balk at offering financing options is because they are selling in affluent areas and have the belief that these customers will not want financing. However, people who appear affluent may be up to their eyeballs in debt. Perhaps they realize the time value of money and want to... more

HICKSVILLE, N.Y— Effective June 1, the price of carpet chemicals are going up as three of the industry’s main suppliers each announced rate hikes... more

NORTH BILLERICA, MASS.—W.J. Grosvenor & Co. (WJG) announced it has reorganized its sales department into two divisions: Supplies and Floor Covering. The floor covering division will include Johnsonite, Tarkett, Earthwerks and Van Gelder. The supplies division will include... more

DALTON—A slobbery bloodhound on a new white carpet is frightening enough. But what if you surrounded him with 55 glasses of red wine? Or subjected your pristine new floor to an army of... more

Consumer financing programs allow dealers to sell more merchandise to more customers more often. With many Americans’ budgets already stretched thin, fewer consumers have the cash on hand to make larger purchases such as flooring. Many of them, however, are able to make... more

All successful retailers have identified their Unique Selling Proposition (USP), which is the aspect of their business that makes them different or better than their competitors. Once identified, the USP drives marketing, merchandising, even the... more

Tough times are here, and it will take some effort to face the economic downturn over the next several years. But there are some clear strategies that can help manufacturers, distributors and retailers maintain optimism and survive the... more

By Matthew Spieler

SHANGHAI—For more than a decade China has been the go-to place for sourcing products. And while the country remains the No. 1 market for U.S. companies to import from, the recession has forced businesses to... more