Orlando, Fla.—Last year, Carpet One members were presented with a new way of selling carpet through the co-op’s Selecta-floor selling system. At the buying group’s summer convention last month, the system was expanded into hardwood flooring. “Up to now, our focus has been on soft surface” said Sandy Mishkin, president of CCA Global Partners, Carpet One’s parent company. “Now we take take the first step to simplifying hard surface selling.” He explained wood was chosen as the first hard surface segment for two main reasons: First, “it is the industry’s fastest growing category” ( FCNews, Aug. 5/12). Second, “it is the most difficult of floor coverings to sell. Every mill is selling the same thing so there is a tremendous amount of over duplication in a majority of styles. “Add to that,” Mishkin continued, “there is a lack of training at the sales level and the consumer is confused with regard to the type of product she should be purchasing.”

As he noted, from the different constructions (solid or engineered, not to mention three-ply, five-ply, etc.), species, graining and character, finishes, and installation methods, it is no wonder consumers and salespeople are confused. Selectafloor for wood was specifically developed to end the clutter. “We approached the development of this system the same way we did when creating the the carpet display,” Mishkin said. “That is, one style at a time, not an entire line by a manufacturer. This is the best-of-the-best presented in a single, focused selection.”

Overall, the Selectafloor display carries 168 SKUs from a variety of wood manufacturers. Products are broken into three lifestyle preferences—classic, vintage and international. More importantly, they are displayed by color (light, medium and dark), not price, and organized by the lifestyle, installation options and warranty. Dean Marcarelli, Carpet One’s co-COO, said, “Selectafloor provides customers with a straightforward shopping experience, while, at the same time, arming retailers with a solid selling tool.” Mishkin added, the system allows members “to take responsibility for their own selling floors by having a single footprint to take the place of three or four supplier displays.”

Beyond the way products are displayed, what makes the Select-afloor wood system unique is, there are no mill names on the samples, which also happen to be full sized, 12X15-in. boards. “It’s totally private labeled, so the products can’t be shopped around,” he said. Les Bridwell, Carpet One’s director of hard surfaces, said the goal of this unit is “to invite customers into the wood program. Visually, this is how she shops—by color. This is a complete package that works in all markets across the country. Every collection contains every flooring type and color type. “And,” he continued, “the display was also designed to take a minimum amount of floor space,” noting the modular unit stands at 17-feet long, seven-feet high and 16-in. deep.

For those dealers interested in expanding their hardwood offerings to custom-type jobs as well as Main Street, Carpet One developed an optional Pro Dealer wood display complete with borders, insets and medallions. One of the mills heavily involved in the Selectafloor wood system is Columbia Wood Flooring, even though it was marking its second Carpet One convention. “We feel like we moved from the back to the forefront.” said Steve Bunch, director of business development. “We have spent a great deal of time developing strong relationships with the membership and manage ment team and it has paid off be cause we are the third largest supplier to Selectafloor.”

As for the system itself, Bunch called it a “great selling tool. It displays the products in a very easy-to-understand format for both the salesperson and consumer. That alone will help sell more floors.” Another supplier to the buying group is Mannington Mills, where Jay Kopelson said the reception “has been wonderful. Our relationship with Carpet One and its members is as strong as ever.” Members confirmed these sentiments, noting how the suppliers got behind the concept and how Carpet One’s management team not only pulled it together but created a system that perfectly complements the one done for carpet.

They should know as approximately 1,000 dealers have converted to the Selectafloor carpet selling system since it was introduced. “This is a perfect blend from carpet to wood—it helps create a total system,” said Kristy Ridilla of Cliff’s Carpet One in Latrobe, Pa. “It will also really help the salespeople who do not feel comfortable selling wood.” Charlie Vogel of Arcade Carpet One in Maryland was “drooling over it. They did a magnificent job. But, the real secret is the work done on the back of the samples; it’s laid out very well.” While he admired the Select-afloor wood display, what intrigued Vogel the most was the Pro Dealer display. “I really like that one.” Tom Jennings of Bud Jennings Carpet One in Lawrence, Kan., likes the all private label aspect of the system, not to mention how it simplifies the buying process. “This is really an extension of what we’ve been doing,” he explained. “There is so much overlap from one company to the next that it becomes overwhelming. The way this is presented makes sense to the customer and that’s important.”

As for private labels, Jennings said consumers “are more and more loyal to the store—the source—not the mill.” He pointed to the successes of stores such as Target, Kohl’s and Wal-Mart which carry the same items as many other stores do, yet have been able to gather a loyal following based on how they merchandise and sell these goods. “The whole concept just makes a lot of sense.” Howard Brodsky, co-chairman and co-CEO of CCA, corroborated that reaction to the new selling system was very favorable, noting at the convention alone, more than 500 companies purchased Selecta-floor. “So, we’ll have up to 700 displays placed right away.”

He credits the work done by Carpet One’s management team as well as the group’s suppliers for the success. “When you put a program together that meets the needs of both the consumer and dealer it becomes very easy for everyone to see the advantages and this certainly accomplished that goal.” Marcarelli added, this is just the start for Carpet One as the co-op will be rolling out Selecta- floor as a whole store concept. “It will be a system that will enable members with stores of all sizes to maximize their showroom space to meet the needs of customers today and tomorrow.” “By simplifying the selling process,” Brodsky concluded, “we can achieve higher close rates, increased average sales and better gross margins. The bottom line is greater profitability for members.”