New Products 2024: Despite flagging demand, this year promises to be an exciting one for product introductions – Jan 2024

By Jennifer Bardoner

With retailers anxious to reset their showrooms following the pandemic-induced yo-yo in demand, there is a plethora of new introductions slated for this year’s winter shows. Sustainability and the simplification of features and benefits are consistent themes as manufacturers cater to the next generation of buyers. Eco-friendly resilient offerings are gaining momentum, as is a new strategic focus on styling and features that are tailored toward Millennials. Across the board, manufacturers are implementing new technologies to provide enhanced realism and differentiated looks.

MARKET LEADERS
SHAW
After shuttering its West Coast carpet operations last fall, Shaw is investing additional energy into its soft surface launches-with an increased focus on related Anderson Tuftex introductions-to show customers it is still committed to both the category and the brand. The new rollouts also tie into the company’s efforts to clearly delineate its brands based on defined consumer types.

“Shaw recognized that Anderson Tuftex (A/T) has plenty of potential to drive high margins to service this segment that our other brands are not necessarily serving,” says brand leader Bailey Walton, explaining that while Shaw Floors serves the practical consumer, A/T’s customer is an eco-conscious and/or luxury shopper. “We’ve invested more energy and resources behind the Anderson Tuftex brand strategy than it’s seen in the last couple of years.”

Across the board, this year’s new releases are tailored with a specific type of consumer in mind. In A/T, that means more design-driven options, since those consumers are the ones most likely to work with a professional designer.

“We factored in the design professionals’ needs in our design process,” Walton notes, describing the resultant soft surface styles as having bolder patterning, some with texture, and more expansive color palettes. “We’ve integrated a wide range of options to enable the designer to satisfy her client. There are more subtle steps between colors, more rich, subtle neutrals, and some more exciting colors, as well.”

Several of the styles are part of Shaw’s new No Pattern Match platform, which also crosses over to Shaw Floors.

“We want to elevate and refine the experience of carpet in general,” says Dakota Aft, soft surface category director for Shaw Floors. “That’s something we’re really committed to at every level.”

The platform makes it easier for dealers to not only install but sell patterned carpet, which carries a higher installation cost due to the difficulty of pattern matching, at a time when tenured installers are aging out of the industry and waste costs can have a more meaningful impact on profits. Aft notes that patterned options are becoming the preferred upgrade, as opposed to higher ounce weights.

“There’s been a trend to, on average, purchase more expensive carpet because it’s going in smaller areas of the home that also have less foot traffic: bedrooms, dens, those of types of rooms,” he says, adding that the No Pattern Match products also make for attractive runners and area rugs.

Designed to be versatile in their application, in addition to easy to install, the patterns range from small-scale designs to more dramatic ones that are 12' wide with repeats that are, in some cases, only every 100 feet. The larger scale of those statement pieces also provides the opportunity for easily differentiated and personalized runners and rugs, depending on how they are cut from the broadloom.

Shaw Floors is segmenting its soft surface offerings based on broader consumer types: builders and first-time homebuyers versus those with active households and/or forever homes.

Features are also being used as steps between the various categories and brands, with A/T encompassing “all the bells and whistles” as a standard, says Walton. Overarchingly, Shaw is working to distill various products’ benefits and characteristics into straightforward and meaningful points for consumers through updated marketing and retailer support. Aligned with this effort are four new A/T styles made from 100% post-consumer recycled material, a first on the residential side, she notes.

On the hard surface side, A/T has a new European ash hardwood in plank and herringbone, among other introductions, and Shaw Floors’ Floorte Classics will gain the option of Pet Perfect Mineral Core. Meanwhile, Coretec is expanding its lineup of Original (WPC) and Tile (ceramic looks) LVT, as well as its selection of styles featuring SoftStep. Products with the attached SoftStep underlayment, which is made from recycled materials, were the brand’s most popular introductions of 2023.

“We’ve diversified operations to expand inventory levels on our most popular offerings,” says Coretec vice president Nicki Rayburn.

MOHAWK
Mohawk is starting off the year with innovation that spans multiple categories, including brand-new platforms in both hard and soft surface geared especially for Millennials, who are becoming the largest customer group and will lead the market for years to come. PureTech provides an eco-friendly alternative to traditional LVT, while PetPremier offers the growing number of households with pets a targeted sustainable carpet solution. Additionally, Mohawk is extending its Signature embossing technology to LVT as part of what it has dubbed “The Resilient Revolution.”

“We’re aiming to completely revolutionize the entire category-more value, more technology, more beauty, more sustainability-but we have to do that in the classic Mohawk way that’s aimed at price points that are driving volume in the market,” says Seth Arnold, vice president of residential marketing.

Signature technology already provides some of the most realistic wood visuals in laminate, and it stands to be a breakthrough for resilient, which has generally struggled to achieve a truly authentic look. It will be added to SolidTech Premier introductions this year but will expand across Mohawk’s resilient portfolio in years to come as the Signature HDX technology is refined.

“The goal this year is to expand SolidTech into a more premium position while offering the value SolidTech is known for,” Arnold says, noting that, at $4.99 to $5.99 per square foot at retail, it will be priced 30% to 40% lower than the competing high-end LVT offerings in the market.

PureTech is Mohawk’s answer to the growing demand for PVC-free products. It is part of a new subcategory of resilient that is emerging in the market called renewable polymer core, or RPC.

“We’re going in big to own that space at retail and give our retailers that opportunity, as well,” says Arnold. “Often, consumers associate sustainable products with innovation, so they immediately think, ‘This retailer is up-to-date, innovative, high performing.’ So, retailers have to have a clearly identifiable sustainable-alternative flooring section. It is just a fact going into the future.”

PureTech includes 70% recycled content, and sales will help support the reclamation of ocean-bound plastic through a partnership with nonprofit Plastic Bank. The product’s core-made from 80% renewable, plant-based material combined with a polymer comprising a naturally occurring mineral-results in a stronger locking system than comparably priced SPC, while also being lighter, Arnold notes. Retailing for $2.99 to $3.99 per square foot, PureTech also offers enhanced scratch resistance thanks to its 22 mil-equivalent wearlayer backed by Mohawk’s All Pet warranty, which promises to replace pet-damaged floors, no questions asked.

Denise Silbert, vice president of marketing for soft surface, notes that 63% of Millennial homeowners have a dog. While Mohawk has pet-friendly soft surface offerings, it lacked a targeted brand. PetPremier’s new fiber system is an evolution of EverStrand, which is made from recycled plastic bottles.

“We went all the way back to extrusion, the color we add to it, how we finish it through tufting and heat set, and how we turn it into carpet,” says senior soft surface product director Thomas Kilgore, adding that PetPremier incorporates enhanced technology that allows Mohawk to control when and how much filament derived from green bottles to use, expanding opportunities for lighter colors, which will carry over to EverStrand as well.

Priced at $2.99 to $4.99 at retail, PetPremier is aimed at “the meat of the market,” which generally ranges from $2.99 to $3.99 per square foot, Kilgore says. He expects the platform to grow rapidly, backed by differentiated ads and plain-language displays-part of Mohawk’s comprehensive new marketing campaigns-and says new styles are already planned.

“This year’s launch was about getting tools into our business to modernize our portfolio for a new generation of buyers,” he says. “A lot of the things we have done, be it the yarns for PetPremier or the work to modernize the visuals on the SmartStrand Color Wall, all that led to building blocks that are really going to set us up for relevant developments over the next two to three years.”

MANNINGTON
While Mannington is investing broadly across its portfolio with its upcoming launches, carpet and LVT are two big focuses. And with its 2023 LVT introductions heavily impacted by the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and resultant customs requirements, there will be a lot of energy around its 2024 category rollouts, which include a new edge treatment.

“We try to focus and align our innovations with things that matter to the consumer, and we know that realism means something to her,” says David Sheehan, senior vice president of residential marketing, noting the new Tumbled Edge bevel for LVT with porcelain tile visuals. Tumbled Edge provides a level of realism comparable to Mannington’s popular Crafted Edge bevel for LVT with wood visuals, he explains.

Tile-look LVT represents 25% to 30% of Mannington’s category sales, which Sheehan estimates is at least 15% higher than its competitors’ concentration. He attributes this to senior vice president of residential styling Terry Marchetta’s background in the inspirational medium and her ability to authentically mimic the visuals.

Tumbled Edge will be included across Mannington’s 2024 tile-look LVT introductions. The company’s resilient offerings will also get an infusion from a host of new products originally slated for 2023, which Mannington has taken great care to recreate-alongside the rest of its portfolio-with the help of new suppliers.

“We’re restoring that complete offering, which is an enormous undertaking,” Sheehan says. “There’s a tremendous amount of detail that goes into, SKU by SKU, making sure the color, texture and everything that you see in our display currently is going to match the new product that’s coming in to replace the old.”

This will be a foundational year in carpet, as well. Mannington purchased Phenix four years ago but, like many in the industry, was left reeling by the exit of Invista, which forced the brand to reset its nylon program. With the required fiber conversion complete, this will be the second year of an aggressive ramp-up of on-trend introductions from the brand.

“Phenix wasn’t necessarily known for coming up with the best colors that were on trend and on target,” says Sheehan. “Mannington is regarded as one of the style leaders in the industry, and we’re going to begin to really leverage Terry’s expertise with pattern, color and on-trend design.”

The debuts include both nylon and polyester products. Noting Cabana, a unique pinstripe design made from polyester, Sheehan says Marchetta is leaning into her background with textiles and “continues to test the limits.”

AHF PRODUCTS
In some ways, this will be a foundational year for AHF Products, which has spent the past year integrating the Armstrong brand into its operations and filling gaps in its resilient portfolio, and now faces the same task following its acquisition of Crossville. The Tennessee tile manufacturer will share a booth with AHF at Surfaces, but the two are not coordinating on any product launches. For the time being, any synergies will be focused on expanding AHF’s reach.

Generally speaking, “this year is more about reaching more customers than we reach today and expanding our lineup, where appropriate, across our brands,” says Yon Hinkle, vice president of product management for resilient.

But there are still many noteworthy things in store on the product side. In resilient, AHF will launch a market-priced PVC-free offering. Hinkle notes that cost has traditionally been significantly higher for such products, which has held the market at bay.

“We’re going to have a great value proposition so that the customer doesn’t have to choose with their pocketbook,” he says. “The goal here is to have something that actually ends up on a floor in somebody’s home and does that on a regular basis-having it and it just sitting in a warehouse doesn’t affect change. I think the meeting of performance, the attribute of being non-PVC and the value story are coming together at the right time.”

Sitting “right in the sweet spot compared to traditional SPCs and WPCs” pricewise, says Hinkle, the offering will feature on-trend low gloss levels and realistic embossed texture.

Innovations on the hardwood side are also creating new opportunities. A new program will allow for color matching between solid and engineered wood so that shoppers need only pick their preferred visual, without the worry of whether their house can only accept engineered offerings.

“People go into a store and fall in love with a solid, only to find out they live on a concrete slab and it doesn’t work,” AHF vice president Milton Goodwin explains. “There is a lot of ‘mojo’ around this concept with our key customers-distributors, direct, big box, etc. Making the shopping process easier is something that’s been identified as a frustration when buying wood.”

The coordination of solid and hardwood visuals required extensive color and process tweaks at AHF’s solid wood plants.

“The visuals we will have in solid are really cutting-edge stuff that you don’t see from anybody else out there,” he says.

Additionally, the continued expansion of AHF’s Dogwood densified-wood technology will encompass a variety of new species that Goodwin says most people currently associate with furniture. In addition to allowing for a greater level of coordination in home decor, the application will broaden the range of visuals possible, with many of them thought of as being more upscale, he notes.

“We are seeing a lot of momentum on the upper end of the wood scale,” Goodwin reports, listing wider widths and new brushing, sanding and staining techniques as some of the related highlights to be showcased at Surfaces.

TARKETT
Tarkett is expanding its residential offerings to include hardwood. Its first hardwood collection, AmeriGrove, features domestically sourced white oak and hickory in varying lengths of up to 84". White oak has long been prized in the market for its subtle coloring and grain pattern, with hickory offering a more distinct visual that is growing in popularity.

Tarkett Home is also introducing its first WPC, EverGen. With WPC less prevalent in the market, the new line serves as a differentiator at a time when SPC is beginning to suffer from claims on low-end products.

“This collection was designed to specifically address the scarcity of high-quality WPC flooring options, offering a solution that doesn’t compromise in either looks or functionality,” says senior marketing manager Nicole Roth.

And, while sheet vinyl does not feature prominently in other manufacturers’ new rollouts, Tarkett Home is growing its lineup with a new collection targeting the mainstreet market. High Street features a Techtonic polyurethane coating that provides enhanced scratch, stain and abrasion resistance and is suitable for light commercial applications.

NEW PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
There is a lot of energy heading into this show season. Here are some of the other notable new products that manufacturers have slated for release early this year.

AUDACITY
Echelon by Audacity is a new PVC-free renewable composite flooring made of 80% natural material. Its construction eliminates the need for acclimation while allowing for installation of up to 10,000 square feet without transition moldings, thanks to its improved dimensional stability as compared to standard SPC floors. And its Ultra Impact finish is designed to withstand heavy commercial use, offering enhanced micro-scratch resistance.

BOEN
With patterned floors a continuously growing trend, Boen is launching Click Herringbone hardwood planks. The line’s 5G Click profile simplifies what is typically a tricky installation. The products come in the top colors from Boen’s line-Natural in two grades, as well as a pale white color-and feature its Live Pure Ultra-Matte finish.

CALI
Featuring a durable, scratch-resistant aluminum oxide finish, the new Cali Hardwoods Cellar collection is suitable for homes with pets. The construction-a thick veneer of European white oak combined with sustainable acacia wood sourced from certified forests-results in stronger, layered planks and maximizes the use of each oak tree.

The new Cali Laminate Mavericks collection features Cali’s longest planks yet, themed after the rugged Bay Area coastline, with authentic knots and grains and matte surfacing designed to capture the understated charm of actual oak. The NALFA-certified planks are backed with attached acoustic padding.

CFL
CFL’s new domestically produced FirmFit Downtown Deluxe line marks its first U.S.-made SPC flooring with embossed-in-register technology, and the XXL format allows for fewer repeats and more unique planks. This combination provides a more authentic representation of the inspirational natural materials.

CROSSVILLE
Crossville’s new Beljn porcelain collection takes its inspiration from the limestone of Belgium. With tighter visuals and sleek veining, Beljn makes this ancient stone feel more modern and contemporary but still natural in appearance, fitting in with decor trends that focus on biophilic design and elegant yet down-to-earth living.

DIXIE GROUP
2024 marks Fabrica’s 50th anniversary, and The Dixie Group will celebrate its place in the high-end market with a host of new products, including three special “Golden Anniversary” offerings that will feature a 50-color palette.

Among Dixie’s other new soft surface introductions, DH Floors will expand its polyester offering with six new DuraSilk products, while Sanctuary and Shelter lead the addition of several new EnVision nylon products. And Masland will add new wool, nylon and decorative products.

On the hard surface side, Dixie is expanding its TruCor Tile lineup with new CeraGrout technology, which offers a three-dimensional grout line that delivers the authentic look of ceramic flooring. And Fabrica Wood will gain the Vestige collection, featuring a classic and clean visual.

EMSER
In response to the increasing boldness of customers’ design choices, Emser is formally unveiling its Radiant illuminated wall tile. Previewed at last year’s Surfaces, the patented extruded glazed porcelain system will be available in early 2024. Developed from 3D extruded designs, Radiant integrates LED lights into the tiles, setting wall surfaces aglow. It is suitable for both residential and commercial use, including shower walls.

I4F
I4F’s new ClikDek is a smart-fixing decking technology that’s three times as fast to place as traditional decking installation systems. The clip provides a strong yet flexible mechanical locking method that enables humidity to run through.

Additionally, I4F has secured exclusive licensing rights to Amorim’s rigid bio-cork composite patent portfolio and will represent Amorim on IP-related matters associated with those technologies. The sustainable bio-cork composite is 100% plastic- and PVC-free, comprising a core made of cork particles and other bio-based and recycled materials.

INHAUS
Guided by environmental sustainability, high performance and authenticity, Inhaus’ new Ceramin introductions contain no toxins or PVC, utilize post-consumer recycled content and are 100% recyclable. The design team took inspiration from traditional and current trends to arrive at a curated selection of decors and colors based on ethically sourced natural raw material, which was then scanned and crafted into digital decors.

KÄHRS
Kährs’ new Ranch and Hacienda collections were developed in response to a growing call for value-oriented LVT. The visuals cater to the demand for light, warm tones, while offering the choice of a clean aesthetic (Hacienda) or rustic look (Ranch). Suitable for both residential and commercial use, the 5mm planks are topped with a 22 mil wearlayer and feature an in-register embossed surface, Unilin click system and integrated IXPE underlayment.

KALEEN
Kaleen is building up all four of its broadloom brands-Kaleen Broadloom, Pure Life, Hook & Beam and Home & Porch-with 60 new introductions, ranging from unique new patterns to updates to some of the most popular designs. The rollouts will represent the largest expansion in Hook & Beam offerings since the launch of that brand.

KARNDEAN
The Karndean LooseLay collection will be refreshed with 13 new designs in early 2024, including Wheat Oak, a light colorway with little contrast. Karndean LooseLay features a K-Wave friction-grip backing that holds the flooring in place, provides comfort and cushioning, and reduces noise transfer to lower floors. The product is also engineered with proprietary SureFit technology for extra dimensional stability, eliminating the need for expansion gaps and transition strips.

MERCIER
Mercier’s new Stellar hardwood collection capitalizes on the continued demand for European white oak, with eight neutral colors that reveal the wood’s inherent beauty. And the Generations finish in matte-brushed gloss provides durability backed by a 35-year warranty for residential use and a five-year warranty for light commercial use. Offered in an engineered format, the boards are 7-1/2" wide and up to 79" long.

METROFLOR
Metroflor is responding to the market’s emerging “SPC fatigue”-the result of an influx of low-quality SPC products-with two new Genesis WPC collections. Genesis’ construction includes a thicker and more robust yet lighter rigid core, with added resilience between the design layer and the Isocore core.

The new Authentics collection features 9"x72" plank designs scanned from actual wood visuals and enhanced with in-register embossing. The Silhouette collection’s 7"x60" planks feature a pressed edge, which is gaining popularity in the market because it provides the more realistic look of a true milled wood plank.

SOMERSET
Somerset’s new Euro Wide Plank fills a need in the brand’s line for a wider format that currently cannot be achieved in its U.S. factory. Produced at parent company Boen’s state-of-the-art mill in Lithuania, the planks are then finished in the U.S. in six designer-oriented colors.

SOUTHWIND
Available in six colors, Southwind’s Authentic Prime WPC collection features embossed in-register texture with a diamondized finish, a painted bevel and Uniclic locking system. The 12mm planks are topped with a 20 mil wearlayer and backed with a 2mm IXPE attached underlayment. The 9"x60" planks carry a lifetime residential warranty and ten-year commercial warranty.

STANTON
As Stanton works to round out its hard surface portfolio, added in 2020 and bolstered with last year’s hiring of Jamann Stepp, it is debuting its first laminate offerings. The new collections, NuvoLux and NuvoMax, feature 24 wood visuals in colors designed to flow from traditional through transitional settings. The planks are crafted in a 12mm construction and feature AC4 and AC5 wear ratings, making them suitable for active households as well as moderate commercial environments.

In soft surface, the firm is unveiling introductions that can serve multiple functions, whether wall-to-wall carpet, stair runners or fabricated rugs through Stanton Rug Company, which debuted in 2023. One example is Mochima, a braided jute in accentuating natural tones interwoven together, which is available in a 15’ width and as premade rugs.

SWISS KRONO
Designed to appeal to Generation Y and their preference for simple, sustainable and customizable solutions, Swiss Krono’s Kiwi Now is a new hybrid resilient option backed with marketing that communicates directly with its intended customers, distilling key features like its PVC-free construction of renewable raw materials, waterproof and pet-friendly properties, and click system for easy installation.

UNILIN
Unilin’s new ClickControl milling-deviation device addresses the need for improved click quality within the industry while reducing waste, thanks to its non-destructive quality checks. Previously, planks had to be cut into pieces in order to scan them in and assess the quality of the profile by comparing it against the original drawing. Unilin’s new smart, digital scanner automatically records and assesses the profile and does so in greater detail. ClickControl is available as a standalone or in-line tool, and the device caters to operators of all skill levels, with the option for additional remote support from Unilin.

VÄLINGE
Välinge is advancing its popular 5G Fold Down floor locking system with the debut of 5G NXT, which makes it easier to install, remove and reinstall flooring. Designed to further reduce the environmental impact of wood flooring, the new system is made from biomass-balanced materials with a 75% lower carbon footprint, and the unique design enables tool-less dismantling simply by tapping the panels, without the need to remove an entire row.

Copyright 2024 Floor Focus 

Related Topics:Anderson Tuftex, Tarkett, Kaleen Rugs & Broadloom, HMTX, Crossville, Metroflor Luxury Vinyl Tile, Mannington Mills, Mohawk Industries, Masland Carpets & Rugs, Shaw Industries Group, Inc., Armstrong Flooring, Engineered Floors, LLC, Lumber Liquidators, Tuftex, The International Surface Event (TISE), The Dixie Group, RD Weis, AHF Products, Shaw Floors