W e live in an era where flooring shoppers don’t walk in clueless—they come in ready. They’ve already done the legwork online: looked up product reviews, pinned design ideas, browsed your competitors, and probably visited your site too. They’re not wondering if they’ll buy flooring—they’re wondering where they’ll buy it. The question is: will it be from you? It All Starts Before They Even Walk Through the Door In today’s world, the buying journey begins long before a customer steps foot in your showroom. Think Google, Instagram, and your website. According to the National Floorcovering Alliance, over 78% of shoppers visit at least three websites before entering a store. That means your digital storefront—your reviews, product info, social content, and visuals—needs to create a sense of trust and excitement. Last month, a couple in their early 30s came into a Midwest flooring retailer with a Pinterest board and screenshots from three flooring websites. They had narrowed their options to two colors of LVP before ever speaking to an associate. The associate, trained as a “flooring consultant,” helped them compare the two, explained why one was better for their busy household with two dogs, and had the sale wrapped up in under 30 minutes—with installation booked. They came ready, and the store was ready for them. What Today’s Shoppers Expect From BROWSING TO BUYING—HOW THE IN-STORE EXPERIENCE IS EVOLVING
Floor EDUCATION
Lis Calandrino Flooring Specialist and Associate Publisher and Director of Social Media for Fabulous Floors Magazine
“ Today’s flooring
shoppers aren’t deciding if they’ll buy—they’re deciding where they’ll buy.”
36 Premier Flooring Retailer tise | 2026
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