ON BROADLOOM

While all the respondents sell broadloom, over the last year 50% sold more textured broadloom than in the previous year,  while only 13% sold less.

This indicates that the trend toward textured carpet is holding, while solid broadloom has fallen in popularity over the last couple of years, probably because of growth in textured and patterned products. In terms of solid carpet, only 20% sold more and a significant 44% sold less.

Patterned broadloom sales are strong: 43% sold more last year, while only 4% of those surveyed didn't sell patterned carpet at all. Sales of patterned broadloom were weakest in the South and West, with about 32% of retailers showing growth and 40% with sales down. Once again, the stronger regions were the East and Midwest, with each averaging over 50% growth in the category.

The picture for solid broadloom was a little different, with lower sales all around, particularly in the West and Midwest. In the West, 19% sold more and 50% sold less; in the Midwest, just I1 % sold more and 33% sold less.

Not surprisingly, those regions that had the weakest total increases in broadloom sales the West and South are tra­ditionally stronger in hard surface flooring