Seventy-six percent of architects, builders, remodelers and specialty trade professionals—the plumbers, electricians and HVAC experts—purchased construction or home improvement products online in the past year, according to a study by The Farnsworth Group. Flooring, however, doesn’t make up much of the haul.
Of the 69 percent of professionals who purchased flooring at all in the last 12 months, only 1 percent chose the Internet over a store, 13 percent made purchases both online and in stores and 85 percent purchased in-store only.
In-store purchases were more convenient than shopping online for 63 percent of the professionals, and 40 percent of professionals needed to touch the product before they bought it.
The professionals who made purchases online said that they could find better prices on the Internet than in stores and there were more product options and style choices.
When they purchased flooring online, 48 percent of percent did so from a home improvement store website, 46 percent from a specialty supplier or dealer and 31 percent from a manufacturer’s website.
To get more results from the study, contact The Farnsworth Group.
