Consumer Reports about Online Flooring

Posted on January 23, 2009
Filed Under Consumer Reports, Floors, Online Shopping |

There is good news for everyone who has a home decor shopping list. Chances are you’ll have a pleasant experience looking for that new rug, carpet, tile, cork, bamboo, laminate, ceramic, or whatever other flooring material you are seeking – especially if you shop online. Recently, Consumer Reports conducted a survey with the purpose of determining consumers’ affinity for shopping online, and if they did, how pleased they were with their experience. The results indicate that shoppers are “very satisfied” buying online. For many purchases, shopping online even rated higher than going to a brick and mortar store. The results were based upon responses from more than 20,000 consumers. In fact, the responses from the survey were a surprise to some of those folks at Consumer Reports. One representative said he was surprised that so many readers preferred shopping online and went on to further say that “we thought that people might have concerns about delivery… and believe it or not, they didn’t. It means that you really can shop online and get satisfaction.” While some consumers limit their online purchases to select items such as books or music, others have ventured out and found that the prices are great for additional items outside of their normal buying patterns. Not to mention, as online green flooring purchases become more and more common, additional software companies are entering the industry and developing additional software solutions. The end result is ease of use for consumers and greater efficiency for companies. Based on the Consumer Reports survey, most of those folks that have made purchases online are happy they shopped this way. So why would this be? The answer is simple - the web offers something no walk-in store can match – price, selection, service and detailed product information. It’s just so easy to research products and comparison shop online.

Plus, at a virtual store you won’t have to put up with what Consumer Reports calls “a prime irritant” of in-store shopping: the pitch to buy extras. Research shows you are three times more likely to buy extras if you shop at a walk-in store. This indicates the level of pressure often used to push these additional products onto the consumer. Even when shopping for flooring online, check around, price match, review return policies, company contact information, warranty specifications and additional fees. And while you are there, take advantage of the sites’ great information such as how-to installation videos and hundreds of educational articles covering everything from upkeep to design. As a last reminder, some sites sell third-party products, so it might be useful to also scope out the manufacturer’s home site.

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