Sustainable Retail: How can The Flooring Industry Play its Part?

In a future where consumers will demand ever more clarity on a company’s sustainability commitments, the flooring industry can and will play a major role in ensuring the Retail Sector lives up to the green lifestyle it promotes.


The current trend for sustainability is only going to get bigger as consumers become choosier, better informed and more willing to favour sustainable products, or make sustainable lifestyle choices. Housing aside, there is perhaps no area where will this have more impact than in retail, from home furnishings to fashion to food and drink.
Last year’s Ipsos MORI research paper on sustainability in the Retail Sector shows clearly that consumers are asking more and more questions with regard to the products they buy and want to trust that the companies they buy from are committed to the “green” way-of-life extolled on the labels and PR campaigns of the products they sell.
The message that I find key to how this sustainable trend will pan out in the future points out that consumers will soon look beyond the products on the shelves themselves to a commitment to sustainability from the retail space itself.
“A holistic approach and incorporation of sustainable practice into all aspects of the business… will be essential to long term survival”. The retail space will be as important to the customer making green, ethical choices as the products he is buying.
The research also suggests consumers strongly believe that a company that has an overall commitment to sustainability at all levels of business can be trusted to deliver “safe, reliable, good quality products.”
So what does this all mean for the flooring industry?
If retail spaces are going to have to physically reflect the ethos of the company or brand that inhabit them, specifiers working on refurbishment or initial design will have to choose sustainable flooring solutions which satisfy rigorous criteria and help a company demonstrate to consumers that they are prepared to “live and work” the lifestyle they promote.
Not that consumers are currently walking into Topshop and demanding to know where the wood flooring in the changing room is sourced from, but one day, they may well be. A brief glimpse through design magazines, architectural journals and government reports on future builds drive this message of consumer awareness home. Products featured on their pages are no longer simply listed for what they are, but where they are sourced, what certifications they carry that guarantee their manufacturer’s commitments to greener practices, and their recyclability. I predict a not-too-distant future where product branding encompasses the WHOLE package; from the space a product is seen and sold in to the lifestyles of the staff and management teams behind that product or store.

The flooring industry has long championed sustainability. As Contract Floors reported when it went to meet Ray Anderson of InterfaceFLOR, many in the floor manufacturing business predicted the current market trend for sustainable products as far as twenty years ago and changed not only their products accordingly, but also their manufacturing processes, waste management systems, company best practice policies and CSR (corporate social responsibility) targets.
I receive more emails in my inbox informing me of new green developments in flooring or a company recently being awarded a “sustainability award’ of come kind than any other topic. Most of all, I read about retail spaces choosing flooring on the basis of its sustainability, on the basis of its ability to reflect the direction and eco-targets the company has set itself. Consumer flooring brochures now feature a company’s “green” commitments on the first couple of pages, rather than as an afterthought at the back.
The flooring industry can play a major role in a retailer’s sustainability agenda, a role that benefits both the retail sector and itself, and we can all agree that right now, in these two arenas, and in the fight for more sustainable living, every little helps.

(l-r) TopShop flooring by Amtico, and Amtico again in Primark Stores.

And to answer the burning question about that Topshop flooring… It is supplied by Amtico.
"Amtico International works closely with the Arcadia Group and has provided flooring for a number of its Topshop stores." says Sian Lewis, Amtico International's UK marketing manager. I spoke to David Wright, Marketing Director at design consultants Dalziel and Pow UK who recently worked with Topshop and also on a new flagship Primark store in Bristol –pictured- which also features elegant Amtico flooring: “The walkways are laid in a
brick bond format as a point of difference to sales areas. Most departments are a combination of the Limestone Calico tile and tiles from the Microspec range. The lingerie dept uses a tile from the new Back to Black range laid in a quarter turn format.”



Amtico's Back To Black Range


Over the past decade a new seamless flooring solution has been nesting quietly in the development stages waiting for the right moment to present itself as the most desirable, futuristic, concept inspired design to hit the interior design and architectural industry, introducing Galaxy by SEC UK.


Galaxy by South East Coatings UK, in a shoe shop in Weybridge. Zingy!

The latest trend for refurbishment and individuality has broadened the appeal for designer resin flooring in retail, leisure and domestic properties seeking artistic, individual designs or floors in specific colours. Galaxy creates functional and spectacular statements reflecting individuality. The creativity of the design is only limited by your imagination.

From subtle pearl tones to dynamic fashion design, no two projects are alike, as the process is a result of chemical interaction which means each is an interpretation of the chosen colour within the application process, base or background colour and top coats create unique finishes that differ on every application.

Our latest twist in designer flooring pushes the technology of resins in a different direction. This new system incorporates metallic and/or pearlescent pigments. Each floor, each mix and every finish is as individual as the people who choose it. The chemistry that makes this possible means that no two finishes are alike, creating spectacular floors with a “wow” factor that can be as subtle or as bold as you like.

Premier manufacturer of commercial flooring systems, ARDEX UK, and flooring contractors, Hull Flooring Limited, joined forces to provide the ideal flooring solution for a large new toy store in Birmingham.


Ardex at Smyths Toy Store in Birmingham

Smyths Toys Superstores is a leading provider of children's entertainment products with 12 stores throughout Great Britain. To commence the 1200m2 installation, ARDEX K 11 Levelling and Smoothing Compound was applied to provide a smooth and flat surface. Developed for use from 1.5 and 10mm thickness, ARDEX K 11 is a cost effective solution for levelling and smoothing sub-floors such as cement/sand screeds, gypsum screeds and concrete. Fast track projects benefit from ARDEX K 11 as it is hard enough to walk on only 2½ hours after application and final floorcoverings such as vinyl, linoleum, carpet etc., can normally be applied the next day at 20°C. In addition, it can also be used with underfloor heating systems and is fully compatible with the comprehensive range of screeds, repair mortars, DPM’s and floorcovering adhesives from ARDEX.

To conclude, ARDEX AF 100 Pressure Sensitive Acrylic Flooring Adhesive was used to fix Polyflor Mystique PUR vinyl sheet throughout the retail areas, with Polyflor Polyflex Plus vinyl tiles installed to ‘back of house’. With built-in benefits including its solvent free formulation, very low odour and high yield, ARDEX AF 100 has an outstanding reputation for impressive on-site performance, and as a result, has become the flooring industry’s preferred pressure sensitive adhesive.

The team at creative interior designers, Forster Inc, challenged innovative carpet tile company, Burmatex, to create a high impact floor for its Shoreditch showroom to prove once and for all that carpet tiles have shed their former reputation and are now accepted by the A&D community as a design-centric tool for adding personality and dimension to any commercial interior scheme.


Burmatex at Forster's in Shoreditch, quirky, funky designs

Working with Burmatex’s design consultant, Alastair Scott, Forster Inc chose colours to match its brand identity and products to provide a memorable welcome for visitors. Taking the carpet tiles out of their comfort zone, the stunning scheme even has Burmatex’s award winning product, Lateral, running up the showroom’s wall in striking orange tone, Mandarin Duck, and spilling out on to the streets of Shoreditch.

Burmatex’s brand manager, Becky Peters, continues: “We have a natural synergy with design led companies such as Forster Inc, which, like us, believes that good things are not only those that have aesthetic beauty, but are designed to work. Carpet tiles are a durable and flexible flooring product that can really reflect the personality of the people that use a space. As well as being BRE A-rated, Burmatex carpet tiles all have a ten year wear guarantee so fit the bill perfectly.”

Structural Efficiencies: Carpet Trends 2010

Vorwerk Scale


As if they sensed it was time to stick two fingers up at the recession and fight back with boldness and positivity, this year’s carpet collections oozed colour, wow factor and bright, jazzy prints. What were once safe, muted stripes and block colour carpets were updated with warmer colours, rich dark shades and the occasional burst of fuschia pink, ruby red and even panther black. Designers such as Ryalux encouraged experimentation by allowing consumers to “build their own design” laying stripes and block colours side by side, choosing the combination of stripe colours to match any element in a room and create a variety of moods. Flor by HEUGA had zingy oranges and olive greens, Brintons offered a range of contract carpet designs with intricate Japanese patterns and large, sketched floral patterns in hues of gold, purple and lime green. Designers were invited to talk to visitors at the stands, bringing the design element to the fore and furthering the notion that over the last few years the floor coverings trade has pushed to market flooring as an integral part of an interior design, something durable and of quality but also the element that pulls a room together and is vital in creating the perfect mood for a commercial space, as much a decorative element as a lamp, wallpaper or curtains. For 2010, this move towards increasingly design-led and “fashion conscious” carpets goes a step further, with many manufacturers adding architectural themes or structures into the design and colourings of their collections.


Desso Carpetecture

Desso even went as far as to name their collection “Carpetecture” consolidating the idea that a floor and the building it houses blend seamlessly, the creations beneath a person’s feet emphasising the lines, shapes and textures of urban landscapes. The basis of Desso’s new Carpetecture® collection, Core Structures, comes from the very essence of a building. Pillars, wall surfaces, roofs and beams become concepts for the design and creation of these carpets which draw inspiration from the repetitive forms and individual complexities of architecture. Core Structures consists of seven products providing a choice of carpet tiles and broadloom carpet. Verso offers a delicate, repeat pattern of contoured facets creating an elegant finish in neutral colourways emulating the look of a hard surface due to the flat nature of its structure. With its strong replication of rhythmic pattern, Verso Grid offers a powerful, distinct look as its lattice format provides added depth and dimension of an almost three dimensional quality. Whilst the neutral brown and grey weaves of Verso Bars present a striking finish of durable quality. Pure is a modern office carpet tile, its precise yet subtly textured rib and mosaic effect add depth and dimension for a warmer, natural look. The neutral palette of grey, yellow and brown hues makes it easy to combine with other interior products in any environment. Wilton Profile, Wilton Metallic and Wilton in Ribs are inspired woven broadloom carpet designs with highly textured surfaces and geometric inspired patterns. The natural tones of Wilton Profile conjure up images of light filtering through a framework. Wilton in Ribs takes inspiration from the simple repetition found in walls and windows emulating the look of wire framework. Its durability and timeless quality is perfect for the commercial environment. The black palette of Wilton Metallic is a contemporary option at the cutting edge of design and at the heart of this striking collection. Texture is also a major factor of Desso’s current design philosophy. Texture is an inspired finish of choice providing an array of high quality, visually stimulating options. Patterns and textures, for example, provide an extra dimension and sense of movement.


Vorwerk Scale

A couple of issues back we previewed Scale, the new collection by Vorwerk designed by Iranian-born architect Hadi Teherani. This visionary designer worked with Vorwerk to create a modular carpet range which could take on almost any form, creating dramatic patterns and shapes. As Vorwerk themselves put it “Modular carpet has become architecture in itself.” From pattern and texture to colour and form, carpet tiles can be explored in a new way to create defining floor spaces.

The brainchild of German architectural powerhouse, Hadi Teherani and Vorwerk Carpets, SCALE is more than a labelled collection of regular carpet tiles. It is a collaborative effort at every level, from the creation of different sizes and shapes to the GreySCALE and ColorSCALE colourbooks, the input of award-winning architectural thinking is plain to see. Each element of SCALE is designed as a distinct entity, yet with the intent of linking in a harmonised space creating a floor that becomes part of the architecture. In six defined textures, five defined formats, five defined patterns and seven defined colour groups comes a carpet tile collection that breaks new ground. All works within the collection, including the right angle omitting FreeSCALE, utilise Vorwerk Carpets advanced TEXtiles® backing technology. Completely bitumen and PVC free, made from 60% recycled materials and completely recyclable, TEXtiles® is flexible and light, yet dimensionally stable enough to meet the demands of commercial locations. With both tufted and woven faces in high performance INVISTA Antron® carpet fibre, the entire SCALE collection achieves CE, GUT and TÜV certification. As suitable for the hallway as it is for the workspace or the boardroom, SCALE a TEXtiles® collection by Hadi Teherani begins a new era in carpet tiles.


Interface FLOR

InterfaceFLOR, a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of modular flooring has launched a new flooring concept: The VersaflexTM System from InterfaceFLOR. The patent-pending system enables hard and soft surfaces to be combined in a single installation for the first time and reflects InterfaceFLOR’s strength in innovation and sustainability on every level – from its The VersaflexTM System has been developed with complete versatility and portability in mind, making it ideal for fast-changing retail and office environments. It is six times quicker to install than a conventional ceramic or porcelain floor and can be walked on immediately after it is laid, resulting in minimum downtime and disruption to business. Also, it is installed in such a way, using a unique grid system with flexible grout and without damaging the sub floor, that it can be easily replaced or re-used. Customers can create a whole new look, change layouts or repair any damage simply by removing and replacing individual tiles. It is even possible to take up the entire system, so that if you move offices or premises your floor can move with you.


Antron Elemental Spectrum

INVISTA’s Antron® carpet fibre forms a fundamental part of Elemental Spectrum, a carpet tile that draws inspiration from the ‘building blocks of everyday life’ by Mannington Commercial, part of the Victoria Carpets Contracts Division. Designed in conjunction with Tom Pelsoi of HOK Chicago, Elemental Spectrum was developed to provide a solution for tighter budgets. Each style is influenced by the readings of elements such as carbon, zinc and iron when placed under a visual spectrograph, giving a linear appearance that can either be strong or subtle. Antron / www.antron.net InterfaceFLOR / www.interfaceflor.co.uk Desso / www.desso.com Vorwerk / www.vorwerkcarpets.co.uk