In the years past, the commercial carpet market amounted to less than one-third of the total carpet market share. Residential carpet and the residential contract carpet market easily outdistanced commercial carpet in market share and sales growth. However, with recent residential design trends changing to wood floors and laminate flooring, the commercial carpet market has become the steady growth area for the U.S. Carpet Industry.
Commercial carpet sales have averaged a 10% average annual growth over the past several years, while the flooring market has grown at a rate of about 4%. The commercial carpet market, which is also called the contract carpet market by carpet industry officials, continues to grow at a surprising rate despite setbacks in some areas such as schools and healthcare. With growth of commercial carpet use in China, the carpet industry expects robust growth for a number of years to come.