Few categories in the flooring industry have experienced a trajectory quite like SPC. Seemingly overnight, SPC surged to prominence, reshaping the resilient landscape with its waterproof performance, rigid core stability and consumer-friendly price point.
Retailers embraced it. Consumers demanded it. Suppliers raced to meet the moment. But what rose soon plummeted, too. As SPC’s popularity exploded, so did the influx of low-quality products—many engineered to hit aggressive price points rather than long-term performance standards. The result was a wave of field failures that left a lasting impression on the market.
“SPC faced challenges over the past few years as rapid category growth brought an influx of inconsistent product quality into the market,” explained Jerry Guo, CEO of Lions Floor. “That created hesitation at retail—especially when performance in the field didn’t always match expectations.”
That hesitation wasn’t isolated. Across the independent flooring retail community, confidence in SPC began to erode as callbacks mounted and claims surfaced.
Focused quality, reliability
Suppliers agree that restoring confidence in the product meant forging ahead on quality and designing products built to last. Some never took their foot off the gas when it came to performance specifications and overall quality of design.
“The problem was never SPC; it was low-quality SPC,” explained Adam Ward, vice president of product management, resilient at Mohawk. “We took a very different approach during the SPC market turbulence, as we didn’t reduce specifications, cut corners or alter our product mix. The same quality controls and material standards we’ve always used stayed firmly in place.”
Southwind Floors took a similarly proactive stance, focusing on quality control at the earliest stages of production. “We inspect our products at the point of origin to ensure they meet our standards and specifications before they are even shipped,” said Drew Hash, president and CEO. “We also avoid the thinner SPC planks and tiles in our line because that can be problematic.”
According to Guo, Lions Floor also stayed disciplined in how it builds and supports the category. “First, we’ve maintained a strict focus on product integrity—ensuring our SPC platforms are engineered for real-world performance, not just price positioning,” he said.
He added that education has been critical to the process. “Many of the issues the industry experienced weren’t just product-related—they were tied to installation practices and application mismatches. We’ve worked closely with our retail and contractor partners to provide clear guidance, helping ensure the product performs as intended.”
Stanton has taken a similar approach, focusing on both product quality and brand positioning to reshape perceptions. “Stanton has [upheld] elevated product standards, ensuring all SPC offerings meet strict quality and durability criteria for consistent, reliable performance,” said Natalie Sheinfeld, director of merchandising and hard surface product design. “At the same time, we have repositioned the brand, emphasizing SPC as a premium, performance-driven solution that clearly differentiates. These steps have helped restore trust with both retailers and end users, reinforcing SPC’s reputation for quality and reliability.”
Rebuilding retailer confidence
The damage to SPC’s reputation wasn’t simply about product—it was about trust. Independent retailers, long accustomed to standing behind the products they sell, found themselves navigating dissatisfied customers and costly claims. For many, SPC went from a fast-moving opportunity to a category approached with caution.
“I do believe SPC is regaining its reputation, but I think it is coming back as a more disciplined category,” said Jason Grant, vice president, BHW Floors. “Retailers are being more selective, and suppliers have to earn that trust.”
That shift is evident in how products are being developed and marketed today. “At BHW, we’ve tried to approach SPC by focusing on products that deliver real performance and a clearer good-better-best story for the retailer,” Grant explained. “Those kinds of details matter because they help retailers sell SPC with more confidence and help reduce the ‘race-to-the-bottom’ mentality that hurt the category in the first place.”
Responsive Industries, too, made a deliberate decision to avoid compromising product integrity, even at the expense of short-term volume—all in the name of trust. “One of the things I’ll tell you we didn’t do is participate in the race to the bottom,” said Rishabh Agarwal, president. “There were a lot of specs we just simply refused to make because we knew what the implications were in terms of potential claims.”
Agarwal said that decision ultimately strengthened relationships with customers who prioritized reliability. “The customers who stayed and remained with us value that technical expertise and value that reliability; they make for better customers anyway over time.”
For Titan Surfaces it was always about highlighting the subcategory’s strengths and not over-promising. “When SPC began to get a bad reputation, we simply told the correct story on installation and technical requirements to give the product the best possible scenario to succeed, by not overselling SPC’s limitations from an installation perspective,” said Jason Smith, vice president. “Our industry tends to over-promote; at Titan we knew exactly what story we wanted to tell to sell SPC correctly. We do believe that our industry has a better understanding on how to represent SPC in the market, therefore seeing some resurgence in the category is to be expected. We have seen an uptick in sales in the two SPC lines we have. We believe that is due to the trust we have built since day one with our customer base on the quality of our products.”
Engineering a better SPC
Beyond discipline and positioning, technical innovation is playing a central role in SPC’s resurgence—both at the consumer and retail levels.
“It is important that the quality of SPC produced by reputable manufacturers like Southwind remain consistent,” Hash noted. “Nothing damages trust like manufacturing defects or poor quality.”
At Engineered Floors, that focus begins with structural integrity. “We are elevating the category through the use of thicker cores and thicker wear layers,” said Eric Ruppert, senior director of product marketing and category management. “We’ve also integrated better, more reliable locking systems—specifically our Engineered Floors One2Click Angle/angle systems—which directly address the installation and field failures seen with inferior products.”
Advancements in locking systems, in particular, are helping address one of the most common points of failure in early SPC products. Ward pointed to Mohawk’s approach. “A big part of that reliability comes from our Uniclic locking system,” he explained. “It’s engineered to be 1.5x stronger and twice as durable as the most widely used competitive locking mechanisms, providing long-term installation integrity.”
Design innovation is also playing a role in redefining SPC’s value proposition. “At Lions Floor, our new Bevel Mark collection is designed to elevate the SPC category, featuring an 8mm overall thickness, press-bevel construction and 30-repeat visuals,” Guo said. “It delivers a more authentic wood look while also enhancing durability and structural stability.”
Similarly, Stanton is leveraging design to differentiate its offerings. “Within our assortment, we offer a herringbone pattern SPC that delivers an elevated design element,” Sheinfeld said.
Engineered Floors also puts a major focus on SPC design. “Aesthetically, we are pushing the boundaries of what SPC can look like,” Ruppert explained. “All of these structural improvements can be found in our PureGrain Endure line-up, which pairs performance with premium design features like EIR, pressed bevels and wider, longer planks.”
These advancements signal a broader shift in how SPC is being positioned—not just as a functional solution, but as a design-forward product capable of competing across multiple segments.
Looking ahead
While SPC’s path hasn’t been without challenges, the category is far from diminished.
“SPC is definitely regaining its reputation, and quality is the prime driver in that turnaround,” Mohawk’s Ward said. “When done right, SPC offers genuine benefits that consumers need and want: 100% waterproof core, excellent dent resistance and ease of maintenance.”
That sentiment is echoed across the industry, where suppliers are increasingly aligned around a shared understanding: SPC’s future depends on quality, consistency and accountability.
For retailers, that consistency is key to rebuilding confidence in a category that once promised so much—and is now working to deliver on that promise in a more sustainable way.
As BHW Floors’ Grant put it, “The goal is not just to say SPC is back; it is to prove that well-built SPC still has an important place in the market when it is developed thoughtfully and sold responsibly.”
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