RETAILERS GO SHOPPING FOR RUGS.
NEW YORK-The single greatest factor in the rug industry's growth has been its broad appeal across fashion, retail channel and price point. The New York Home Textiles Market and High Point International Home Furnishings market, which overlap this spring, typify the range of the rug industry.In New York, rug suppliers will reach out to a diverse group of merchants, including linen specialty stores; department, chain and specialty stores; mail order/catalog houses; and general gift retailers.
The Luxury Linens department at Burlington Coat Factory has built an effective rug department, which it keeps stocked with a fresh assortment of area rugs, accent scatter/bath rugs and indoor and outdoor mats.
Going into market, Charles Boyter, buyer for rugs, tiles and basic bedding at Burlington, said, "In the accent area we're looking for Asian styles and animal prints. Our accent rugs are usually in the $19.99 to $29.99 price range with some higher end. In bath, we are basically looking to update our color palettes with Asian-type colors, such as the new greens, khakis, rattan, linen and grays, which are still strong. Those are mostly in the $12.99 to $19.99 price-point range for a 2-by-3."
Rob Shriver, national sales manager for Burlington House Area Rugs agreed that the call for animal prints is loud -- leopards, tigers, panthers -- and that there is continuing demand for berber and sisal looks and "anything with texture."
Arnold Stevens, vice president for Maples Rugs, noted increased demand from specialty linen stores for injection-dyed printed rugs and pointed out that more of the textile market stores are selling area rugs. "I think that is due to technology, affordability and stores' willingness to give up more space for area rugs."
Some rug specialty stores will also take advantage of the New York market to freshen their mix without going out of town. Ike Timianko, owner of Central Carpet here, said, "We are looking for new designs, new colors.We are going to be looking for more machine-made rugs. Machine made is really what is dominant in the New York Market. It's the low price point. We are looking for a price point of $500 to $800 for nonwool rugs and $1,000 to $1,600 for wool in a 9-by-12 size. We want lighter colors and more antique gold."
Mohawk Rug & Textiles will offer its entire line, but in New York, "the majority of our volume is in solid-colored bath rugs in nylon and cotton," explained Pat Moyer, vice president of marketing for the company, which has a broad line of rugs, accents and other home textiles.
Orian Rugs does a good business with linen specialty stores in larger rugs selling from $149 to $199 and scatter rugs retailing at $24.99 to $29.99, according to David Starr, national sales manager.
"New colors that we've introduced to speciality linen stores are tea leaf, latte, mulberry and lilac," he added.
Many of the same rug suppliers who will show in New York will pack up mid-week and head for High Point, N.C. Furniture retailers of all types will be there and are awakening to the potential for rugs in their stores.
Sharon Glocker, interior designer and accessory team leader for Ashley Furniture in Arcadia, Wis., will be at High Point. "Basically we are looking for things that are broad-based and fit within our price-point range of $59 to $299 for a 6-by-9," she said, adding, "We look for rugs that have a high perceived value, such as machine mades. They look nice, but don't cost a lot. We are also looking for rugs that enhance our furniture, from contemporary to traditional styles. We want colors that fit into the color palette or our upholsteries."
Walter Moomjy, president of Einstein Moomjy, with stores in New York and New Jersey, will go to High Point to see what's new. "We are looking to see what's interesting from Iran, now that Iran is open," Moomjy said. "We are also looking for new interesting handtufted area rugs from India and China. Nourison, Capel and Middle East Rugs have them. In the handtufted rugs, we are looking for a price-point range of $1,200 to $2,000 for a 9-by-12. We are also looking for some new contemporary designs."
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| Author: | Herlihy, Janet; Honores, Crystal |
|---|---|
| Publication: | HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network |
| Article Type: | Brief Article |
| Geographic Code: | 1USA |
| Date: | Apr 3, 2000 |
| Words: | 712 |
| Previous Article: | FLUSH WITH STRONG SALES, RETAILERS AIM TO BE CHOOSY AT MARKET. |
| Next Article: | TEXTILES NEWS. |
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