Article Number : 5210 |
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| Date | 1/22/2010 9:06:39 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=5210 |
| Abstract | By Louis Iannaco ATLANTA—Sensing the worst is behind them, many exhibitors and buyers recently enjoyed a productive winter edition of the Atlanta International Area Rug Market here featuring the National Oriental Rug Show (NORS). Run concurrently for the second consecutive year with... |
| Article | By Louis Iannaco ATLANTA—Sensing the worst is behind them, many exhibitors and buyers recently enjoyed a productive winter edition of the Atlanta International Area Rug Market here featuring the National Oriental Rug Show (NORS). Run concurrently for the second consecutive year with the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings market, attendees had the opportunity to shop the most innovative styles, bold colors and state-of-the-art designs/textures the industry has to offer, with value being top of mind. “It seems like everybody is a lot more positive about what is going on in the world today than they were last year,” Chas Sydney, senior vice president of area rugs, Americasmart, told FCNews. “They are cautiously optimistic, feeling a lot better about themselves. From our standpoint, coming into the show it seemed like every major player in the area rug business, as far as buyers are concerned, was coming to the market. “It seems the big guys have realized, ‘Hey, I need new, fresh product and in order for me and them—the mom and pops—to stay alive, with their inventories having been so low for the last two years, at some point I’ve got to restock the shelves.’” Buyer(s) be-happy And buyers at the show, both large and small, found plenty to stock their shelves with. Trend-wise, with the pendulum swinging from traditional to more transitional and contemporary looks, and brighter, bolder colors becoming more prominent, market attendees had a bevy of attractive products to choose from. “We’ve found many beautiful styles that are more contemporary and have a nice mixture and vibrancy in the colors that can be custom-made,” said Dorothy Del Rose, interior specialist for Concepts Furniture in Daytona Beach, Fla. “There seems to be much bolder colors at the show than in the past. As a matter of fact, we just ordered one rug that is a turquoise blue with silver. There are some beautiful colors available here.” Del Rose noted that business is starting to pick up. “I’ve just picked up three new clients where as last year I had none. I [sense things] have bottomed out.” Judy Hadinger of Hadinger Flooring in Naples, Fla., another visitor to the show, cited the two-sided rug from Sphinx by Oriental Weavers called Options as being a show highlight, saying it was “different and interesting. I also thought Amici had some wonderful products as well as an exciting showroom.” Hadinger said it is too early to tell how business will be this year, but she is definitely taking an optimistic approach. “We’re just starting our season now, so we’ll see,” she explained. “But we’re buying like we’re going to do all right, as if we’re going to have a good season.” Products and exhibitors receiving buzz included the aforementioned Options collection; custom-made programs offered by Dalyn Rugs and Tamarian Carpets; multiple book signings by former “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and Style Network “Dress My Nest” host Thom Filicia; a 30th year anniversary celebration by Nourison, and several new introductions to the Kathy Ireland Home International First Lady and Young Attitudes collections, as well as the unveiling of an Interactive Display by Shaw Living. Green story Just as in other segments of the flooring industry, the green movement is making its way into the area rug category. Whether through new technology and recycling or marketing and education geared to both retailers and consumers about the benefits of wool products, the attributes of area rugs are being touted by industry professionals. Shaw Living, with its indoor/outdoor collection Garden Party, has taken the lead in the use of recycled content in its products. Derived from bottle flake reclaimed from plastic bottles, which would otherwise be sent to landfills, each Garden Party rug contains the equivalent of 98 plastic bottles. “We’re finding that the green story is becoming more and more important in the area rug segment,” said Jim Curtin, vice president of sales for Shaw Living, “but it’s been kind of a slow education. We’re finding that the consumer is now tuned into it, which will get the retailer more and more tuned in as well.” Charles Cashin, executive vice president of sales for Amici, agreed that there has been a demand for green. “We had customers who came in today concerned about gas emissions on rugs that are packed and shipped,” he said. “They wanted to know if they packed and shipped with formaldehyde containers as a preservative. This, of course, is not part of the [manufacturing] process. In the past, we’ve introduced a couple of totally organic rugs, so we are doing our part to keep the world green one rug at a time.” Jeff DeSantis, Amici’s president and CEO, added that the machine-made manufacturers have a much bigger problem than the handmade companies due to what they require to make their products. “They could do more to be green. We’re weaving [and working] with an all wool rug. We were already green before it became cool to be green.” Value seekers Alex Peykar, principal owner of Nourison, said the attendees are very price-conscious and value-driven. “Knowing that would be the case, many of our products were targeted toward that state of mind. We introduced many area rugs that had the ‘wow’ factor, not just in color and design, but when we told them the price, the ‘wow’ factor all gelled together. Even I hold back from passing judgment on a product until I know the price. These days, you have to.” Business also seemed to fare better in the temporaries section, where Lida Lavender of Antique Look Carpets noted, “Overall, there are good vibes. People have said nice things and are hopeful. Some of our clients said they’ve done better over the last six months. They’re a little cautious but things are much better than they were last year.” Industry veteran Steve Roan, Karastan’s new vice president of area rugs, in addition to being pleased with the way the company’s additions and debuts—such as Persian Garden, Eastport and BellaRosa—were received, said, “Today, simple is good. The busier patterns are moving out, while simpler styles with brighter colors are doing well.” One of the show’s more interesting highlights was a keynote speech by social media expert Erik Qualman, author of the Amazon bestseller, “Socialnomics.” The standing-room-only crowd was educated as to how products and services will soon be pushed our way by friends and acquaintances via social media, such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and others. |