Article Number : 559 |
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Date | 5/13/2005 1:24:07 PM |
Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=559 |
Abstract | Hicksville, N.Y.—It seems simple enough: Display it and they will come. But it’s not... |
Article | Hicksville, N.Y.—It seems simple enough: Display it and they will come. But it’s not. Much thought, preparation and creativity must go into presenting area rugs in just the right way so consumers will not only come to your store, they will buy. Too often, area rugs are sidelined in a flooring or furniture store. They are crammed in dark corners, or tucked behind product in the back part of a showroom. And, with so many retailers involved in the rug business these days, it is increasingly important in a sea of asphalt to become the green grass that breaks through. Differentiation is the key, as noted by many of the rug experts. “One of the biggest suggestions we recommend rings true for both types of retailers,” said Jonathan Witt, vice president of marketing for Sphinx by Oriental Weavers. “Draw attention to the fact that you have area rugs. Even though you may advertise this fact, you need to show consumers that you’re in the area rug business.” Steve Cocozza, vice president of marketing for Masland, believes that “in order for retailers to convey they are truly in the rug business, they need to carry full size area rugs, 6X9-ft. or larger.” He cautions retailers not to have just small samples. “That’s risky in any retail environment. If you are showing large scale patterns and interesting textural effects, larger size samples are imperative for your floor.” Obviously, there are the typical rug display racks that mills offer to showcase their products. The swing arm racks are fairly standard and highlight several styles of rugs and colors in groups so shoppers can easily “page” through the offerings. Rugs laid out in stacks, pointed out Witt, can be troublesome in that they involve much work on the part of the consumer and the store employees. “She may make it to the third rug and then is tired of looking,” Witt said of most consumers presented with stacks. Milliken Rugs has been working to perfect its merchandising system and recently rolled out The Milliken Solution, a patented display tool. Eric Dunkelberg, director of marketing, described it as a full-size rack which displays a 2-1/12X7-3/4-ft. color runner showcasing five colors, a 5-1/3X7-3/4-ft. rug, and a point of purchase rug tag. He explained the rack, “frees rug arms that are normally used to showcase color selections, and increases the dollars per square foot that a store can generate with multiple designs. “It’s an impossible task for any retailer to carry all the rugs,” Dunkelberg added. “This will help increase special order business in that it gives consumers a lot of opportunities. The retailer doesn’t have to carry anything but the one rug, the consumer places the order, and the order is shipped within seven days. It’s a very exciting solution in that it reduces inventory and increases consumer choices.” Masland has a walk-around display with smaller samples that work in conjunction with its 6X9-ft. racks, according to Cocozza. “This allows retailers to show a larger assortment without an expansive footprint. Together, the racks show that a dealer is serious about the rug business and offers a wide variety of selection.” Said Walter Chapin, president of Company C, “A rug rack is a powerful selling tool and will pay for itself in a month. Customers can see more products in a small space, and they can flip the wings of the rack by themselves, rather than wait for a person to sort through a pile of rugs.” For retailers who can not afford the space for a large-scale display system, Company C recently developed a 6-ft. tall, 1X2-ft. Rug Sample Display Program with room for up to 40 squares samples so customers can pull a square off the rack and use it to match their room colors to it. “It’s a great selling tool in a smaller store, and it really does work,” said Chapin. “Even for more quaint stores, this display system says they’re pretty serious about their floor coverings.” According to Chapin, a good in-store display does wonders to educate consumers regarding area rug possibilities. He believes the most effective way to illustrate a rug’s decorating potential is to incorporate it into a miniroom setting that includes an upholstered chair or sofa, a table or two, and some accessories that complement the rug. Chapin also guides retailers to think creatively when it comes to touting area rugs. Hang two rugs back-to-back, he suggested, and use them as vignette dividers for the store. Another idea is to hang rugs from the ceiling at a 45-degree angle so that customers can view them from different vantage points; this works particularly well in a store window, Chapin explained. Witt said not to forget about the hang tags or the lighting when presenting area rugs. The hang tags are the “silent salespeople” and should include all the pertinent information so that customers do not have to ask salespeople about sizes, colors, styles, shapes, origin, etc. Lighting is important as well. “It’s amazing the difference it can make in the look of a rug,” said Witt. “An incandescent spot is better than fluorescent in most cases. The rug really needs to pop, and it needs to show its true color. The rug just won’t look the same when you get it home if you don’t have the right lighting.” One company answering the call to develop high performance lighting fixtures for retailers is Amerlux Lighting Solutions. The company introduced Topaz T4, which is reportedly the smallest energy-efficient metal halide track luminaire on the market. Made specifically for the changing display needs of floor covering and home furnishings stores, the Topaz T4 is scaled as small as a DVD and utilizes a 20-watt, T4 ceramic-metal halide lamp and the latest in miniature ballast technology. The company said it is engineered for maximum performance and longer life. Finally, Witt advises to also show off the odd-shaped rugs occasionally. Octagons, rounds, squares and runners are “special shapes that are the growing part of the business. Help customers think about the concept of specially shaped rugs by displaying them.” |