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09242014 Chicago Casual Market Reflects America's Love Affair with Outdoor Rugs

By Pat Terry
9/24/2014

CASUAL FURNITURE SHOW REFLECTS 
AMERICA'S LOVE OF EASY LIVING

By Pat Terry

CHICAGO -- America's love affair with casual living -- Â?Θ?Ñindoors and out -- continues to boost outdoor rug sales, with no saturation point in sight, according to major outdoor rug exhibitors at the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market, held here  Sept. 16 to 19, 2014

Outdoor rug sales represent from 10 to15% of total rug volume for major rug firms interviewed by Rugnews.com, including Surya, Loloi, Couristan, Capel Rugs and Trans-Ocean. Companies making a strong push to build outdoor sales, such as Surya Outdoors, expect to see that figure increase.

But it's not just about the outdoors. Fashion-forward looks (cut-and-loops, high-low loops and wool-like appearances) are further blurring the definition of "outdoor" rugs. In addition to patios, porches, sunrooms and atriums, these stylish, but easy-care rugs are hitting the floor in greater numbers of bathrooms, kitchens, halls and entryways, utility rooms and kids rooms. They are even going under the billiard table in the family's entertainment center aka rec room.

In addition to  sales growth in outdoor rugs, Surya and Loloi have added or are expanding their outdoor accessory categories to capture a greater share of the outdoor market. Trans-Ocean has long been cross-merchandising. To generate larger tickets, these manufacturers are coordinating colors and design across category lines, upscaling fashion.  Other major rug producers, such as Couristan and Capel, joined their multi-category colleagues with an emphasis on new patterns, textures, and such colors as spiced-up earth tones persimmon, luminescent/pearly grays and blues, bold Navy blues, deep reds and lots of stripes) and textures.

Surya

Seth King, vice president - sales & marketing (left) and Jim Levine, vice president - Surya Outdoor


Surya, which first showed at the 2013 Chicago Casual Market , took a much larger space  for this 2014 to show more than 700 new outdoor products and several new categories.

The company's new categories include outdoor lighting, mirrors, ceramic planters, garden stools, hurricane lamps and candle holders in a variety of textures and finishes. The firm plans to become a one-stop source for coordinated home accessories.

"Surya wanted to grow the company, to connect the dots," ÂÂÂÂÂÂ?Θ?Ñ said Jim Levine, who has a strong retail background and was recently named as vice president of the new Surya Outdoor division. "This is a coming out party in a way," he added.

"One area we're tapping is unusual. There had been a void in outdoor lighting, not much selection, so this year we are introducing outdoor lamps,"  said Levine.

Indoor rugs, coordinated with the other accessories, represented about 15% of Surya rug sales last year, but with the new division, outdoor rugs and add-on accessories are expected to capture a greater share of sales. Retail prices for Surya Outdoor rugs (5x8) generally range from $129 to $600.

The company's new 1 million sq. ft.  warehouse in Cartersville, Ga. is expected to greatly enhance customer service, shipping products in two days once they arrive in inventory.

 

Loloi

Loloi's show coordinator, Michael Castell, shows off the bold new Oasis collection in polypropylene cut-and-loop.

 


Loloi, which
considers about 10% of its 119 rugs as outdoor rugs, expanded into pillows last year in order to increase sales, and to help retailers do the same.

 

"The same factories that make our rugs can make other textiles,"ÂÂÂÂÂÂ?Θ?Ñ said Michael Castell, trade show coordinator, noting that Loloi coordinates the rugs and pillows, often using the same pattern.

 At this market, Loloi introduced a bold-colored Oasis collection, with six cut-and-loop designs of polypropylene with a soft, wool-like appearance.

"Show-goers are looking for design, for color -- nothing boring," he said, noting strong interest from customer prospects. "I've seen more of an open-mindedness; perhaps a BBQ specialty store stopped by, thinking it might be able to sell some outdoor rugs." 

Retail prices for Loloi's outdoor rugs range from $200 to $519.

Trans-Ocean Imports

Liora Manne, chief drsigner for Trans Ocean in front of Mod Geo pattern in the Napa collection.

 

 

Trans-Ocean has long coordinated design and color across its rugs and pillows. This year's introductions, more than 50, showcased multilevel loop and high-low loop constructions, and lots of bright colors, such as "Sorrento," a wide stripe in what designer Liora Manne calls "happy colors" such as cotton candy pink, clear white, lime green and a soft gray. Other big color notes this year include several versions of teal blue and lettuce green.

New constructions were the Malibu collection, a polyester-polypropylene blend in a high-low loop; the Ravella collection, a hand-tufted, polyester-acrylic blend featuring glittery sea blues and coral/persimmon hues of orange; and Visions, using a lamontage process, in stripes and ocean waves.

Trans-Ocean's Front Porch novelty rug line, depicting pets, boats and other themes, has lots of new designs, including a pair of black dogs, facing each other, with an identifying flower behind her ear for the female. This line floors kids' rooms, mudrooms and laundry rooms.

"The outdoor category keeps growing,"  said designer Liora Manne. "It's the casual living lifestyle,  indoors and out.

 

Couristan

 

Steve Codella, Couristan executive vice president and Ron Couri, CEO, take time out to show the new lines at Chicago's International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market. 

Couristan Inc., which received a 2014 Design Excellence award for outdoor carpeting, rugs and flooringÂÂÂÂÂÂ?Θ?Ñ from the International Casual Furnishings Association, is looking to three new collections, and several new designs within popular existing collections, to grow its business. (To see full story on the Couristan award, click here:)

"Outdoor is becoming much more popular, " said Kaitlyn Higginson, company spokesperson. "We've added around 70 new pieces, but it still accounts for about 15 % of the company's lines, while indoor rugs are 85%"

New Couristan collections include the hand-hooked Beachfront collection, tied to the sea in azure, teal and other hues of blue, with a sophisticated fish design. The Cape collection, a high-low structured weave, in silvery, iridescent tones of the ocean and the beach, takes its names from the Cape Cod towns of Harwich, Hyannis, and Barnstable. 

And lots of new colors and patterns showed up in existing collections such as polypropylene flat weaves in subdued orange tones, ranging from persimmon and cayenne to terracotta. Blue is also big in lively colorations. Among eight new designs in the Covington collection are Nautical Stripes, a leaf motif and palm leaves. Suggested retail prices are $299.

Capel

Cameron Capel, vice president, national accounts for Capel, shows off new "Moor" pattern in Finesse collection, designed by HGTV's Genevieve Gorder.

Capel Rugs, which returned to the 2104 Casual Market Chicago after a few yearsâââââââ?≤?╟▄?╝?α?φ¬Å¡¬Å¡¬ââââââ?≤?╟▄?╝?α?φ¬Å¡¬Å¾¢ hiatus,  offered new patterns by its two design partners: Genevieve Gorder, designer and program host at HGTV, created "Moor"ÂÂÂÂÂÂ?Θ?Ñ for the company's Finesse collection; and fashion and textile designer Kevin O'Brien introduced his first outdoor rug, "Santorini."

The company unveiled several new patterns and colors, but existing lines still do very well, noted Cameron Capel, vice president-national accounts, pointing to the Finesse collection âââââ?≤?╟▄?╝?α?φ¬Å¡¬Åâââ?≤?╟▄?╝?α?φ¬Åâ?≤?╟▄?╝?α?╟úa trend-setter for indoor-outdoor rugs." ÂÂÂÂÂ?Θ?Ñ Capel showed six new patterns and eight fashion colors at this market.

Capel's Creative Concepts, a four-year-old custom rug program with a gray solution-dyed polypropylene base, is still extremely popular, with a choice of eight shapes and three Sunbrella border treatments. The Sunbrella patterns are changed each year, and a warm gray tone has replaced a light brown this year.

 

âââââ?≤?╟▄?╝?α?φ¬Å¡¬Åâââ?≤?╟▄?╝?α?φ¬Åâ?≤?╟▄?╝?α?╟úThese rugs are made in the U.S., and ship within two weeks," said Allen Robertson,Capel's vice president-sales, adding that "Made in the U.S.A."  factor is an important selling point."A lot of Capel retailers are in smaller towns, where people care about buying U.S. products," he said.

Most of Capel's  outdoor rugs retail between $99 to $399.

 

09.24.14

 (ED NOTE: Pat Terry is a free-lance writer based in Chicago. She has many years of experience writing about all aspects of the floor covering business.)


Visit the websites that support

www.Rugnews.com

 www. Capel.com

www.Couristan.com

www.Loloi.com

www. Transocean. com

www.Surya.com

 

 

 

 

 


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