TROY, N.C. -- Fresh products from its licensed designers and an assortment of special promotions and showroom perks, proved a successful formula for Capel Rugs during High Point Market earlier this month, the company stated. According to Capel, the company recorded a 41 percent increase in showroom traffic for the first two days of market compared to the same period from April 2015's High Point Market. In addition, Capel noted a "healthy" increase in written orders, as retailers responded positively to a wide range of new designs.
"Business has been a bit tough for many retailers, so they came into our showroom looking for innovative products that offer a sharp value and a fresh look," said Cameron Capel, vice president of national accounts. "With Capel, they know they'll always find outstanding quality and attractive styling at prices that they are confident will sell. As a result, we had a really fantastic market with active placements across the line."
Crafted of a hand-tufted wool and viscose blend, Shattered offered buyers a novel take on contemporary geometric designs. Suggested retail $649 in 5x8.
Contributing to Capel's success this market was its new "Uniquely Capel" initiative, which offered retailers a chance to relax and recharge while in the showroom. Amenities included free chair massages provided by licensed massage therapists, Starbucks coffee, an assortment of candy and Bellini cocktails in the afternoon and evening. The company also provided charging stations for mobile devices.
"Uniquely Capel is all about making our dealers' jobs easier during market," said Capel. "We wanted our showroom to be an inviting place where they could take a break from all the hustle and bustle that fills a typical day at market. The program was a big hit, and we'll do it again at this summer's Atlanta and Las Vegas markets."
Among the top sellers were two new additions to the popular Williamsburg line of licensed "trend meets tradition" rugs called Ashland and Shalimar Resist (
read more here). The first jacquard constructions Capel has produced for the Williamsburg range, both collections feature a blend of viscose, wool and cotton for a rich, textural feel with a touch of sheen. In addition, Capel Rugs also added three new colors to the program's Filigree collection, a transitional/traditional design with an over-scale damask pattern.
Added to the popular Williamsburg program, Shalimar Resist, shown in Taupe, offered a subtle sheen and textural twist that appealed to buyers.
"Buyers loved the look and feel of Ashland and Shalimar Resist, and the new on-trend colors added to Filigree of green, grey and indigo also were very well received," Capel said.
Also eliciting a positive response from retailers was Kevin O'Brien's new machine-woven Caravan collection of six patterns. Made of 100 percent olefin, suggested retail is $399 for a 5'3" x 7'6".
Also popular were two designs interpreting the popular global tribal trend (the hand-woven over-tufted wool Zulu, $549 in 5x8) and contemporary angular motif (the hand-tufted wool-viscose blend Shattered, $649 in 5x8).
"We're always on the cutting edge of emerging trends," said Capel. "Shattered provides retailers with a very novel contemporary design, while Zulu delivers a colorful look with distinct African influences that could work in a variety of room settings."
In addition, retailers were also interested in the hand-knotted designs of Siam, a collection of four geometric designs crafted of pure wool, with a suggested retail for $1,849 in 5'6" x 8'6".
"Retailers were shopping for new merchandise across a broad range of price points this market, both promotional and higher-end," said Capel. She added that Capel introduced Siam in Atlanta this January but "this was the first time our High Point buyers had seen this exciting new design."