COURISTAN OPENS HIGH POINT SHOWROOM; TARGETS MULTIPLE RETAIL CHANNELS WITH RUGS AND BROADLOOM
The Couristan team cuts the ribbon for its brand new Showplace showroom brimming with new looks and amenities for High Point shoppers. From left, Charles Romano, Len Andolino, Ron Couri, Lynn Dunn, Steve Couri, and Larry Mahurter. |
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Couristan greeted a broad swath of retailers, from furniture stores and department stores, to catalog houses and e-commerce accounts at its new High Point showroom, Showplace 2350, at the fall 2017 High point Market.
Celebrating its return to High Point with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 15, the company displayed its carpeting and area rug assortments with over 400 rugs on view in 8x11 or 5x8 sizes, including a number of new polypropylene and outdoor introductions.
At the new showroom, Ron Couri, president and CEO, told RugNews.com the company had been in High Point's IHFC building for 27 years before leaving for the Las Vegas World Center when it opened. "We've been waiting for the right space in High Point, but none that were available in IHFC met our criteria. We liked this one in Showplace because it is more modern -- it has natural light and very high ceilings.
The spacious new Couristan showroom offers High Point shoppers a broad range of products, from the plush Bromley machine-made collection of solids and Moroccan styles (center foreground) to the hand-knotted Casbah collection (right, on rack) of undyed wool and undyed viscose.
"We are back and we have a bunch of appointments," Ron Couri continued. Asked what customers are looking for, he said it ranges by retail channel. "Some people shop outdoor now because it's October, and they want shipments in January and February. We are big in outdoor goods -- it's a big part of our business today. They're also looking at high end hand-mades and handcrafted rugs which are good for furniture stores."
George Couri, chairman and COO, explained that the new 5,000 foot space was a "last minute opportunity for a permanent showroom. The timing was right. In the past our rug line wasn't as strong for the furniture industry, but it's strong now and we are looking for furniture stores and big boxes here."
A vignette at Couristan's High Point Market showroom presents designs from the new Gypsy collection (Chartres on wall), which is power-loomed in Turkey of heatset Courtron polypropylene cross-woven on Wilton looms.
Larry Mahurter, VP of marketing told RugNews.com, the company's ladder displays were well received. "They don't take up too much room in flooring or furniture stores, and the full rugs can be sold from the display's 2x4 samples," he said. Mahurter noted that Couristan's High Point assortment was focused on transitional and easy living decor, with a combination of bright fashion colors and soft neutral palettes. "Our range of pricing runs from $99 retail 5x8 to $999 retail 5x8, including all price points in between."
While Couristan's showroom had vignette displays of its outdoor rugs, Ron Couri told RugNews.com that hand loomed outdoor broadloom is also a key growth category for Couristan. "We were the first to do broadloom; there might be a little bit out there from others, but nothing like ours. You might not realize this, but people put outdoor carpet around their pools in California and Florida. It's growing. And it continues to grow with custom capabilities." Although outdoor rugs have finite sizes, he noted, "but with the custom rug program the consumer can have any size they want in 12-foot widths."
Couristan displays its range of outdoor rugs in a High Point Market vignette featuring the Afeura, Outdoor Escapes, Monaco and Recife collections.
Mahurter said Couristan will be expanding its outdoor broadloom offerings dramatically at the January Surfaces Show in Las Vegas. "Our 2018 colors are right on-trend; coincidentally we're hearing from customers that the colors are right in sync with those of major outdoor living fabric and furniture wholesalers," he said.
The amenity-rich space includes reclining massage chairs for customers as well as an internet café and private conference spaces.