Rachel Ray Home rugs have been designed to complement Ray's furniture for Craftmaster, and will be on display at Kaleen's showroom and in room vignettes at Craftmaster during the upcoming market.
EYE ON FURNITURE STORES
A year in the making, the rug program is intended to grow Kaleen's business with furniture stores according to Blake Dennard, senior vice president, Kaleen. "Rachael Ray Home really enhances our placement in the furniture side of the business because the brand is so strong with the regional major players in her programs with Legacy Classic Furniture and Craftmaster Furniture for upholstery," he explained, adding, "Our products are built for the furniture business."
TARGETING THE RACHEL RAY CUSTOMER
Dennard said that Kaleen's overarching goal was to create a line that would be a perfect fit for the Rachel Ray buyer that's really looking for durable rugs at a very good value. "It was really important to find that perfect fit her customer, and we were fortunate to be able to work with her design team on the collection.
"Most of her customers are mothers with kids in the house, looking for something durable, and we are completing the total Rachael Ray look with rugs that are direct coordinates to the Craftmaster upholstery. The colorations came directly from the furniture groups," he said.
THREE DEBUTING COLLECTIONS
For the launch, Kaleen will offer three Rachael Ray Home collections. The Rachael Ray Highline range includes 10 traditional cross-tufted rugs in space-dyed wool with borders retailing at $399 in 5x8. The Rachael Ray Upstate collection offers 10 machine-made traditional rugs with vintage distressing retailing at $299 in 5x8. The final collection, Rachael Ray Soho, includes 14 transitional hand-tufted rugs in polyacrylic, also with a $299 retail.
Fibers and constructions were selected to hold up to the abuse that they will see in the home and on the furniture store selling floor. "In a furniture store the rugs will be on the floor in a setting you really have to have a product that is put together well to withstand that abuse."
He said Kaleen will encourage furniture stores to merchandise the rugs in vignettes and furniture settings. "We want to make it as simple as possible for these furniture stores to get and show our product and quite frankly I would rather have it on their sales floor than on a rack. When the consumer comes in and sees the full set, the rug is an accessory to an entire look. It is easier to visualize on the floor, rather than going to a rack to find something to coordinate with your furniture."
The Rachael Ray rug program will be expanded regularly with continuous introductions at subsequent High Point Markets, Dennard said.