BLAIRSVILLE, PA - Patusan Trading Co., an Oriental rug importer and wholesaler,  has initiated a new consulting service aimed at high-end furniture retailers who are interested in entering the Oriental rug business.

Services include on-site assistance in purchasing, hiring, training, promoting, gallery set-up and establishing integrated Oriental rug merchandising programs, according to Bill McConnell, president.

Since 1980 Patusan has conducted Oriental rug trunk shows  hosted by high-end furniture retailers. "We do approximately 200 to 250 rug shows a year,€VbCrLf said McConnell.  The shows have been held in such furniture stores as Frederick Ducklow, Portend, PA., Ennis  in Boise ID, Furniture Classic in Anchorage, Frank Patton Interiors in St. Louis and Bahney's Furniture in Myerstown, PA.

McConnell said he got the idea for initiating the consulting service from his own customers. After hosting a few Patusan trunk shows, several stores such as Gabbert's of Minneapolis and Toms Price in Chicago successfully launched their own rug departments.

"We're a relatively small  company and our business model is somewhat different from other rug importers,€VbCrLf said McConnell. "For example, we don't have showrooms in Atlanta or High Point. However, we do show rugs in such high end furniture showrooms as Karges, Hickory White and Ardleigh Hall. That's how many of our store  contacts are made.€VbCrLf

Patusan's specializes in high end hand knotted rugs from India, China, Pakistan and Nepal. The wool and silk rugs have an average retail price of approximately $6,000 in 9 by 12 size.

Patusan's new services were established to fill the needs of larger furniture retailers who want to develop comprehensive in-house Oriental rug marketing and merchandising plans, according to McConnell.

He emphasized  that selling Oriental rugs is not like selling furniture. "Even though the high-end furniture market and the Oriental rug market share common demographics, rugs require special expertise, physical labor, pricing and material handling methods that are different from furniture,€VbCrLf he noted.

The biggest obstacle faced by furniture retailers entering the Oriental rug market is their lack of expertise and the shortage of experts available for hire, McConnell noted. 

"We will help locate and train candidates to become Oriental rug department managers, assistant managers and salespeople."  Patusan also provides sourcing help and  staff for on-site training and training manuals containing product knowledge, sales techniques and rug care.

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