HIGH POINT, N.C. -- High Point Market shoppers saw a flurry of new showroom openings, and indeed the area rug category was on a roll with a dozen ribbon cuttings, expansions, relocations, and even the addition of satellite showrooms.
"We doubled the size of our space this time around and are having a very busy market. Sales are strong, in spite of the slow start due to Hurricane Michael," said S&H Rug's Ori Wilbush, whose expansive new stand at the Suites at Market Square (SAMS), was brimming with customers.
Commensurate with rugs' climb to category-killer status in the home furnishings e-commerce arena, many rug vendors opened new or bigger showrooms seeking additional growth with interior designers -- also a major target of market organizers. Adeleh Nassri, trade program director at Unique Loom, which does 90 percent of its sales with online retailers, reported brisk business at its first Market Square showroom.
"We have just begun to target designers, so we decided to give High Point a try. We're based in Fort Mill, S.C., and High Point is kind of right in our backyard. We had a great response. We are one of the largest suppliers of one-of-a-kind rugs, which were very well received by designers here," she told RugNews.com.
Meanwhile, HRI doubled down on its High Point presence this market with a new Market Square Tower showroom to supplement its main IHFC space. "This new space will be open year-round catering to the design trade," said HRI's David Grasse, noting that the showroom "will essentially demonstrate how you can sample the entire HRI program and customize it with sample sizes."
Follow RugNews.com on our exclusive tour of the hottest new showrooms in High Point.
CREATIVE MATTERS
Amie Suttie and Madeleine Baigent of Creative Matters in Toronto, Ontario at the company's first Suites at Market Square booth.
The Creative Matters High Point Market stand introduced shoppers to the company's newest designs and high-end luxe custom capabilities.
FIBREWORKS
Joe Ramsey of broadloom company Fibreworks in Louisville, Kentucky says the company doubled its space at the Suites at Market Square, attracting more designers than ever before to its custom rug cut-and-sew program.
FIBRE BY AUSKIN
Auskin's Paige Geer, Erin Dowd, Sharra Lee Leonard and Mandy Coughlin open a new showroom in IHFC, returning to High Point as a permanent exhibitor after showing at Suites at Market Square for the past three years.
HAROUNIAN RUGS INTERNATIONAL
Joining IMC's Rhonda Jackson (left) to cut the ribbon for HRI's new satellite showroom located at High Point's Market Square Tower are David Grasse, Lee Harounian, Jay Britt-Brown and Diana Samuels, all from Harounian Rugs International
(read full story).
The new Harounian Rugs International showroom at Market Square Tower showcases the company's designer assortment and custom capabilities. The company also shows in IHFC.
KALATY
Ramin Kalaty, principal, takes time out to pose for RugNews.com at the soft opening of Kalaty's new IHFC showroom (
read full story).
Retailers and designers popped by the Kalaty showroom, which will be completely refurnished for the spring show, telling the company's sales reps they missed shopping the brand since it left market a few years ago.
MEVA
Sean Campbell and Chris Amos of IMC with Meva's, Siddharth Baranwal, Michael McKinley, Anurag Baranwal, Mike Bongiorno and Greg Bongiorno of Potato Barn and Deadra Weston of IMC.
Meva welcomes guests to its new IFHC showroom with a display featuring its new organic rug collection coordinated with its furniture introductions.
S&H RUGS
Ori Wilbush, center, talks with a customer at S&H Rugs' new, expanded showroom at the Suites at Market Square (
read full story).
SAMAD
Bryon Hamilton, Nicole Samad and David Samad at the company's new showroom at Market Square Tower. Behind them is a dramatic rug from Samad's hit Shiburi collection.
The reception area of Samad's jewel-box of a showroom in Market Square Tower entices customers with a sampling of design styles.
SPICHER AND COMPANY
Spicher & Company: IMC's Dorothy Amos and Alysha Simko and Logan Leonard of Spicher and Company with Janice Lassiter of IMC.
STARK STUDIO RUGS/PRESTIGE CARPETS
Karen Wood and Jessica Hill of International Market Centers hold the ribbon for Stark Studio Rugs' Taylor van der Mandele and Steve Codella at the company's Historic Market Square showroom opening (
read full story).
The beautiful architectural details of Historic Market Square provide a backdrop for one of a kind area rugs stacked in the huge rear showroom of the new Stark Studio Rugs second floor space.
TUFAN
Tufan Rugs celebrates its new IHFC showroom with Holly Allred of IMC,, Tufan's Sina Sadri, Ray Hashemi, Fariborz Alavi, Fred Omidfar, Teresa Diaz, Shelby Furgeson, and Dorothy Amos of IMC.
A showstopping over-dyed vintage Persian rug caught buyers' eyes at the entrance to the Tufan's new showroom.
UNIQUE LOOM
Unique Loom opens its first High Point showroom at the fall event
(read more). From left: Adeleh Nassri, Jane Seymour, Jill Zarin, Jasmine Nassri, Johnny Nassri, and Justin Lopez of Unique Loom.
A dramatic rug from Unique Loom's Ultra Vintage collection was a smash hit with High Point Market shoppers. The collection repurposes 50+ year-old rugs from Iran with an over-dyeing process to update them with modern colors.