By Andrea Lillo
Attendees to last month’s Atlanta International Area Rug Market saw manufacturers launch new categories and designs in order to offer retailers freshness for their selling floors.
Lower price points continued to be key, and manufacturers responded accordingly. Several companies debuted collections made of polyacrylic. Oriental Weavers, for example, premiered Utopia, a hand-tufted viscose line in polyacrylic that will retail for about $199 for a 5-by-8-foot, said Aaron Gray, marketing director. Designs included floral looks, as well as a solid color line that had a corduroy look.
Surya also bowed a polyacrylic line for the juvenile market. “You can get really great color from polyacrylic,” said Al Mortensen, creative director. The juvenile collection of 4-, 6-, and 9-foot rounds offer designs for baby and older kids aged five to 12 and then styles for both boys and girls. A 4-foot round will retail for about $99.
In addition, Surya pushed its retail package sets, which include a coordinating rug, two pillows, a throw, and wall art, at three retail price points: $399, $699 and $999.
Karastan showed its first area rug line with Dupont’s Sorona, a new fiber made partially of corn that is stain resistant and which parent company Mohawk is already using in its broadloom. The new Karastan collection is called Mamma Mia, a solid color shag line.
“It’s a different color palette from what you would normally see in shags,” said Anne Carley, marketing director, and its mineral colors were received well at market.
In addition, Karastan debuted its Woven Impressions grouping of transitional designs, which was influenced by home furnishings fabrics. “Fashion designers used a lot of these fabrics this year,” such as ikats, Carley said. “Textiles inspired a bit of ready-to-wear this year.”
“Atlanta was noticeably soft, but most of the buyers represented were major accounts,” said Amir Loloi, president, Loloi Rugs, in a release. “Everyone has high expectations for fall and they know they have to add newness and freshness to their product assortment.”
Loloi expanded into the accent rug business, with about 20 different programs. “The market needed freshness in accents,” Loloi told HFN. “We offer a different viewpoint.” Materials included chenilles, skins, and natural leather. The bath category was also a part of the launch.
Kaleen’s Paula Deen collection also added accents at this market. In either 20-by-32-inch and 27-by-48-inch sizes, the group consists of fun, bright designs.