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High Point, Show Recap

HRI High Point Market: Growing Sales Team, Digital Outreach, Performance Rugs Boost 2020

HRI relied heavily on its expanded sales force, digital communication, and its new performance area rugs and hand-knotted collections to boost Q3 and Q4 revenues.

RugNews.com Editors
12/7/2020
Painterly style rug in early browns
HRI's debuts the new Sunbrella 1000 collection, adding a more attainable machine-made price point to its successful collaboration.

HIGH POINT, N.C. -- With an expanded sales team, the largest in company history, Harounian Rugs International (HRI) headed to High Point Market to showcase its expanded Sunbrella performance collection and its hand-knotted area rug assortment. Despite slow traffic at High Point Market, where most of the buyers stopping by the HRI showroom were designers, HRI wasn't just relying on market attendance to generate sales growth. Instead it focused on constant digital communications with its existing clients and potential customers -- and strong stock position -- to boost 2020 sales above 2019 levels. "So far we have had an increase in every quarter over 2019," Greg Jordt, executive vice president, sales and marketing, told RugNews.com. "There is no doubt that our strong sales are the result of constant communication with our customers, as well as a strong in stock position. 

"From our expanding Sunbrella collections to handmade collections like LaJolla made of 100 percent PET yarns, our commitment to 'performance' constructions in on trend colors and designs has been the primary factor behind our strong sales performance this year," he continued.

"Despite the low attendance at High Point this October, we are getting it done this year without markets. Our sales force has been fantastic in creating new and innovative ways tailored to work with their existing accounts, as well as potential new accounts in their territories." He said the company has been relying on special e-blasts, virtual showroom tours, individual Zoom presentations, and advertising to grow the HRI's business in 2020.

Jordt pointed out that HRI owes a lot of its success this year to its Sunbrella collaboration's performance rugs, which launched in October of last year. “Performance fibers are on trend and important, and this brand name is like Coca-Cola. Sunbrella rugs get us in the door, and that opens up to showing our other things." For fall 2020, HRI added a new Sunbrella collection, which expands the program to include a more affordable line. The machine-made Sunbrella 1000 collection with abstract patterns and a promotional price point in Sunbrella yarn, boasts a five-year warranty on fading. 

Among the other HRI offerings that resonated with High Point shoppers were hand-made textural and easy to decorate with designs. New to the market is Sparkle, a handmade rug made of five fibers, including linen, wool, viscose and lurex, with a chunky textured pebble look. The hand-loomed Laguna features a dense textured chainstitch weave in tweeded wool and linen yarns. And, Birdseed has a wool ground with a pattern highlighted in lustrous viscose. Finally, Arctic Terrain banks on success HRI has had with simple striping and textures. This hand-knotted densely textured construction of cut and loop pile is made of wool and Tencel yarns in soft colorations.


HRI's new handmade Arctic Terrain collection offers a dense textured construction of cut and loop pile is made of wool and Tencel yarns.



Handmade constructions, such as La Jolla, resonated with designers at HRI's High Point showroom.




The hand-loomed Laguna by HRI offers a densely textured chainstitch weave in tweeded wool and linen.



With a chunky textured pebble look, the new handmade Sparkle collection by HRI is crafted of linen, wool, viscose and lurex.
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