Kaleen's new Artecks collection, machine-made of polyester in Turkey, is lightweight and ideal for e-commerce retailers.
DALTON, Ga. -- Kaleen Rugs & Broadloom has seen sales rise, bolstered by its latest outdoor and indoor machine-machine area rugs, which have proven strong sellers online, and the company expects to end the year on a high note.
"Our summer performance overall was pretty good, given all of the hurdles that everyone has been facing," Monty Rathi, COO, Kaleen, told RugNews.com. "Summer is typically great for us due to the outdoor rug season, but this summer we had record-breaking unit sales. Our outdoor and machine-made indoor rugs more than doubled in sales so far this year because they are light weight and perfect for e-commerce.
"The entire industry has been experiencing the same thing -- brick and mortar business is down as stores and shops were closed," Rathi continued. "But, we are already seeing a rise in sales and expect to see this business come back very strong in the fourth quarter."
In fact, earlier this year Kaleen brought its new production facility in India online after shifting area rug manufacturing away from China, where the company had produced some of its outdoor rugs. The move has allowed the company to grow its capacity and re-focus on its outdoor assortment and the company introduced several new indoor-outdoor collections, including the addition of new designs to its popular Zuma Beach, rolling out Amalia, Cabo and Tierra, and introducing the outdoor Bora collection for summer 2020 Las Vegas shoppers.
The new Bora collection of outdoor geometric design rugs debuts for summer shoppers.
"Buyers in the industry seem to be saying similar things – 'we need more product'," Rathi said. "Just take a trip to any home décor store in your area, and more than likely, you will see that the shelves have been picked bare. None of us could have predicted the amount of product that consumers are demanding. The stay at home orders inspired consumers to take a good look at their surroundings both inside and out, and provided them the time to refresh their spaces."
"Here at Kaleen, we honestly have been coping great with the new normal and haven't had to change a lot on our business's rug side," he continued. "Of course, we adjusted our strategies on products and styles, which we feel we did very early on in the pandemic and helped minimize any substantial loss."
LATEST KALEEN AREA RUG INTRODUCTIONS
The hand-woven wool Marl collection features a rustic hand-sewn edge and is backed with Kaleen’s signature cotton canvas.
Kaleen's new Marl collection of all wool active-solid area rugs is hand-woven with a single pile and is hand-serged and finished. It features Kaleen signature cotton backing.
The new Nora collection of printed traditional designs by Kaleen are open backed and light weight.
Kaleen also rolls out the affordably priced Nora collection of machine-made polyester area rugs. These rugs feature printed traditional designs in contemporary palettes. With small fringe details, the designs are open backed and light weight.
Inspired by Gothic architecture, Soumela reworks classic looks in traditional color palettes.
Kaleen rolls out Soumela, an assortment of detailed traditional designs in traditional and contemporary color combinations. Machine-made in Turkey from 100 percent polyester, Soumela rugs are open backed, making them lightweight and easy to move.
The new outdoor Tierra collection, inspired by South American motifs, is machine made of polypropylene.
Among Kaleen's latest outdoor introductions, the Tierra collection incorporates intricate designs that are reminiscent of ancient coastal cultures. In palettes of warm greys, stony blacks, and sandy tans, the range is machine-made in Turkey of 100 percent polypropylene, its durable fibers fade and heat resistant to withstand high-traffic areas in the home.
HIGH POINT MARKET PLANS
"Kaleen will be attending the fall High Point Market, said Brian Brigham, director of marketing and public relations. "We will be featuring all of our 2020 introductions, with a large focus on our beautiful and e-commerce friendly machine-made rugs. Our Melted rug [shown at Domotex 2020 and the January Las Vegas Market] will also be on display as we have not had a chance to debut it on the East Coast due to COVID. We are currently working on a few more exciting things that we will share as the market gets closer, so keep a lookout for them."
The show-stopping Kaleen Melted Rug is a custom fabricated from the Agera collection introduced at Domotex 2020 and winter Las Vegas Market