Kaleen's custom Melted rug, in the foreground, left, and Hilary Farr's Knotted Earth rug, hanging to its right, greeted buyers stopping by the showroom.

HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Kaleen's fall 2020 High Point Market was the first show that the rug maker participated in since the nationwide shutdowns began earlier this year, and while business wasn't as usual, participating in High Point proved worthwhile. In fact, many area rug exhibitors, including Kaleen, have reported that not only are retailers and designers hungry for new product, they need in-stock products to re-stock dwindling supplies.

"In-person markets remain an essential part of our marketing and sales plans," Monty Rathi, CEO, Kaleen told RugNews.com. "We gained a few new customers and wrote some excellent orders during the High Point market in October. It was not our usual fall market by far, but as long as the sales outweigh the costs and we can keep our people healthy and safe, then we will continue to move forward with in-person markets."


Kaleen showcased a custom Greek key design from its Anegada collection in its High Point space for fall 2020 market.

The company's Brian Brigham explained that, "Most of our showroom visitors were designers, but we also saw some regional retailers, and a few national buyers. We feel that our markets are probably going to remain regional through 2021 and until a vaccine for COVID is available to the general public."


Machine-made area rugs, such as the new light-weight Arteck collection of abstract designs, were a top pick at Kaleen's showroom for buyers who were looking for e-commerce friendly area rugs.

High Point attendees who visited the Kaleen showroom had some specific boxes they wanted to check. "Buyers that stopped by our showroom were looking something special, like our Hilary Farr collection, which is now fully in stock; rugs for e-commerce, such as our machine-mades and outdoor; and were generally interested mostly in rugs that were in stock," Rob Stone, regional vice president, Kaleen, told RugNews.com. "This High Point Market our machine-made rugs were the strongest sellers -- we really expanded our offering in this segment over the year and it was a natural draw for our customers. The price points on these collections in a 5x8 range anywhere from $99-$299 depending on type of yarn, country of origin, etc."


Kaleen grows its indoor-outdoor offering by adding new geometric designs to the Bora collection for High Point Market shoppers.

Kaleen took steps in advance of High Point to offset the impact of reduced traffic by adjusting its staffing levels and showroom updates. "Luckily we were smart and planned for an uncertain turnout and did what we are calling 'Market Lite,' meaning we kept expenses way down by doing minimal improvements to the showroom, which in turn resulted in less labor and freight," Brigham said. "We also kept our staff as minimal as possible so that the cost savings would help offset the predicted low turnout of customers."


Kaleen's light-weight Eclectic collection attracted buyers seeking machine-made area rugs that are e-commerce friendly.


The open-back machine-made Kendo collection by Kaleen features cool toned color palettes combined with updated traditional design motifs.


Kaleen introduced the hand-woven blended wool Mila collection, featuring macrame-like detailing, long oversized tassels and raised geometric designs.


Kaleen's machine-made Nashville collection features distressed designs in a range of styles in a warm palette that resonated with show shoppers.


The printed Nora collection by Kaleen debuted at High Point this fall and is a lightweight affordable range with trendy vibrant Boho-friendly looks.


Serenia's machine-made vintage style layers vibrant colors on top of a soft neutral base and is open-backed making it ideal for e-commerce.


Kaleen's latest outdoor rugs, such as the new machine-made Tierra collection of tribal motifs, were popular with High Point buyers.


The vintage-style Tiziano collection by Kaleen, made in Egypt, includes classic, transitional, and modern motifs -- each constructed with light to heavy distressing.


Kaleen's PureLife all-natural carpets debuted in-person at High Point for the first time and offers an eco-friendly, non-toxic and hypoallergenic friendly construction for buyers seeking special product.