LAS VEGAS BUSINESS REPORT: RUG EXECS EXPECT BUSY MARKET, OFFER PLENTY OF LAUNCHES
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LAS VEGAS -- Las Vegas Market, since opening its Building A doors in 2005, has grown to three buildings with more to come, and a show that area rug companies count on to kick off the year with a bang. And 2020 proves no exception.
In fact, winter market in Vegas in 2020 sees several rug makers -- Dynamic Rugs, Feizy, HRI and Kaleen -- roll out their largest new product introductions in their companies' histories. These additions span price-points and qualities ranging from entry level machine-made indoor-outdoor rugs to high-end machine-mades to intricately crafted hand-knotted and one of a kinds. Some are heading back to the middle-market hoping to boost ticket prices and margins with better products, including hand-made qualities, to fill in their rug offerings this winter.
What's more, many rug players, among them Capel, Rizzy Home, Oriental Weavers and Rug & Kilim, grow market favorites, adding new designs to some of their best-selling collections providing Vegas buyers plenty of tried and true favorites to refresh their assortments.
Another, popular strategy to boost market share in a competitive landscape is to offer an expanded selection of broadloom designs that will amp up custom and cut-and-sew programs. Couristan, Kaleen, HRI and Nourison all announce major news in the category at winter markets.
Below, RugNews.com checks in with rug executives presenting their winter debuts in Las Vegas for the first time. We also surveyed area rug players who showed at Atlanta Market earlier this month, many also exhibiting in Vegas, and outlined their strategies for that market and beyond (read full story).
CAPEL
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Capel grows its popular Avanti collection with this new Oushak design.
"Vegas is an important market for Capel. Not only do we see our West Coast retailers, we also have East and Midwest larger retailers and international customers visit," Cameron Capel said. "Our construction, quality and price points are inching up -- which is great for retailers from a margin standpoint. We have a good, better, best assortment that assists our customers in selling up the consumer. Not everyone is looking for the cheapest rug they can find." Looking ahead for 2020, she said, "Politically, our country is still challenged and polarized. That makes for a nervous consumer, however I am hopeful the positive upswing we have been experiencing will continue."
Capel is expanding one of its best-selling lines, Avanti, adding traditional designs modernized by contemporary colorways. The the seven additions to the Avanti collection, which is hand-tufted of wool in India, include Eleanor in ice blue; Kazak in slate terra; Keshan in red/navy; Medallion in ivory/denim; Oushak in natural/multi; Panel in greystone; and Wyman in ink. (Read more about Capel's winter introductions.)
COURISTAN
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In addition to boosting its performance rugs for winter shoppers Couristan adds Vibrata, featuring a very dense luxe pile and one million points per square meter.
Couristan expects its mid-priced area rugs and growing outdoor assortment (among the company's top-selling categories) to be popular with Vegas market-goers; and expects its latest broadloom designs -- showcased at the concurrent Surfaces show (kicking of on Tuesday, Jan. 28), to kick-start the year with strong business (read more).
"Our expectations are high for 2020, as we continue to develop products for each of our distribution channels," said Larry Mahurter, vice president of marketing and advertising. "We are learning quickly that products have become more distribution classified than ever before and we are working with our channels to develop products that will thrive in today's market."
Couristan's latest area rugs target its various distribution channels and it is showcasing three new collections that passed muster at High Point Market. New designs are being added to its veined Marblehead collection, crafted of soft touch of frieze and shrink polyester in sizes up to 9x13; Vibrata, a range of very dense luxe pile, one million points per square meter, in a blend of 60 percent space-dyed viscose and 40 percent shrink polyester; and the performance indoor-outdoor Fresco, woven of heat-set Courtron polypropylene, with raised accents to provide an over-tufted effect.
DYNAMIC RUGS
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Dynamic Rugs, in addition to presenting its first licensed program with Angelo Surmelis, amps up its assortment with Refine, a cross-woven blend of two-level shrink polyester and viscose with fringe. Shown, 4634-895
Dynamic Rugs announces its new licensed program with designer and TV celeb Angelo Surmelis and rolls out the partnership's first collection at Vegas. That, along with the addition of new hand-made constructions, are expected to boost winter business (read full story).
"Winter market will surely be busy," said Anoosha Rouhanian, head of business development at the Frederick, Maryland company. "Our machine-mades continue to be strong, but customers are noticing some gaps in the hand-made category that we are ready to fill with our large variety of fresh, new hand-made rugs. Subtle texture with a shine appears to be the strongest aesthetic. While our top selling rug collection continues to be Quartz, our Castilla collection is coming in a very close second."
FEIZY RUGS
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Feizy's hand-knotted Siena, crafted of pure wool, offers a saturated palette of berry reds and henna browns. Shown, 962-6587F
Feizy Rugs doubles its market introductions this winter in Vegas, adding machine-mades, indoor-outdoor collections, hand-knotted and vintage rugs (read full story). While machine-made collections have proven strong performers for the past two years at the Dallas-based company, that doesn't mean the Feizy isn't investing in tufted, hand-knotteds and one of a kind rugs.
"We are expecting a fabulous market," Justin Yeck, our VP of sales, marketing and product development told RugNews.com. "We doubled our new introductions for this January market and are really excited to share fresh new designs."
The Feizy showroom will highlight new and best-selling pieces curated into trend-focused vignettes such as Opulence, Tech Play, Natural Wonders, Mankind, and Inner Peace, with pieces coordinated across constructions and price points (read more).
HAROUNIAN RUGS INTERNATIONAL
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HRI debuts the new Sunbrella collection for Las Vegas market-goers, growing the line to 100 designs. Shown, S6-02
Harounian Rugs International (HRI) starts winter with performance fiber heavy-weight Sunbrella, amping up its assortment for Vegas shoppers and hosting a special launch party for shoppers. The company is also introducing six new HRI label hand-made collections (read full story).
"The combination of six new hand-made collections in addition to the extensive Sunbrella offering will make this LasVegas Market our largest product launch in the company's history," said Greg Jordt, HRI, EVP, sales & marketing. The big news for Vegas shoppers is that Vegas buyers will get their first look at the recently debuted Sunbrella collaboration, which adds fresh constructions, including custom hand-loomed designs and broadloom this January. "2020 will be the year of 'performance' in accent area rugs," Jordt added."
KALEEN
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Kaleen introduces Vegas buyers to its new Hilary Farr collection. Shown, Global Attitude, HGA03-29
With its largest new product rollout ever, Kaleen focuses its Vegas debuts not only on its well-received new license program with TV celebrity Hilary Farr, but also new additions to its Kaleen brand of area rugs and its
debuting all-natural broadloom Pure Life selection.
Market shoppers will be able to check out five new machine-made collections, three tufted ones, two hand-knots and two hand-loomed assortments. "Appoints are very good we are going to have a busy market," COO Monty Rathi told RugNews.com. "We ended 2019 really up from 2018, and 2020 will be very strong." said Rathi.
"Of course we are most excited about introducing Hilary's six new collections to the West Coast. We have had an extremely positive response to Hilary and her area rug collections. We feel that our customers love her designs and that they bring something unique to the industry."
ORIENTAL WEAVERS
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Oriental Weavers introduces market-goers to its new Savoy, featuring updated traditional motifs in soft colorations. Shown, 28101
Oriental Weavers' Made in America strategy is anticipated to continue to pay dividends heading into 2020 as the company keeps the focus on U.S. buyers seeking domestically made product in innovative constructions. "We have actually been the beneficiary of the trade agreements or lack thereof with China," said Jonathan Witt, president. We have been approached by those retailers [looking for alternatives to China] to offer new replacement programs. So we feel Q1 and Q2 of 2020 should be very strong and we will pick up additional market share."
Among the new releases, which include the Savoy collection of delicate classic motifs, are several line extensions to the popular Atlas collection, crafted of a mixture of lustrous and matte yarns. Atlas is machine woven in the U.S. of a nylon and polypropylene blend, and features a heavy, dense, soft pile.
RIZZY HOME
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Rizzy Home grows its Hybrid collection, adding four new constructions, including Premier (shown, PMR103), an intricate power-loomed assortment made of New Zealand Wool accented with a Tencel, nylon, wool blend.
Rizzy Home grows its exclusive Hybrid collection, which builds on the success of its popular Gossamer, Artistry and Impressions series, with four new lines. The four assortments -- Ovation, Premier, Platinum and Couture -- broaden the constructions and price points reached. "We are very optimistic heading in to the Las Vegas Market!," Steve Roan, managing director, the Americas, said. "Our appointment calendar is up at this point compared to last year, and customer optimism seems to be very positive.'
Additionally Rizzy Home will debut new textiles and rugs available from its Connie Post collection and Donny Osmond Home.
RUG & KILIM
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Rug & Kilim, which returns to Las Vegas Market, introduces the distressed Homage collection. Shown, 19453
Rug & Kilim, among the Las Vegas Market's People's Choice finalists (
read more) and celebrating its 40th anniversary, returns to Vegas showcasing its new distressed-style Homage collection, its Texture of Color lines, and also its award-winning Scandinavian collection, which expands with a number of new looks in a variety of constructions (pile, flatweave, outdoor and all-natural hemp & aloe).
"Wholesale is young for us but is growing very quickly," said Cyrus Nazmiyal, vice president of the New York showroom. "We anticipate permanent showrooms in both High Point and Vegas in the near future.
"The emphasis is on Scandinavian and growing its outreach with smaller gift stores and stock rug stores but Homage will be well received in Vegas, as well as High Point Markets. Our Texture of Color has maintained a presence in all our customers showrooms as great go-tos and which we are building stock in 8x10 to 12x15."
UNIQUE LOOM
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Unique Loom introduces the updated tribal looks of Arabia at winter market in Las Vegas. Shown, 3148391
Unique Loom, which debuted at Las Vegas Market in January 2019, showcases its latest power-loomed and handmade designs. "2019 was an excellent year for Unique Loom to say the least," said Whitney Hodge. "And, 2020, will be even better not because of the current rug demand, but because we are just getting started!"
"For winter market we are introducing rug collections that offer a play on today's current trends. For example our Mesa Collection has high-low pile made out of 100 percent wool for texture and our Decatur Rug is made out of 100 percent recycled cotton offering a truly natural element to any space."
The company's market events also draw buyers hoping to meet with one of Unique Loom's collaborators, like TV celebrity Jill Zarin and TV personality/designer Sabrina Soto, and this season will also include special showroom visits. On Sunday, Jan. 26 from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. shoppers can catch up with Zarin, and on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Soto, Donna Moss and Kimberly Joi McDonald host a CEU panel called Build Your Brand 101.