Among the top-selling rugs at Carpet & Tile Mart is the ultra-plush and textured Dreamy Shag collection by Nourison.
Shown, DRS10
SPECIAL REPORT -- Flooring dealers who sell rugs have continued to cope with consumer uncertainty and unpredictability in the first half of 2024. Despite the challenges, they continue to invest in the category and expect sales in the first half of the year to be comparable to the same period a year earlier, with some reporting an uptick in sales. Looking ahead to the remainder of the year, dealers note that presidential elections typically make for an unpredictable sales environment for the second half -- yet they still expect the year to finish close to 2023.
Rugnews.com reached out to flooring dealers from Maine to California for their views in this exclusive mid-year report.
CARPET & TILE MART (New Castle, Delaware)
In the words of: Igor Yakovenko, rug buyer
"We were off by a couple of points in 2023, but the margins were healthy. I'm happy because after some really high highs, this was a return to normal. This year, I'm shopping for more value because it's an election year, which are usually a little choppy. At the same time, we have to stay on top of the trends and keep feeding the stores with new products.
"You have to give people a reason to buy now. So, we will have specials, close-outs, heavy promotions -- that's what is moving the business this year. Constantly re-evaluating the product mix is a key.
"We do well with polyester shags and softer colorations -- Dreamy Shag by Nourison has been great for us."
"Oriental Weavers' Aberdeen and Maharaja collections are a really good product that looks good and feels good and are a favorite of our customers looking for transitional designs."
A Carpet & Tile Mart favorite (design 70w)for its transitional designs and construction is Oriental Weavers' Maharaja collection,
crafted of space-dye polyester in a high-density.
ABOUT ALL FLOORS (Douglassville, Pennsylvania)
In the words of: Tom Heffner, president
“We have definitely sold more rugs in 2024 than in 2023 as we’ve made the category more important by adding displays from the likes of Karastan and Stanton.
“We have two different types of rug buyers. We have the regular homeowner who is often satisfied with a pre-made rug for a few hundred dollars, and then we have those customers who want us to fabricate something specifically for their space, and those rugs can be several thousand dollars.
“At worst we’re hoping to be flat with 2023 when all is said and done in 2024. Obviously, with the election in November, that could prove to be a challenge as presidential election years seem to give buyers a pause during the election buildup."
All About Floor's bestseller is Adare in cream from Karastan's
Euphoria lineup, crafted domestically from 100 percent
SmartStrand (Triexta)
HEMPHILL'S RUGS & CARPETS (Costa Mesa, California)
In the words of: Brett Hemphill, owner
“Our rug business and overall business is strong. We are well ahead of last year in rugs, with made-to-order hand-loomed products continuing to do well. We do a majority of our business at the upper-middle to high-end price range, as our coastal location in Southern California offers the opportunity to focus on higher-end products.
“Rugs have always been a significant part of our business, and after nearly two decades, traditional rug sales are starting to gain momentum. We have a surprisingly high percentage of made-to-order rugs in all types of styles. Our natural fiber rugs such as seagrass and sisal have declined.
“I expect the second half to continue in a positive way. However, we are now back to the peaks and valleys of showroom traffic. Summer travel has been noticeable during June."
Hand-loomed of wool, Las Palmas in ocean from Stanton is the bestseller at Hemphill's Rugs & Carpets.
CARPET EXCHANGE (Denver)
In the words of: Bruce Odette, owner
“Our area rug sales have decreased slightly compared to last year, reflecting the overall sales trend. Essentially, the figures have remained relatively flat. Currently, our sales fluctuate from week to week, and while we manage to achieve strong monthly results, it’s without sustained momentum. Another factor contributing to uncertainty is that we are in an election year, which has historically been unpredictable.
“Super soft area rugs continue to be the most popular among our customers. Additionally, our million-point area rugs, which offer substantial perceived value, are experiencing significant success. Transitional designs remain the bestsellers, with our most popular item being an 8x10 rug retailing at $599.”
Carpet Exchange's bestselling rug is from Loloi's power-loomed Loren collection of vintage-styled patterns.
CARPETLAND USA (Rockford, Illinois)
In the words of: Kevin Rose, president
“Our rug business in our two Illinois locations is down 5 percent compared with last year. However, I expect steady sales the rest of the way. Hard surface has increased our rug business over the years, but I believe the multitude of large box stores that surround our stores is taking their fair share of the rug market.
“Neutral colors with more simplistic designs in the $350 price range are what move for us.”
Dalyn's Sea Breeze, made in a 100 percent polyester flat-woven construction with an incorporated non-skid backing,
is the bestseller at Carpetland USA. Shown, SZ6
FLOOR MAGIC (Damariscotta, Maine)
In the words of: Bob Duke, owner
“Our rug business has remained steady year over year, and I expect that it will continue at the same pace for the rest of 2024. To drive sales and grow the rug segment, we’ve been offering a 10 percent to 20 percent discount on rugs with the purchase of new hard surface flooring. So far, so good.
“5x8 priced at $900, 8x10s at $1,500 and 9x12s at $2,000 are our strong price points.”
Dynamic Rugs's long-running Ancient Garden collection is the top seller at Floor Magic for its classic colorations and motifs.
Shown, 57008-3233
RUGS, ROLLS & MORE (Plaistow, New Hampshire)
In the words of: Claire McCoy, owner
“We’ve been incentivizing customers with 10 percent off toward a rug purchase when combined with a hard surface purchase. Even with that, our sales on rugs have not significantly increased this year. We have a large selection of rugs in our showroom, yet our customers continually shop online. To counter this, we recently started to offer Rugs.Shop for online purchases with a 10 percent off coupon code.
“Our sweet spots are between $350 and $700 for a 6x9, and $700 to $900 for an 8x10."
Kaleen's indoor-outdoor Zuma Beach collection, machine-made in Turkey of 100 percent polypropylene, is the bestselling
rug at Rugs, Rolls & More. Shown, ZUM09-17
HOME CARPET ONE (Chicago)
In the words of: Joel Schreier, owner
"We’re up 10 percent year over year. All of that growth is coming from an increase in the number of orders rather than average ticket. We actually have seen our average ticket for rugs decline 6 percent year over year vs. a 3.5 percent overall (all products) decline. I do not see the current sales trend slowing in the second half, with the biggest growth coming in the indoor/outdoor category. Our wool vendor partners have gone headfirst into the indoor/outdoor category; as a result, we have added four news displays on the floor compared to a year ago.”
The thick, dense textured wool of the Deva design from the Antrim collection by Stanton is the big hit at Home Carpet One.