Page 195 - AmericasMart: Market Magazine July 2017

Mad Mats
Oriental Weavers
As sales of outdoor furniture and decor continue to increase, one outdoor category still offers plenty of potential for retailers who don’t yet carry it. Outdoor rugs are both fashionable and versatile enough to be sold in nearly any kind of retail setting.
Outdoor rugs tend to have more accessible price points than some indoor rugs, which appeals to impulse buyers. Then there is the innovation. While outdoor rugs increasingly look and feel like indoor rugs, outdoor rugs have technology that makes them resistant to rain, sun and mildew.
Larry Mahurter of Couristan says today’s outdoor rugs are often made of 100 percent polypropylene in the surface pile and backing, which allows moisture to pass through. “An outdoor rug also has
to be treated for UV and mold and mildew resistance,” adds Cyrus Loloi of Loloi Rugs. “As with every other growth category, I think you can anticipate the technology in outdoor rugs to keep getting more sophisticated and complex. The performance of the fiber improves every couple of years.”
Monty Rathi of Kaleen Rugs says the backing also makes a big difference. Kaleen’s indoor/outdoor collections, for instance, all have non-skid backing that grips brick, concrete, wood and other deck and patio surfaces.
MULTI-PURPOSE TECHNOLOGY
The category has already come a long way from where it was a decade ago. “Back then, you saw a lot of products that were simple designs and two colors,” says Mahurter.
“Now you’re finding more designs and multiple colors.
I think that’s a reflection of the evolution of outdoor entertaining and how much consumers value that now.”
It’s also a reflection of better loom technology. “We can now have up
to eight colors in a weave,” says Jonathan Witt of Oriental Weavers. “When you have that many more color options you can do so much
more with design. Now we have different loop constructions that let us add a lot of different textures. We can create some beautiful product.”
And that has created a whole new market. Witt says Oriental Weavers has conducted internal research that shows many of its end consumers put outdoor rugs in the house. “There’s more of a performance story, as well,” he says. “These rugs are great for kitchens, breakfast rooms and other places where there are spills. People know they can pour bleach on it, take it outside and hose it off. It’s worry free.”
FURNITURE, RUG & HOME ACCENTS
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