Page 196 - AmericasMart: Market Magazine July 2017

Couristan
SHOW AND TELL
Amy Kimmich, co-founder of Mad Mats, says merchandising outdoor rugs can be about as low maintenance as the rugs themselves. “Take them out of the bag and put them outside right away,” she says. “This is something so informal and obvious when you see it. Putting one on the ground so people can walk on it also tends to help a lot.”
Loloi adds that retailers should tailor their approach based on their particular type of business. Kimmich’s suggestion works for garden centers and outdoor furniture stores because customers already assume everything there is for the outdoors. Specialty retailers and furniture dealers must work a little harder to get that point across.
“You need to sell the category almost as much as you need to sell the product itself,” says Loloi. “Not only do you have to create an awareness but a desire for the category, too.”
That’s not hard, says Witt, as long as every sales associate understands all that an outdoor rug can do. Rathi says that’s not as easy as it sounds when rugs such as those in Kaleen’s Weathered collection look like thousand-dollar antique indoor rugs. Weathered rugs are actually made of 100 percent PET polyester and are UV protected.
Witt says retailers who are able to do demonstrations with the rugs, spilling various things on a sample then simply rinsing it off, tend to get sales right away. Once consumers see it, they believe it.
BRING THE OUTDOORS IN
Witt says the outdoor rug category performs well on store websites. Retailers can post videos showing how worry-free the rugs are. But above all, he suggests retailers not limit their selling of outdoor rugs to customers shopping for their patio spaces.
“We’ve had discussions internally about how to market these rugs because of how often they’re used indoors,” says Witt.
“The category has so many more applications. Retailers need to think of this product as a year-round item.”
"We sell a lot of this product in the Northeast and Midwest throughout the winter months.”
There really is no limit to what outdoor rugs can do for customers—or for your bottom line. All you need to do is take that first step and give them a try.
For more information: Couristan, couristan.com; Kaleen, kaleen.com; Loloi, loloirugs.com; Mariachi, madmats.com; and
Oriental Weavers, owrugs.com
Images courtesy of: Couristan, Kaleen, Loloi, Mad Mats, Oriental Weavers
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