Rug vendors giving retailers more service
By Lissa Wyman -- Furniture Today, February 16, 2009
LAS VEGAS — LAS VEGAS — In rug showrooms, the concept of good service used to mean on-time delivery. But in today's retail vocabulary, it means far more.
“Nowadays, if you can't deliver immediately, you're dead meat as far as your customer is concerned,” said Mike Riley, president of Oriental Weavers USA. “We've got to give them much more than delivery if we want to evolve with them.”
In today's tough retail environment, retailers are reevaluating their businesses, according to rug sources showing at last week's Las Vegas Market.
“We are spending a lot of time sitting down and talking to them about how we can better serve them,” said Riley. “When we get out of the recession, the retail business will look a lot different than it is today.”
In the past two years, rug vendors have taken over the responsibility of carrying most of the stock for retailers.
Satya Tiwari, president of Surya, said quick delivery “is a given nowadays. Now customers are looking for much more from their vendors. They are seeking our help in everything from store fixtures to providing rugs to match their upholstery fabrics.”
He said multi-product vendors such as Surya can develop customized programs for stores.
“Now, more than ever, our customers are looking for us to serve as true partners,” Tiwari said. “Together we can share ideas about how to upscale their stores and up-sell their customers.”
Value and fresh concepts are what retailers are looking for, said Amir Loloi, president of Loloi Rugs. “They want to fill fashion niches that will excite the consumer and make her want to buy rugs again.”
He said the company's emphasis in Las Vegas was on contemporary and transitional patterns rather than traditional designs.
While many vendors say retailers are looking for value pricing, John Feizy, president of Feizy Rug, is emphasizing the high end.
“The low end is not what we stand for, so we are showing products that are a couple notches higher than the popular price points. That makes more sense for us,” said Feizy. “As chain stores and department stores lose market share, we see a new strength for the high-end stores who represent service and value for the consumer.”
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