Kas enters washable rug arena with focus on colors
By Lissa Wyman -- Furniture Today, October 5, 2003
New York — Kas Oriental Rugs is entering the washable accent rug business.
Buyers at the New York Home Textiles Market got the first look at the new rugs last month, and they will be shown at the October High Point market.
One of the featured collections is a group of hand-tufted acrylic rugs in bright colorations. The rugs are available in a variety of shapes, including runners, rounds, ovals and octagons. Suggested retail is $25 in a 20-inch by 30-inch size.
Kas is best known as an importer of room-size rugs in both classical Oriental and contemporary designs. In addition to traditional hand-knotted, tufted and machine-made constructions, it specializes in unusual new constructions and materials such as bamboo rugs, paper rugs and sheared velvet hand-tufted rugs.
The company now is bringing its design sensibility to the washable rug market, said Joan Catello, vice president of national sales.
"We wanted to get into this fast-growing segment, but we wanted to bring our own unique looks to the marketplace," she said. "Many of the new accent rugs are inspired by our best-selling traditional room-size rug designs. We also are showing a lot of tropical looks as well as novelty kitchen patterns. The colors are extremely vibrant. It really makes this line exciting."
The washable rugs will be aimed primarily at the linens and domestic channel of distribution, but Catello also sees them going into specialty rug and home furnishings stores.
"We think some traditional stores might want to complement their regular rug assortment with some of these eye-catching items," she said. "They make great impulse items."
A few years ago, washable rugs and area rugs were worlds apart. "Now specialty rug stores are more willing to give new products a try," Catello said.
The acrylic rugs are just one part of the washable rug story at Kas.
"We also are introducing about six other constructions in this category," said Catello. "We've got a new line of denim shags that are hand crafted from strips of cotton. It's a really hot look. They are available in sizes up to 5 by 8, so washable rugs are no longer restricted to small scatter sizes."
In the past year, several major rug vendors have entered the washable rug business, including Nourison, Oriental Weavers USA and Capel.
Shaw also made a major product presentation in the segment during the New York Home Textiles market.
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