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It seems like yesterday my child was still sitting on my lap while watching cartoons. Though it saddens me to be helpless in slowing the clock hands of time down, I find new pleasure hearing his future thoughts and plans. Today he is a fine young man ready to enter this next phase of life. The business guy within me can already see the emerging marketing campaigns geared specifically in his direction. For those risk-takers, I offer up great kudos. They are the ones who realize today’s casual spending youths are tomorrow’s growth sustainers.  

In most industries, targeting and forecasting comprise the foundation for potential spending, both planned and unplanned. Actually, there is a certain excitement when we peel the various layers of potential back from two current generational sales onions. 

Area Rug exhibitors are moving into new showrooms and displaying tons of fresh product at the fall High Point Market.

The last High Point Market came at the perfect time—right as the CDC lifted mask requirements. But masks or not, everyone knew it would be a successful market.

Even though COVID-19 restrictions are tightening across the country, the rug industry is still looking forward to a stellar fall show. There’s sure to be plenty of introductions on tap, and even new showrooms as rug exhibitors expand their offerings and aim to reach new customers.

­­The women in top executive posts within the area rug industry make up a small but mighty group. A historically male-dominated field across domestic manufacturing to importing firms alike, our industry has been slow to promote female leadership into the C-suite.

Sadly, we’re not alone.

Female participation in the workforce hit its lowest rate this year since 1988 due in part to the pandemic. In the U.S., COVID-19’s impacts translated to five million-plus women pushed from their jobs.

In June, Tamarian Rugs left its temporary space at the Suites at Market Square and moved into its new showroom on East Russell Street. At the fall market, Ned Baker, key account manager of Tamarian, says the company will still view it as a grand opening. While no grand opening event is planned at the time of this writing, Baker says to keep an eye out as we get closer to market.

Interior designers talk about rug trends and explain how manufacturers can better help designers with rug needs.

There are rug people—those who love funky designs and bright colors—and then there are not rug people—people who enjoy a simple, solid design with a nice border. But regardless of the person, rugs have graduated from simply being an accent to being a full-on statement piece in most people’s homes; They change the entire look of a room.

As more outdoor rugs are used indoors, rug manufacturers rethink ways to market the product and find success with design partnerships.

As people were forced to stay in due to the pandemic, it drove many to start making home improvements—and this benefitted the home furnishings industry greatly.

However, there’s one category that grew exponentially: outdoor furniture and accessories. According to research from the International Casual Furnishings Association, 90% of Americans with outdoor living space have been taking greater advantage of their decks, porches and patios, and consider their outdoor living space as more valuable than ever before.

Antique Persian Lavar, Kerman-Shah & Kerman Rugs

There are endless debates among vendors, collectors and enthusiasts of vintage and antique rugs as to which of these styles is the best. We have discussed in previous issues the differences in the fineness of the weave of a rug, with some defining fineness based on weave density, others defining it based on intricacy of design, and yet others defining based on the unique artistry of a given carpet. Thus, there are many different opinions as to which antique rug style can definitively be called the finest.

When we talk about area rugs, whether new reproduction rugs or the antique originals on which they are based, one of the most common ways of categorizing them is by their level of fineness.

Specifically, the fineness we refer to is the fineness of weave density, with the finest rugs being those with the tightest weave density. In the West, we often express this level of weave density in terms of KPSI, or knots per square inch. In the East, the more traditional expression is in terms of RAJ, or knots per 7 centimeters. The higher the KPSI or RAJ, the finer the rug.

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