Features

Comforts of Home

Friday, March 1, 2024

As I write this editorial, we are having our first significant snowfall in quite a while — two years I believe — here in New York. It’s also 33 degrees and overcast. I don’t know about you, but these are the days I’m inclined to light some candles and camp out in the carpeted family room that holds comfy couches, lots of throw pillows and cozy blankets.

The comfort carpet can bring to a space, something homeowners enjoyed particularly during the pandemic, has not been forgotten. The inviting softness of the yarns, the cushion underfoot, the sound absorption — all of this helps make the home a true haven.

This annual Soft Sell Issue is devoted to everything that soft surface has to offer. It celebrates the latest offerings and attributes that will continue to make it the consumer’s choice for spaces that are made to embrace those moments when quiet comfort is craved.

Sure, carpet has lost market share to other new and innovative hard surface products in the last several years, but carpet makers too, are upping the game by creating products that aren’t just soft but can perform in busy households — even those with kids and pets.

In fact, deep investments have been made in carpet to elevate its performance, like anti-microbial technology such as Mannington/Phenix’s Microban. There is a concerted effort to make carpet pet friendly as well — think Shaw’s Pet Perfect and Mohawk’s all new Pet Premier as well as its legacy brand, SmartStrand that connected performance with conservation by partnering with Rhinory. Other technologies are being applied as well to make sure carpet performs under the everyday conditions of active households.

When I bought my first carpet more than 20 years ago, stain resistance wasn’t even part of the conversation. Roll the clock forward and when I recarpeted our family room, you bet that was top of the list (we also watch football in that room so it needed to stand up to food droppings along with beer and wine spills!). I even took a chance and put in a patterned off-white carpet. I am happy to report that almost three years later, it has been well lived on but still looks great.

Companies have put muscle behind fibers offering value-oriented systems that are engineered to be softer to the touch — Stanton, Tarkett and Engineered Floors come to mind. And they’ve upped the ante when it comes to design as well. Patterned carpet has been trending, elevating the category further.

There are a host of attributes available in soft surface that should be given emphasis when working with the consumer. There is a lot to love. In fact, Shaw has built a campaign around “Carpet is Cool.” During winter markets, the company leaned into the nostalgia and comforting feeling that carpet brings. As well, the company launched its new Anso Colorwall last year where, the company reported, every color tells a story.

There are a lot of stories to tell about carpet. It is nostalgic, cool, comforting, soft and stylish. Just ask those of us residing in the chilly Northeast.

While February proved to be a lot quieter than January, March will bring robust industry activity, including the Beyond Balance conference in Dalton where Shaw’s WiN and Women in the Floorcovering Industry (WIFI) have created a fantastic lineup of industry leaders that will share their strategies and experiences for maintaining work/life harmony.

Alliance Flooring will host a panel with WIFI in Orlando where Next Gen Retailers share their stories of transitioning into leadership positions, challenges they’ve faced and how all of it shapes their approach to business.

FCW is also deep in the outreach for the annual Top 50 Retailer Issue. If you believe your business should be counted among the nation’s leading flooring retail operations, make sure to visit FCW1.com to fill out the form. Or, you may reach out to Sherry Basdeo at sbasdeo@hearst.com. As consolidation continues to change the flooring landscape, this edition is one way to stay on top of current conditions.