Adding value to man-made carpet sales

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In a tight market where every sale matters, manufacturers have been increasingly focused on developing innovative  man-made carpet collections with added-value opportunities for retailers.

Polypropylene remains mainstream to consumer demand, but new ranges in polyamide (nylon) and polyester combine comfort and fashionable softness with enhanced performance – commanding a better price and margin, but with clear benefits that the consumer is prepared to pay for.

Looking first at some of the leaders in nylon, Associated Weavers almost invented the soft sector for residential carpets and now boasts one of the most comprehensive portfolios of added-value fibres in the market – impressive products backed up by class-leading sales presentation and sampling for retailers.

AW’s iSense polyamide yarn became a class leader, offering a 20-year wear warranty on a super soft but extremely durable range of luxurious carpets. “iSense is the embodiment of tenderness and strength, so cuddly yet so resilient”, says the company, with more than 120,000 residential installations under its belt.

Its most family friendly range of solution-dyed nylon carpets is Vivendi – ““bleach cleanable, incredibly resilient, superbly wear-resistant and yet pleasantly soft”, says AW. “With the Vivendi ranges, choice varies from playful to dense, from discreet pastels to trendy greys and
intense colours.”

And making the headlines most recently has been Sedna with its impeccable environmental credentials which help protect marine life. Sedna is made with Econyl regenerated nylon, a yarn made from recycled waste material such as old carpets and abandoned fishing nets collected from the bottom of the sea.

iSense Serenity from Associated Weavers


As Europe’s largest carpet manufacturer with a long track-record in manmade fibres, Balta carpets is well positioned to help retailers capitalise on the growing demand for added-value fibres.


The much celebrated Satino brand of polyamide carpets offer a choice of high-lustre or semi-matt effects and some new design-led colours within its ranges, affirming the collection’s position as one of the foremost polyamide brands, with a brand-new lifestyle look underlining its suitability for today’s home.


The newly launched Eternity collection, currently in three styles
with more to come for 2021, brings solution-dyed nylon to a domestic setting with Balta building on the demand for soft, luxurious
qualities that also live up to the need for stain-resistant and bleach cleanable carpets. 

New colours in Balta’s Satino Romantica


ITC Natural Luxury Flooring have just announced the introduction of Cabernet, a new 100% PA nylon carpet to their Campeone Collection of quality nylon products.


The high-end finish achieved on Cabernet is exceptional and provides a fabulous looking carpet that is suitable for residential, general commercial and corporate hospitality, locations where style, design, practicality, and outstanding value are sought by today’s customer.


The luxurious velvet sheen is a fashionable and contemporary look favoured by many interior designers and specifiers. Cabernet ticks all the boxes with its general commercial classification, LC5 luxury wearing class, Cfl-S1 fire certification, together with an availability in 4&5 metre widths and a selection of 9 neutral colours, makes it a perfect choice where high performance, superior finish and great value are required when specifying for a practical and hard-wearing carpet.


Polyester is more competitively priced than nylon but while it’s a little less resilient, the fibre still has strong performance characteristics and can be easier to care for.

Cabernet launched by ITC Natural Luxury Flooring


Gemini is Cormar’s first range made from 100% Dura Polyester, developed to combine resilience, stain resistance and softness, all in one fibre. Easy living takes a starring role in the home thanks to the twin benefits of comfort and durability from this new collection.


David Cormack, marketing director at Cormar, said: “Super soft, heavy-weight, easy clean, polester carpets are becoming more and more popular for homes, and with colour trends constantly evolving, it made sense to develop a range that captures the current trend for softer, more luxurious feeling, premium carpet.”


The soft, deep-pile range includes 13 on trend, plain shades, including a wide range of subtly different greys and neutrals. Shades such as Pennine Mist and Linton Lead will appeal to current homeowner tastes.

Gemini in Pennine Mist from Cormar



A star of Hugh Mackay’s popular HassleFree Collection is Finesse, a luxurious, modern range made from 100% polyester for a longer lasting, quality finish that will stand the test of time and handle busy households with ease.



The carpet’s stunning 2ply, stain resistant collection is bleach-cleanable and suitable for heavy domestic use – combining style, comfort and strength to make it the must-have range for the family home market.
HassleFree Finesse is available in 16 specially selected shades that are designed to compliment any décor and comes in 4 & 5m widths.

Whitestone HassleFree Finesse Platinum



Abingdon Flooring has always been an innovator in new fibre development and its Love Story collection was a pioneer of polyester. “These were the first and the best of the new polyester ranges that put this particular yarn system on the map in the first place,” says sales and marketing director Martin Peace. “Not only do they feel and look luxurious, they are practical too in that they are both hard wearing and bleach cleanable.”


The soft and sumptuous Love Story collection has become a firm favourite with retailers since its launch in 2016 under the slogan “Fall in love with your floor” and now the popular Deep Feelings and Lasting Romance ranges are being re-sampled in time for the 2020 peak selling season with three new colours – a fashionable mid grey, mysterious charcoal and rich, luxurious caramel – to complete an impressive palette of 19 options.


The wide choice means consumers can select purely on the basis of affordability or practicality, without feeling they are compromising on colour choice. Adding perceived value, and alongside an already impressive suite of practical features, this ensures Love Story remains a seriously tempting proposition.

Love Story Deep Feelings from Abingdon


Victoria Carpets understand how important it is for a consumer to keep their carpet looking newer for longer. Which is why every carpet in the EasiCare range is 10th gauge and 2 ply giving more strength and performance than many competitor products. Nearly 50% of their product portfolio is made up of synthetic polypropylene or mixed fibre carpets showing how the demand for this style of carpet is being met by the Company.

The benefits of the range within this category of man-made carpets are substantial, from being bleach cleanable to hydro allergenic. When life’s little accidents happen, you can be at ease to know your carpet is protected under one of their warranties. An extra bonus to the Victoria polypropylene carpets is that you are also covered when it comes to moths, as they only thrive from wool fibres.


The latest launches in the EasiCare family include Heartland Heathers and special attention has been given to the yarn to give a more subtle heather finish, providing the carpet with an elegant appearance in 12 tonal options. A heavyweight EasiCare Heartlands Ultra has also joined the line-up in 16 colours.


Believing in proving the quality of their carpets, Victoria have invested in a Hexapod Tumbler Test. This test simulates the effect that foot traffic, moving objects and heavy furniture can have on a carpet over a period of five years, so consumers can see for themselves just how durable and long lasting their carpets are.

EasiCare – First Impressions, Vision from Victoria Carpets


For more information


Abingdon Flooring - www.abingdonflooring.co.uk – 01274 655662 

Associated Weavers - www.carpetyourlife.co.uk – 01422 431100
Balta – www.baltagroup.com – +32 5662 2211
Cormar Carpets – www.cormarcarpets.co.uk – 01204 881234
Hugh Mackay – www.hughmackay.co.uk – 01429 892555 
ITC Natural Luxury Flooring
www.itcnaturalluxuryflooring.com – 01622 534041
Victoria Carpets – www.victoriacarpets.com – 01562 749300

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