Seeking better sales after those summertime blues

Sustaining the value of sales over the sluggish summer of 2024 has proved a challenge right across the flooring industry.

With little margin to be made at the bottom end of the market and more price sensitivity in the premium sector, the opportunity to seek out a decent profit somewhere in the middle makes sense.

That’s where many of the latest man-made options in the carpet sector offer retailers an opportunity – sophisticated products that have an added-value element to help trade consumers up a little on performance, quality and sustainability. 

With invincible benefits and unmatched performance, Magnificus has become a jewel in the crown of Associated Weavers’ top selling
Invictus brand.

The stunningly rich texture and opulent body is created using the latest generation of polypropylene yarns. This iVinci-yarn combines luxurious comfort and superior stain resistance. The latest colour additions, Cream and Latte add more colour variety to an already eye catching and
on-trend colourbank.

Meanwhile, the mainstream StainAway Tweed is also enjoying enhancement for 2024 with four new colours in the 12-option collection reflecting the trend towards warmer, richer colours – look out for the new Rocket, Earth, Amber and Scarlet options. StainAway Tweed will also be upgraded with a new backing, AW’s popular FusionBac.

“With invincible benefits and unmatched performance,
Magnificus has become a jewel in the crown of Associated
Weavers’ top selling Invictus brand.”

A 20-year stain and wear warranty is testament to the superior performance of this 100% polypropylene product and with its price point offering outstanding value, it’s easy to see why this carpet has been a stalwart of sales at AW.

Hugh Mackay is known as one of flooring’s leading wool houses but they have a synthetic side which delivers the same ethos of quality and attention to detail.

This is Hugh Mackay’s Q-Floors brand and a fine example of their man- made favourites are Camden Finesse and Highgate Finesse which offer a choice of options for retailers to work with.

“Camden Finesse, launched in January this year, is a beautiful
soft-feel tufted carpet in polyester which comes in two weights
– the standard 1,500g/m² range and a trade up to the plush
pile of the Elite product”

The tenth-gauge construction with fleece backing give these carpets a quality feel, backed up by a 10-year wear and stain warranty. All are available in 4 and 5 metre widths.

Camden Finesse, launched in January this year, is a beautiful soft-feel tufted carpet in polyester which comes in two weights – the standard 1,500g/m² range and a trade up to the plush pile of the Elite product which is 60% heavier. The 8-colour palette absolutely reflects the 2024 trends of warming up in natural colours like pebble, putty and taupe alongside fashionable greys from silver to pewter.

Highgate Finesse is the brand new sister range in the Q-Floors
collection, made in polypropylene and a wider colour palette of
10 contemporary options. The weight of 1,700g/m², so falling
between the two Camden options. 

Smart Sustainability

Furlong Flooring’s latest carpet ranges, including the EcoSense collection and the new Provence, set benchmarks in quality and environmental responsibility. These ranges allow retailers to offer products that align with trends in sustainability, design, and quality-conscious consumer expectations.

The EcoSense collections are made from recycled yarn, catering to the increasing demand for eco-friendly products without sacrificing durability. These carpets are stain-resistant and built to withstand wear, making them a practical and stylish choice for modern homes.

Provence offers luxurious comfort, combining aesthetics with long-lasting beauty. Manufactured in the UK by Regency Carpets, Provence carpets are made from 100% Carefree polypropylene yarn, ensuring they are stain-resistant and easy to maintain. 

Lano's Smartstrand carpet ranges are all about added value with a compelling consumer story that focuses on its extended lifecycle and impeccable sustainability.

More than a third of SmartStrand fibres are made with natural starch, leading to the most eco-friendly yarn available on the market today. The amount of energy required to produce the SmartStrand Triexta fibre is a full 30% less than with other fibres

But it’s the legendary “forever clean” stain protection and appearance retention that sets SmartStrand apart. Any stain can easily be removed without special products or procedures.

SmartStrand fibres simply do not hold onto dirt, ever. Other carpets use temporary, topical protections that wash and wear off over time.

And without compromising on softness and texture, unique resilience is built into the fibre at the molecular level causing the pile to bounce back, maintaining its beauty and appearance over time. Look out for the latest styles in Lano’s new Living Colours 3 collection in SmartStrand.

Manx Tomkinson has announced the expansion of their popular Puerto Rico carpet range, now available in an impressive array of six new colours inspired by the vibrant heart and soul of the Caribbean. This collection blends the comfort of home with the exotic allure of the Americas, featuring tones reminiscent of sandy beaches.

Made from 100% polypropylene, the Puerto Rico twist pile
carpet is designed for durability and resilience, making it ideal for high-traffic areas in the home. Its sandy beach tones add a
calming and warm ambiance, perfect for complementing neutral interiors and enhancing naturally lit spaces like living rooms.

The Puerto Rico range expertly combines style, comfort, and practicality. With six new shades, these stain-resistant carpets are low maintenance and can be bleach cleaned up to a dilution of 10%, ensuring easy care. Additionally, they come with a lifetime stain warranty, providing lasting peace of mind.

The Cormar Carpet Company has earned a reliable reputation for its popular ranges of man-made carpets, further enhanced by the latest additions to its easy clean collection.

Re-launched this year with the introduction of brand-new colour options, Cormar’s ever-popular Sensation and Inglewood Saxony ranges are now even more attractive. Both offering sumptuous comfort underfoot and complete with Cormar’s 10-year Stain and Wear guarantee, they are the ideal choice for those who value style and luxury but aren’t prepared to compromise when it comes to practicality.

This year has also seen the introduction of an exciting new range, Primo Textures. Cormar’s first synthetic loop pile carpet, Primo Textures combines the renowned durability of polypropylene fibres with the timeless appeal of loop pile construction, offering a hard-wearing and practical solution for any home, while retaining the natural allure that loop pile carpets offer.

David Cormack, Marketing Director at Cormar Carpets said:
“Our Easy Clean collection continues to grow in popularity as a reliable and hardwearing choice for family homes. We’re delighted to be further enhancing the collection this year to offer an even wider choice of durable, low maintenance carpets at great value and in a popular colour palette to suit every homeowner’s needs and style.”

Wool-like look, with man-made practicality

For some homes only the natural look of wool carpets will do. With the new Country Collection from Abingdon Flooring these very same homes can now choose the practicality of Stainfree carpets too.

Using a special yarn that combines a matt lustre with a Berber fleck, the Country Collection has all the look of a natural wool yarn but with the bleach-cleanable practicality and lifetime stain warranty that comes with Abingdon Flooring’s Stainfree carpet family.

To create its classic country living feel, Abingdon Flooring’s designers have created three textured loop designs for the new collection. Linear, Herringbone and Weave designs capture the charm and rustic texture of chunky wool loop carpets, adding sophisticated detail with subtle textured patterns. Each carpet comes in a range of ‘undyed’ beige tones and restful neutral grey hues like Elephant.

Charlotte Coop, head of marketing, Abingdon Flooring:
“The Country Collection is really a first for Abingdon Flooring and shows just how versatile our Stainfree yarn can be. These chunky loop pile carpets really do look every bit as good as their wool counterparts but are bleached cleanable and more affordable. What’s more, the Berber fleck is also great at covering up dust and dirt Between vacuuming.”

The range ticks as lot of boxes with a10-year warranty, multi-width flexibility in 2.5m, 4m, and 5m and Abingdon’s signature fleece backing, enhancing underfoot comfort, warmth, and sound reduction as well as easier handling on installation. All made in Britain.

  FOR MORE INFORMATION

Abingdon Flooring • 01274 655 694 • www.abingdonflooring.co.uk

Associated Weavers • 01422 431100 •
www.associated-weavers.co.uk

Betap • +31 38 386 1060 • www.betap.com

Cormar Carpet Co. • 01204 881234 • www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

Furlong Flooring • T 01322 628700 • www.furlongflooring.co.uk

Hugh Mackay • 01429 892555 • www.hughmackay.co.uk

Lano • 00800 5266 5266 • www.lano.com 

Manx Tomkinson • 01827 831450 • www.manxtomkinson.co.uk