Article Number: 5287
Beaulieu ‘softens’ Bliss, adds Stainmaster Magic Fresh, Scotchgard help expand collection
By Matthew Spieler
DALLAS—In this fickle economy consumers are seeking products that give them extra value for their money and relying more on brands they know and trust. That is one of the keys to Beaulieu’s 2010 offerings as the company expands its flagship Bliss brand with venerable names such as Stainmaster and Scotchgard.
Patricia Flavin, Beaulieu’s senior vice president of marketing, said while the company’s Bliss brand has been a boost to the company since its 2008 introduction, extensive consumer research over the last nine months revealed that nearly a quarter century after its release, Stainmaster is the most known carpet brand among female shoppers.
With that, the company has partnered with Invista, maker of Stainmaster, to create a new collection under the Bliss brand, complete with its own display that is complimentary to the six other lines under the Bliss moniker.
To give consumers even greater value, Beaulieu added Magic Fresh, the mill’s proprietary self-renewing, odor-destroying carpet treatment. The Bliss by Beaulieu Stainmaster with Magic Fresh collection is “the first time that Stainmaster and a mill-proprietary carpet treatment have come together in one collection,” noted Jeff Meadows, Beaulieu’s executive vice president of residential.
There are 10 styles in the initial launch, made from either Stainmaster Tactesse or Stainmaster Luxerell. Styles include friezes, textures and level cut loops available in a variety of weights from 32 to 72 ounces.
Meadows said the combination of Stainmaster, Bliss and Magic Fresh, each prominently featured on the display header, offers great potential for retailers. “This one collection answers the consumer’s two most important concerns when it comes to carpet care,” Meadows said. “And no one else has it.”
Magic Fresh has become an important component in Beaulieu’s product offering because of the strong extra value it provides consumers, Flavin said. “The U.S. spends $3 billion a year on odor-masking products. Magic Fresh gives her one that is not only built into the product, it is self-renewing and never disappears within the normal carpet life cycle—even after the carpet is steam cleaned.” In addition, Flavin said Magic Fresh is environmentally friendly and has been specially formulated to absorb and destroy common household odors such as those from smoking, cooking and pets.
To help retailers demonstrate to consumers the effectiveness of Magic Fresh, Beaulieu has created an interactive tabletop display. The main components of the unit are two see-through canisters— one containing untreated carpet fibers and the other with Magic Fresh—and a bottle of ammonia. After pouring a small amount ammonia in the containers, consumers are encouraged to continue shopping. Twenty minutes later, they take a whiff of each canister. The untreated canister will most likely make them cringe from the odor, while the one with Magic Fresh will not.
“Like our Bliss displays which give customers a great deal of looks in a conveniently small space to make her shopping experience easier, we created the Magic Fresh demo to be compact yet powerful,” Flavin said. “One sniff of the before-and-after results is a powerful selling tool.”
Going ‘soft’
Soft fibers have been gaining market share. To answer the demand, Beaulieu has introduced Bliss SoftSense, which Meadows said is the manufacturer’s softest collection. He added that it was made possible by virtue of the company’s acquisition of new extrusion technology last year.
Constructed from either filament nylon or solution-dyed polyester, the eight initial styles feature eight nylons that come in textures, friezes and level cut loops from 35 to 50 ounces, while the polyester styles are all friezes and range from 32 to 70 ounces. There are 48 colors in the nylon offerings and 14 tweeds and solids in the polyester styles.
While SoftSense meets the call for softer products, Meadows said an ultra-soft feel is only part of the equation. “Without features that excite her and satisfy her need for a practical, easily maintained floor covering, dealers won’t have the complete answer for their customers.”
With that, Beaulieu not only included Magic Fresh, it teamed with 3M for a custom-made Scotchgard formulation allowing the mill to offer a no-exclusions lifetime stain warranty. “Scotchgard is the most widely recognized brand name in protection treatment,” Flavin said, “and with our Magic Fresh and the softness of the carpet, this Bliss collection makes perfect sense for her home.”
Residential tile
The recession has opened up more opportunities in the Main Street sector for specialty retailers as small businesses look to remodel. Beaulieu officials say this is more than a trend and believe dealers driving this part of the business is here to stay. To help them capitalize on this trend, the company has brought its revolutionary Nexterra modular carpet to the residential side under its Hollytex Commercial Solutions brand.
Two collections —Cityscapes and Hot Circuit—make up the initial offering. The coordinating lines each feature six colors.
Ben Hahn, the mill’s national marketing director/commercial sales, said the residential product is “the same as the commercial Nexterra, it’s just named differently. It’s made with 85% post-consumer content and is 50% lighter than PVC. It’s a high-performance flooring now available on the residential side.”
Flavin said these are just some of the offerings the mill has in store for retailers in 2010. All new products, displays and marketing programs will be on full display at Surfaces. “Our booth will once again be the showcase for the industry’s largest carpet-only specialist at the industry’s largest signature trade event.”
For more information, visit Beaulieu’s Surfaces booth (4706), or call 800.227.7211.
DALLAS—In this fickle economy consumers are seeking products that give them extra value for their money and relying more on brands they know and trust. That is one of the keys to Beaulieu’s 2010 offerings as the company expands its flagship Bliss brand with venerable names such as Stainmaster and Scotchgard.
Patricia Flavin, Beaulieu’s senior vice president of marketing, said while the company’s Bliss brand has been a boost to the company since its 2008 introduction, extensive consumer research over the last nine months revealed that nearly a quarter century after its release, Stainmaster is the most known carpet brand among female shoppers.
With that, the company has partnered with Invista, maker of Stainmaster, to create a new collection under the Bliss brand, complete with its own display that is complimentary to the six other lines under the Bliss moniker.
To give consumers even greater value, Beaulieu added Magic Fresh, the mill’s proprietary self-renewing, odor-destroying carpet treatment. The Bliss by Beaulieu Stainmaster with Magic Fresh collection is “the first time that Stainmaster and a mill-proprietary carpet treatment have come together in one collection,” noted Jeff Meadows, Beaulieu’s executive vice president of residential.
There are 10 styles in the initial launch, made from either Stainmaster Tactesse or Stainmaster Luxerell. Styles include friezes, textures and level cut loops available in a variety of weights from 32 to 72 ounces.
Meadows said the combination of Stainmaster, Bliss and Magic Fresh, each prominently featured on the display header, offers great potential for retailers. “This one collection answers the consumer’s two most important concerns when it comes to carpet care,” Meadows said. “And no one else has it.”
Magic Fresh has become an important component in Beaulieu’s product offering because of the strong extra value it provides consumers, Flavin said. “The U.S. spends $3 billion a year on odor-masking products. Magic Fresh gives her one that is not only built into the product, it is self-renewing and never disappears within the normal carpet life cycle—even after the carpet is steam cleaned.” In addition, Flavin said Magic Fresh is environmentally friendly and has been specially formulated to absorb and destroy common household odors such as those from smoking, cooking and pets.
To help retailers demonstrate to consumers the effectiveness of Magic Fresh, Beaulieu has created an interactive tabletop display. The main components of the unit are two see-through canisters— one containing untreated carpet fibers and the other with Magic Fresh—and a bottle of ammonia. After pouring a small amount ammonia in the containers, consumers are encouraged to continue shopping. Twenty minutes later, they take a whiff of each canister. The untreated canister will most likely make them cringe from the odor, while the one with Magic Fresh will not.
“Like our Bliss displays which give customers a great deal of looks in a conveniently small space to make her shopping experience easier, we created the Magic Fresh demo to be compact yet powerful,” Flavin said. “One sniff of the before-and-after results is a powerful selling tool.”
Going ‘soft’
Soft fibers have been gaining market share. To answer the demand, Beaulieu has introduced Bliss SoftSense, which Meadows said is the manufacturer’s softest collection. He added that it was made possible by virtue of the company’s acquisition of new extrusion technology last year.
Constructed from either filament nylon or solution-dyed polyester, the eight initial styles feature eight nylons that come in textures, friezes and level cut loops from 35 to 50 ounces, while the polyester styles are all friezes and range from 32 to 70 ounces. There are 48 colors in the nylon offerings and 14 tweeds and solids in the polyester styles.
While SoftSense meets the call for softer products, Meadows said an ultra-soft feel is only part of the equation. “Without features that excite her and satisfy her need for a practical, easily maintained floor covering, dealers won’t have the complete answer for their customers.”
With that, Beaulieu not only included Magic Fresh, it teamed with 3M for a custom-made Scotchgard formulation allowing the mill to offer a no-exclusions lifetime stain warranty. “Scotchgard is the most widely recognized brand name in protection treatment,” Flavin said, “and with our Magic Fresh and the softness of the carpet, this Bliss collection makes perfect sense for her home.”
Residential tile
The recession has opened up more opportunities in the Main Street sector for specialty retailers as small businesses look to remodel. Beaulieu officials say this is more than a trend and believe dealers driving this part of the business is here to stay. To help them capitalize on this trend, the company has brought its revolutionary Nexterra modular carpet to the residential side under its Hollytex Commercial Solutions brand.
Two collections —Cityscapes and Hot Circuit—make up the initial offering. The coordinating lines each feature six colors.
Ben Hahn, the mill’s national marketing director/commercial sales, said the residential product is “the same as the commercial Nexterra, it’s just named differently. It’s made with 85% post-consumer content and is 50% lighter than PVC. It’s a high-performance flooring now available on the residential side.”
Flavin said these are just some of the offerings the mill has in store for retailers in 2010. All new products, displays and marketing programs will be on full display at Surfaces. “Our booth will once again be the showcase for the industry’s largest carpet-only specialist at the industry’s largest signature trade event.”
For more information, visit Beaulieu’s Surfaces booth (4706), or call 800.227.7211.
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