Article Number: 5293
Shaw bringing out a little bit of everything for 2010
By Matthew Spieler
DALLAS—It was only a few years ago when manufacturers were able to roll out hundreds of new products, displays and programs figuring enough will stick with retailers to make it all worthwhile. Today, mills have to do their homework to introduce not only the right amount of products but the right price points.
Retailers around the country were introduced to this frame of thought at Shaw Industries’ “Sustainable Flooring Event 2010: Strength Amidst Change,” where the mill unveiled a wide assortment of products, merchandising and marketing materials to help them stay ahead of the competition and be well-positioned for when business starts moving in an upward direction.
“Certainly the economy is a factor as we consider product introductions in every category,” said Randy Merritt, Shaw’s president, at the company’s regional market here. He pointed to the company’s Tuftex and Anderson brands as an example, noting they are generally seen as high-end product offerings. But, in this business climate, Merritt explained the mill’s focus was not only on maintaining the quality and style of the brands, but also hitting more affordable price points. “Value will certainly be the operative word in all product categories this year.”
Value was also evident when it came to displays. “Here again we tried to focus on just a few things rather than asking customers to step up and buy lots of new furniture or hardware. We updated marketed collections, retrofitted some existing units and minimized fixture investment in favor of having targeted product.”
Even before the regional markets got under way, this strategy was proven to be correct, Merritt said, as “the new design of our colorwall has been incredibly successful.” And, once the company took its show on the road, the response was looking good.
Jason Jabara of Jabara’s Carpet Outlets in Wichita, Kan., noted the emphasis Shaw placed on adding value allowed his team to “get restocked on a number of items.” He also praised the new colorwall, which was redesigned from the popular Kathy Ireland colorwall that is being phased into the updated version.
Manor Gonzales III of MG Floors in Austin, Tex., who was checking out the manufacturer’s new ScufResist Platinum finish for wood and laminate, noted he saw plenty of “nice things at the market. We do a lot of business with Shaw and I’m pleased by what I saw here in terms of products and other offerings.”
New for 2010
Being that Shaw is the world’s largest carpet mill, much of the focus was on the soft side of things. “We continue to innovate in terms of moving to soft fibers in all kinds of constructions,” Merritt said. “This is true in both polyester as well as nylon. Today soft is in for carpet and almost everything else is going away. Making those conversions is a big project and huge investment.”
An example of this is in the 16 new products offered in the Visions collection, which feature Shaw’s “ultra-soft premium nylon,” Anso Caress. The popular collection includes textures, twists, LCL patterns and stylish woven looks. “From organic tree bark patterns to contemporary geometric blocks to natural striated woven visuals, Visions continues to demonstrate industry leadership in color, style, design and product benefits,” he said.
In addition to soft, Merritt said environmental friendliness also continues to be an area consumers are concentrating on and Shaw now has third-party certification that all its Anso nylon and ClearTouch PET BCF contain 25% post-consumer recycled content, along with having the ability to be recycled into new carpet at Shaw’s Evergreen Nylon Recycling Facility in Augusta, Ga.
Another example Merritt pointed to where Shaw combined soft and eco-friendly is the new EverTouch Everyday Elegance line. “Innovative fiber technology has resulted in making EverTouch softer and more luxurious than ever before,” and Everyday Elegance is the “softest, cleanest, longest-lasting, greenest collection of recyclable type 6 nylon products.”
This year’s introductions, he said, feature “bread and butter products including textures and twists.” Like all EverTouch styles, the new products are made with the mill’s SoftBac Platinum backing as well as the mill’s R2X stain and soil resistance treatment. And, they feature Shaw’s new lifetime stain and soil warranty along with a lifetime pet stains guarantee.
Numerous other carpet introductions took place in the company’s Couture, Main Street Commercial and ClearTouch offerings, the latter of which will be boosted by the manufacturer’s joint venture with DAK Americas to recycle 280 million pounds of plastic bottles annually.
To help eliminate confusion among its branded fiber types— Anso, EverTouch and ClearTouch—Shaw has created a fiber “hierarchy” that structures its brands in pyramid form to demonstrate their respective benefits and warranty packages. “We’ve been trying to simplify and enhance our warranties to make them more dealer and consumer friendly,” said Mike Leary, Shaw’s director of external fiber sales and marketing. “The new structure also ensures our warranties align with and support our brands.”
Shaw also launched its own internally produced fiber cushion built 100% from recycled product. “It has more resilience and is a better cushion visually than products we have sold in the past,” Merritt noted.
For Shaw Flooring Network dealers, Shaw introduced the previously mentioned Anso Colorwall. Featuring three weights of textures and three weights of twists in a silver/gold/platinum offering, he said this proven and powerful selling tool is a “go to” for retail sales associates. “It’s been an instant hit and we already have retrofitted over 500 of these in stores across the country.”
Hard offerings
While much of the focus was on the soft side, Shaw did not forget its hard surface division, and Merritt noted the same thinking and processes that went into creating the 2010 carpet products and merchandising went into designing the mill’s wood, laminate and tile selections for the new year.
In hardwood, Shaw continues to invest in and expand its eco-friendly Epic line, which features three main collections—Legends, Traditions and Expressions— with such new lines as California Dreaming to Legends and Smooth Sailin’ to Traditions.
What really caught retailers’ attention was the new ScufResist Platinum finish, which allows Shaw to offer a limited lifetime stain warranty. The mill said floors with the proprietary technology resist scuffs up to six times better than the competition. ScufResist Platinum is currently on all Epic products and by the end of the year it will be included on all Shaw hardwood offerings.
ScufResist is also being used on Shaw’s laminate, including its high-clarity, extra-luster Luminiere collection which was introduced last year. For 2010 the mill has expanded the line with Domestic Luminiere Crystal Lake and Provencial.
Lastly, Shaw’s tile offering has added two porcelain lines— Fortaleza and Villa Percara—and a traditional ceramic, Palmetto. Mill officials described Fortaleza as a durable porcelain tile with a slip-resistant surface and features a marbled coloration of darker and lighter tones to create a heightened illusion of motion. Villa Percara has antiqued edges for a rustic look much like stone flooring of the Old Country, including swirled coloration, making it reminiscent of sandstone and suggests a coastal European feel, and Palmetto has a peaceful, cool and modern look, with a touch of surface variation that gives visual interest.
For more on Shaw’s introductions, call 800.441.7429.
DALLAS—It was only a few years ago when manufacturers were able to roll out hundreds of new products, displays and programs figuring enough will stick with retailers to make it all worthwhile. Today, mills have to do their homework to introduce not only the right amount of products but the right price points.
Retailers around the country were introduced to this frame of thought at Shaw Industries’ “Sustainable Flooring Event 2010: Strength Amidst Change,” where the mill unveiled a wide assortment of products, merchandising and marketing materials to help them stay ahead of the competition and be well-positioned for when business starts moving in an upward direction.
“Certainly the economy is a factor as we consider product introductions in every category,” said Randy Merritt, Shaw’s president, at the company’s regional market here. He pointed to the company’s Tuftex and Anderson brands as an example, noting they are generally seen as high-end product offerings. But, in this business climate, Merritt explained the mill’s focus was not only on maintaining the quality and style of the brands, but also hitting more affordable price points. “Value will certainly be the operative word in all product categories this year.”
Value was also evident when it came to displays. “Here again we tried to focus on just a few things rather than asking customers to step up and buy lots of new furniture or hardware. We updated marketed collections, retrofitted some existing units and minimized fixture investment in favor of having targeted product.”
Even before the regional markets got under way, this strategy was proven to be correct, Merritt said, as “the new design of our colorwall has been incredibly successful.” And, once the company took its show on the road, the response was looking good.
Jason Jabara of Jabara’s Carpet Outlets in Wichita, Kan., noted the emphasis Shaw placed on adding value allowed his team to “get restocked on a number of items.” He also praised the new colorwall, which was redesigned from the popular Kathy Ireland colorwall that is being phased into the updated version.
Manor Gonzales III of MG Floors in Austin, Tex., who was checking out the manufacturer’s new ScufResist Platinum finish for wood and laminate, noted he saw plenty of “nice things at the market. We do a lot of business with Shaw and I’m pleased by what I saw here in terms of products and other offerings.”
New for 2010
Being that Shaw is the world’s largest carpet mill, much of the focus was on the soft side of things. “We continue to innovate in terms of moving to soft fibers in all kinds of constructions,” Merritt said. “This is true in both polyester as well as nylon. Today soft is in for carpet and almost everything else is going away. Making those conversions is a big project and huge investment.”
An example of this is in the 16 new products offered in the Visions collection, which feature Shaw’s “ultra-soft premium nylon,” Anso Caress. The popular collection includes textures, twists, LCL patterns and stylish woven looks. “From organic tree bark patterns to contemporary geometric blocks to natural striated woven visuals, Visions continues to demonstrate industry leadership in color, style, design and product benefits,” he said.
In addition to soft, Merritt said environmental friendliness also continues to be an area consumers are concentrating on and Shaw now has third-party certification that all its Anso nylon and ClearTouch PET BCF contain 25% post-consumer recycled content, along with having the ability to be recycled into new carpet at Shaw’s Evergreen Nylon Recycling Facility in Augusta, Ga.
Another example Merritt pointed to where Shaw combined soft and eco-friendly is the new EverTouch Everyday Elegance line. “Innovative fiber technology has resulted in making EverTouch softer and more luxurious than ever before,” and Everyday Elegance is the “softest, cleanest, longest-lasting, greenest collection of recyclable type 6 nylon products.”
This year’s introductions, he said, feature “bread and butter products including textures and twists.” Like all EverTouch styles, the new products are made with the mill’s SoftBac Platinum backing as well as the mill’s R2X stain and soil resistance treatment. And, they feature Shaw’s new lifetime stain and soil warranty along with a lifetime pet stains guarantee.
Numerous other carpet introductions took place in the company’s Couture, Main Street Commercial and ClearTouch offerings, the latter of which will be boosted by the manufacturer’s joint venture with DAK Americas to recycle 280 million pounds of plastic bottles annually.
To help eliminate confusion among its branded fiber types— Anso, EverTouch and ClearTouch—Shaw has created a fiber “hierarchy” that structures its brands in pyramid form to demonstrate their respective benefits and warranty packages. “We’ve been trying to simplify and enhance our warranties to make them more dealer and consumer friendly,” said Mike Leary, Shaw’s director of external fiber sales and marketing. “The new structure also ensures our warranties align with and support our brands.”
Shaw also launched its own internally produced fiber cushion built 100% from recycled product. “It has more resilience and is a better cushion visually than products we have sold in the past,” Merritt noted.
For Shaw Flooring Network dealers, Shaw introduced the previously mentioned Anso Colorwall. Featuring three weights of textures and three weights of twists in a silver/gold/platinum offering, he said this proven and powerful selling tool is a “go to” for retail sales associates. “It’s been an instant hit and we already have retrofitted over 500 of these in stores across the country.”
Hard offerings
While much of the focus was on the soft side, Shaw did not forget its hard surface division, and Merritt noted the same thinking and processes that went into creating the 2010 carpet products and merchandising went into designing the mill’s wood, laminate and tile selections for the new year.
In hardwood, Shaw continues to invest in and expand its eco-friendly Epic line, which features three main collections—Legends, Traditions and Expressions— with such new lines as California Dreaming to Legends and Smooth Sailin’ to Traditions.
What really caught retailers’ attention was the new ScufResist Platinum finish, which allows Shaw to offer a limited lifetime stain warranty. The mill said floors with the proprietary technology resist scuffs up to six times better than the competition. ScufResist Platinum is currently on all Epic products and by the end of the year it will be included on all Shaw hardwood offerings.
ScufResist is also being used on Shaw’s laminate, including its high-clarity, extra-luster Luminiere collection which was introduced last year. For 2010 the mill has expanded the line with Domestic Luminiere Crystal Lake and Provencial.
Lastly, Shaw’s tile offering has added two porcelain lines— Fortaleza and Villa Percara—and a traditional ceramic, Palmetto. Mill officials described Fortaleza as a durable porcelain tile with a slip-resistant surface and features a marbled coloration of darker and lighter tones to create a heightened illusion of motion. Villa Percara has antiqued edges for a rustic look much like stone flooring of the Old Country, including swirled coloration, making it reminiscent of sandstone and suggests a coastal European feel, and Palmetto has a peaceful, cool and modern look, with a touch of surface variation that gives visual interest.
For more on Shaw’s introductions, call 800.441.7429.
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