The Stocklists - March 2012 by David Spragg

Stocklists The

5 March 2012

with

FlooringNews

BRITAIN’S No. 1 FLOORCOVERING MAGAZINE FOR THE RETAIL AND CONTRACT MARKET

The

Stocklists

Published by Mayville Publishing Co Ltd 219 West Ella Road, West Ella, Hull HU10 7SD Tel: 01482 659396 Fax: 01482 659397 www.thestocklists.com Sales Director: Diane Martin. diane@mayvillepublishing.co.uk Publication Director: David Spragg. Founded by Roy Spragg in 1973.

FIRST FOR FLOORING NEWS AND DATA

5 MARCH 2012

UK manufactured Carpet Cutting Machines

WWW.CARPETCUTTINGMACHINES.CO.UK Advertisers

FlooringNews starts on page 37

Monthly ‘Stocklisters’ shown in BOLD

Ulster invests £6m boost for UK manufacturing page 37

Index

Page No

Contact No

AFS

020 8805 8620

01785 711031

—

ASSOCIATED WEAVERS

IFC

01422 431100

—

BONDWORTH

01562 745000

June 2011

BGNFS

—

BRITISH WOOL

01274 688 666

—

BROCKWAY

01562 828200

Mar 2010

ADORE

A good yarn Speckly tech

Voice: Top designer talks about trends page 42

QR codes are latest .com trend page 63

Underlay extends

Quality on show

Dennis Flower on what’s new underfoot page 60

Buying groups line up leading suppliers page 50

Business News

01282 862736

—

01457 861141

—

0121 420 5615

—

0208 443 3322

—

CORMAR

01204 881234

—

EDEL TELENZO

01422 374417

—

01538 361633

—

FITA

01159 506836

—

FLOORWISE

01509 673974

—

24,25 01772 696787

Nov 2010

CLARITAS COLUMBIA

KINGSMEAD

LEOLINE MASTER

Reviews from the Interiors 2011 event page 57-59

Readers survey gives vinyl a mixed report page 56

Carpet Company Directory

12-13 Wool Fibre Page

Carpet Trouble-shooter

10-11 Woolsafe: the carpet care guide

01706 213131

—

01827 831427

—

+32 5665 3211

—

01422 373799

— —

01480 479830

—

0115 958 3077

—

NOVOSTRAT

00353 61 339287

—

RACKHAMS

020 85319225

—

CARPET

01243 774623 Mar/Apr 2012

STS FLOORING DISTRIBUTORS

0845 341000

TAT

CARPETS

07976 607657

—

FLOORING SHOW

01423 779967

—

& E DISPLAY GROUP

0121 585 7600

—

0845 644 9090

—

WESTON

14-16

—

NICF

01827 831430 01432 852000

MOHAWK

THE

FlooringFactsheets

26 47,49

28,29 01562 754382

GROUP

SOLENT WHOLESALE

The rough with the smooths

Carpet Types

WEAVERS

MERRYFIELD

Flooring‘s design pioneers

8 Wholesaler Distribution Directory

CARPETS

INTERFLOOR

The crusade of an LVT evangelist page 51

Buying Groups

FLOORING

GREENDALE

adoration for the nation

4 Underlay

FLOORING

GEORGIAN

Supacord gets fresh page 46

—

CARPENTER

FURLONG

Super coloured cord

Spet 2011

BRÖNTE

F.BALL

Carpetright and Victoria await fate page 52

Adhesives

CARPETS LTD.

Price List Date

HAMMER

Classified advertising.................................page 64, 65

17 6-7

carpets/rugs/tiles woods/laminates/smooths accessories/services/organisations fibres underlay wholesalers/distributors adhesives

ISSN 2046-7338 © Mayville Publishing Co. Ltd. 2011 Issue: 444 Every care is taken in compiling this magazine, but the proprietors assume no responsibility in the effects arising therefrom.

In an independent survey which asked 450 retailers this year which of the nine trade titles they actually read, our magazine came top of the pile. Thank you!

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Flooring Factsheet Adhesives

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Flooring factsheet Carpet types TUFTED

WOVEN

With advances in manufacturing technology, 95% of all carpet produced today is tufted. It takes about an hour to make a roll of carpet that might take eight hours to weave. To make tufted carpet, hundreds of yarn-threaded needles are pushed through the primary backing fabric to form loops or tufts, which may be left as is or cut. A heavy adhesive coating is applied to hold the tufts in place and a secondary backing is usually glued on for strength and stability. A wide variety of styles and textures can then be created using various techniques.

Woven carpet may be in a tiny minority of today’s production but still produces some of the finest carpets which are used for prestigious installations. Axminster • The pile of the carpet is inserted into the backing as it is woven and cut to length, creating U-shaped tufts to give a velvety surface. The process locks in the fibre to create a carpet of high durability and performance retention as well as a luxury feel. The process allows for intricate designs and colours to be used – although modern trends mean that the traditional patterned axminster has given way to current fashion trends for plain carpets.

LOOP PILE Berber • Berber carpets look like and are named after a handmade, bulky wool carpet made by the Berber tribes of North Africa and Asia. The loops are made from thick or bulky yarns of wool, nylon, polypropylene or a blend of these fibres to give a cushioned effect underfoot. These carpets are available in an assortment of colours and may be flecked and can be either level loop or multilevel loop.

Wilton • Wilton woven carpets are produced in a similar way to axminsters – the principal difference being that a continuous fibre is woven all the way through. The carpet can be sheared to create a range of cut and loop textured effects. The result is a high quality carpet of unrivalled durability.

Level loop • When all the loops are of the same height, a highly flexible and durable carpet is created which has a natural, casual appearance even when (commonly) it is made from synthetic fibres. The tight loop texture tends to hide marks so it’s a good blend between luxury and practicality.

Flat weave • Manufactured in the same way as wilton, flat weave is a loop pile which allows the yarn to be woven across a wider area to created a flatter, more textured effect.

Multi-level loop • The loops vary to two or sometimes three loop heights to create informal, random textures which are very forgiving for marks and stains and therefore very suitable for high traffic areas and busy family rooms.

ends blend together which then further enhances the overall finish. These carpets tend to ‘shade’ with heavy use. Footprints show easily and the colour looks different from place to place because fibres lying in different directions reflect the light differently. A luxury for occasional rooms.

CUT PILE Freize • Frieze (pronounced free-say) carpets are similar to saxony, but the yarns are more tightly twisted and should always be heat set. They have a dense, low pile surface which creates a coarse, pebbly texture. Frieze carpets are very durable and hide footprints, dust and dirt, which makes them suitable for heavy traffic areas.

CUT AND LOOP When some of the pile is cut and other left as loop, a variety of surface textures and patterns can be created (in a variety of colours). The multi-level surface is excellent for hiding footprints and stains so cut and loop is good for high traffic areas and general purpose rooms in the home.

Saxony • Saxony textures are made of twisted yarns, which should be heat set. The tips remain very distinct, rather than blending together to form a very elegant finish. Saxony textures show footprints and vacuum marks so are suitable for more occasional rooms in the home. More textured variations improve the practicality of saxonies.

Shag pile • Shag pile has varied in popularity. The pile is up to 50mm long and the texture is casual and loose but the surface flattens easily and lacks durability.

Twist • The popular twist carpet is the cut-pile standard. The yarn is tightly twisted and often heatset to retain this feature and the result is a versatile, textured finish that is ideal for plain colours. Velvet • Velvet textures (sometimes called ‘velour’ or ‘plush’) all have a level surface pile of approx 5mm to 10mm height, which is then sheared to give a smooth finish. With very little twist in the yarn, the

BONDED Bonded carpets (sometimes called ‘fibre-bonded’ or ‘fusion bonded’) are created by firing fibres into an adhesive material – the fibres are not stitched into the backing in any way. The technique is principally used for commercial carpet tiles.

Tip Sheared

Level Loop

Velvet/Plush

Frieze

Random Sheared

Multi-Level Loop

Twist

Berber

Saxony

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Sha

Shag S

Flooring factsheet Carpet care guide from WOOLSAFE Housekeeping Tips for Carpets and Rugs Entrance or walk-off mats The use of entrance mats at all outside entrances to the house is highly recommended, as they will significantly reduce the rate at which the carpet will soil. They should be of adequate size to allow street dirt to be removed from shoe soles and must be cleaned regularly themselves.

Services for Retailers Customer carpet care HELPLINE If you have trouble dealing with customer queries like “How do I get red wine stains out of my carpet?” Just give them our HELPLINE 01943 850 817 and we’ll give them the correct advice. Simple. Certified Operator Network For experienced, specialist wool carpet cleaners you can trust visit: www.woolsafe.org/find/aregistered-carpet-cleaner. WOOLSAFE Registered Inspectors Solve disputes with customers with our independent carpet complaint Investigators. Just visit: www.woolsafe.org/find/a-registered-carpetinspector and call your nearest inspector. WOOLSAFE Approved Products Have confidence in the cleaning product you recommend, use the WOOLSAFE Approved Products Directory it contains only safe and effective carpet cleaning products. For spot removers visit: www.woolsafe.org/spotremovers Carpet Care Leaflets We offer to help you develop custom carpet care literature and we also offer generic carpet care leaflets designed to be given away with each cut of carpet. Correct carpet maintenance should start from day one. Web pages and Links We offer to help you develop custom carpet care pages for your website or you can link to our website’s carpet care pages for up-to-date and accurate advice. Contact us by email, telephone or post to: The WOOLSAFE Organisation 49 Boroughgate, Otley, LS29 8NR Tel: 01943 850817 E-mail: office@woolsafe.org or visit www.woolsafe.org The WOOLSAFE Organisation – promoting quality carpet and rug care since 1991. Europe – North America - Australia

Regular Maintenance Regular cleaning will extend the life of a carpet and maintain its appearance. Vacuum clean regularly and thoroughly, which removes gritty dirt that can damage the fibres. Deal with spillages as soon as possible, preferably the moment they occur. Beware of products claiming to be safe on all fibres, including wool. It might be true, but if it does not have the WOOLSAFE Mark, it is not endorsed by most carpet manufacturers! Never use any detergents such as dishwashing liquids, soaps or other cleaners recommended for general household use. Although they may clean the carpet satisfactorily they will almost certainly cause problems such as rapid re-soiling, colour bleeding or other damage to the pile or backing of the carpet. Use only WOOLSAFE approved products WOOLSAFE-approved carpet care products have been independently and scientifically tested and are safe and effective for cleaning and maintaining all types of carpets and rugs.

The Green WOOLSAFE Mark identifies those products that not only are the most suitable for wool and other quality carpets, but also have the right environmental characteristics.

Periodic Cleaning When the carpet or rug reaches a stage where it could do with a really good clean, you can either do the job yourself, or you can call in a specialist carpet cleaning company. If you are considering cleaning the carpet or rug yourself make sure to use only WOOLSAFE approved products. Look for the WOOLSAFE Mark on the bottle or package. It is best to engage the services of a professional carpet & upholstery cleaning company. To get a really expert job done entrust the work to a WOOLSAFE accredited carpet cleaning company. These companies are fully trained, have been in business for a considerable length of time, are members of one or more recognised professional trade associations related to the cleaning industry and have a reputation for top quality service. And they use only WOOLSAFE-approved cleaning agents on your wool carpets and rugs!

If you have a problem with a carpet or rug that requires an independent inspector, a network of carpet complaint investigators, trained and registered by The WOOLSAFE Organisation is available throughout the UK and Ireland. WOOLSAFE Registered Inspectors have extensive experience in investigating the causes for carpet complaints based on their practical involvement with carpets and rugs over many years. They are fully qualified to investigate carpet and rug complaints on-site on behalf of carpet manufacturers, retailers, cleaning companies and carpet owners. They can carry out or commission tests where required, and will provide comprehensive reports. To contact an inspector in your area call 01943 462127, email: inspector@woolsafe.org, or visit: www.woolsafe.org / Private Householder / Registered Inspectors

WOOLSAFE The Retailer's single source solution for carpet care advice and services. THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

maintenance • cleaning • spot removal • protection • inspection

General Rules for Spot Removal

WOOLSAFE Approved Carpet Cleaning Products www.prochem.co.uk

Treatments 1.

Blot with white kitchen roll or paper tissues

Vacuum clean

Cold water

Home of the Legendary Cleaning Product - Carpet Power www.ozkleen.co.uk

• Soak up liquids with white kitchen roll, tissues, toilet roll or clean cloth

Warm water

• Scoop up or scrape off solids

• Try to identify unknown spots prior to treatment – if unsure, use solvent first

WOOLSAFE-approved carpet shampoo solution (diluted)

WOOLSAFE-approved spot remover for water-based stains

WOOLSAFE-approved spot remover for greasy/oily stains

• Always work from the edge of the spot inwards • BLOT, do NOT rub • Use small quantities of spot remover at a time, applied to a cloth, NOT directly to the spot; work into the spot with a small, soft brush or sponge • Take care with applying solvents to bitumen-backed carpet tiles

Absorbent paper or paper tissue and hot iron

Chewing gum remover (solvent or freeze type)

Life inspired cleaning innovations www.bissell.com

10. Nail varnish remover or acetone 11. White spirit or turpentine substitute 12. Surgical spirit (ethyl alcohol or ethanol)

• When using solvents always ensure there is plenty of fresh air ventilation

14. Rub gently with coarse sand paper

• Always thoroughly rinse out water-based spotters with clean water

15. WOOLSAFE-approved disinfectant or deodorizer

• Dry the spot, if possible, with a hair dryer

16. Rust remover

13. Rub with a coin

The Clean Carpet you Expect... the Service you Deserve www.servicemasterclean.co.uk

17. Carpet re-colouring kit (Treatments used by professional carpet cleaners)

More Difficult Spots Spot or stain

Try 1st Try 2nd Try 3rd

Artificially coloured drinks 3

Easy Spots Spot or stain

Try 1st Try 2nd Try 3rd

Bleach

C/heating radiator fluid

Coffee

Blood

Felt-tip pen

7 or 11 12

Burn/scorch marks

Furniture polish

Glue/adhesive (plastic base)10

Butter

Candle wax

Chewing gum

Chocolate/cocoa

Cola

Cream

Egg

Floor wax Fruit juice

7 3

Ink (fountain)

Ink (ballpoint pen)

Lipstick

Milk

Nail varnish

Paint (oil)

Rust

Soot

Tar (asphalt)

Urine (fresh stain) Urine (old stain)

Gravy and sauces

Herbal tea

Metal polish

Mustard

Oil and grease

Paint (emulsion)

Shoe polish

Tea

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Environmentally Aware for Superior Carpet Care www.envirodri.com

16 5

5 11 6

Vomit

Red wine

These may require repeated attempts with stronger spot removers. Some stains you may find impossible to remove completely in which case the assistance of a professional carpet cleaner is required.

Vacuum Cleaners the Choice of Cleaning Professionals www.sebo.co.uk

British Wool makes a Better Carpet... Naturally www.britishwool.org.uk

This information is provided with the support of WOOLSAFE members for the benefit of all carpet retailers and fitters.

Flooring factsheet Buying Groups Why join? Associated Carpet Group www.smartercarpets.co.uk Contact: Richard Moore Tel: 01942 825520 rjmoore65@googlemail.com rmoore@smartercarpets.com

www.beautifulflooring.co.uk Contact: Paul Phillips Tel: 01892 549050 paul@atbrm.com

Buying groups have been a highly successful feature of the floor retailing scene in the last decade or so, giving independents the extra edge they need to compete effectively with the retail park chains. More than 1000 retailers are now members of one of the several buying groups which operate in our sector and the numbers are slowly, but steadily growing. While the benefits of bulk buying power are self-evident, the resistance to the buying group concept among nonmembers appears to be centred on fears of surrendering some control to a committee – and most particularly compromising long-established relationships and negotiated terms with current suppliers. The bottom line is the bottom line. A retailer selling across a broad range of products is likely to improve margins within a buying group – but you don’t need a leap of faith to join up. Ask the buying groups for answers...

www.flooringone.co.uk Contact: Glenn Harding Tel: 0121 683 1426 glenn.harding@flooringone.co.uk

www.greendalecarpets.co.uk Contact: Rob Harding Tel: 01432 852000 Fax: 01432 852005 rharding@greendalecarpets.co.uk

Pick the right one How to decide whether to join a buying group – and which one…

of the committee

•

Get a list of members and call up two or three for a ‘real-world’ view

• Establish your territorial exclusivity – where’s the next nearest member of each buying group

• Ensure you understand the financial arrangements, any fees that would relate to your membership, how the bills are paid and whether your fees are refundable if it doesn’t work out. Ask the buying group for a consultation to estimate your potential savings

• Review all the extra benefits and services to see what you would actually use

• Check out the product ranges offered including the www.smg-group.co.uk Contact: David Lewis Tel: 0118 932 3832 info@smg-group.co.uk

Increase margins • Group purchases to get beneficial rates • Rebates • Exclusive higher-margin products • Special promotions One of the key reasons to join a buying group is to benefit from the discounts they negotiate as a bulk buyer from manufacturers. The way discounts and rebates are passed on to members varies between groups so make sure it’s absolutely clear how this will be done. You’ll need to work out how this compares with discounts you have already negotiated locally with preferred suppliers. Increase sales

• ‘Best of both worlds’ proposition • Wider ranges and exclusive products • POS, displays and merchandising support Your customers will like the proposition that you are independent but with the buying power of a group – this gives them (and you) the ‘best of both worlds’ with personal service and competitive pricing. Most groups will also offer you ‘own label’ ranges and support with point-of-sale, merchandising and displays. Central stockholding may also be on offer. Access professional services

• Evaluate all buying groups as they all work differently • Talk to the main marketing contact and/or a member Metro Group www.carpet1st.co.uk Contact: David Kipping Tel: 01204 393539 dek@carpet1st.co.uk

Key benefits

own-label options and the UK/European mix

• Ensure you understand any rules that may limit your

• Business services • Financial services • IT and internet support • Training and workshops • Professional bodies Some buying groups offer an excellent range of other services which may be valuable to your business. Financial services include invoice factoring, credit, loans and insurance. Some of the more sophisticated groups offering marketing packages, software systems to help you run your business operations and customised websites ready to use. Relationships with professional and training organisations can also offer discounts. Network with other independents

• Members-only exhibitions with preferred manufacturers

• Regular meetings • Regional workshops • Supplier presentations • Helpline A lot of retailers enjoy the buying group environment of being independent but not alone out there on the High Street. Groups hold regular meetings and some have their own trade shows, regional meetings and workshops to help you develop your business. The network gives you someone to call when you need advice on, for example, an unusual installation, a technical consumer complaint, legal issue or business dilemma.

flexibility to run your business the way you want

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Flooring factsheet Underlay In a tight market for margins, underlay for carpet and laminate flooring offers retailers one of the best opportunities to add value to every sale – with good profitability, trade-up potential once benefits are understood and high satisfaction levels with customers.

www.floorwise.co.uk

But 50% of carpet is still sold without new underlay! Retailers should create an assumption that new underlay is always required, the only decision is which type. It’s also a good target-setter for sales staff. Setting up in-store demonstrations so customers can walk on samples with different grades of underlay and feel the difference has shown excellent results – some manufacturers offer point-of-sale units.

www.numa-online.co.uk

Benefits

Types

Good underlay will... • Improve underfoot comfort • Increase appearance retention, reducing flattening • Absorb the pressure of foot traffic and reduce wear • Improve thermal insulation and warmth • Increase sound insulation • Smooth out sub-floor imperfections • Last the lifetime of the carpet

Sponge rubber The market’s most popular underlay is available in flat or waffle patterns in a wide range of weights for different applications. It performs well for comfort and has a durable spring retention. PU (polyurethane) foam PU foam is a relative newcomer to the market, typically made from recycled foam offcuts. The foam provides excellent comfort and performance levels with lots of thickness options – and its light weight helps handling. The product can be re-cycled again after use. Crumb rubber Flat and dense, crumb rubber is good for heavy footfall - offering maximum protection but a little less comfort (and very good over stair nosings). Laminate underlay There’s still an opportunity to sell underlay with laminate flooring, improving the acoustic performance of the floor and helping the boards float above any imperfections in the sub-surface. Combination A rubber crumb base with a felt top layer offers a good combination of protection, durability and comfort. It also allows carpet with seaming to bed into the top felt. Underfloor heating underlay Always ask if there is underfloor heating. Most manufacturers offer specialised products. Underlay and carpet with a combined tog rating up to 2.5 can be used – which means the underlay would normally have a tog rating of 1.0. Felt This traditional (but environmentally friendly) underlay is made from recycled fibres – wool, jute and synthetic – to create a firm, dense pad with excellent thermal insulation. Still a very popular choice among contractors when stretch fitting woven carpets. Pre-tackified underlay A self-adhesive single stick underlay in both needlefelt and PU. A removable system for heavy use when comfort is desired.

Poor or old underlay will...

• Feel hard and unwelcoming • Reduce carpet life • Cause wrinkling and premature wear spots • Cause carpet fibres to break down more quickly • Not meet British Standards How thick? A maximum of 12mm is recommended (working with gripper will be difficult thereafter) but rooms with heavy traffic will need a thinner, denser pad. The combination of thickness and density is all important as a thick underlay with low density may not perform well. Typically, the thicker the underlay, the better quality it will need to be – 11mm is often used for luxury installations with 9mm and 7mm the common domestic thickness.

Sponge rubber

Combination

Crumb

PU foam

www.carpenter.limited.uk

www.interfloor.com

Specialists in pre-tacked underlays, soft fibre boards & Roberts Tools. www.estillon.co.uk

www.underlay.com THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Flooring factsheet Carpet trouble-shooter COLOUR MATCHING

SPROUTING

Carpets are produced in batches - known as creels - and usually each batch produces between 500m2 - 3000m2 in a single width, depending on the creel size. Whilst the recipe used by the dyer remains constant, and is followed to the letter, in each separate production the colour reproduction will vary from batch to batch. However production is matched back to the original or master sample to ensure that the colour remains ‘within a commercial tolerance’.

Occasionally an odd tuft or two can work its way to the surface and stand proud of the rest of the pile. This is probably due to one end of the tuft being longer than the other i.e. J shaped tuft instead of V shaped. Remedial action merely requires that the offending tufts be scissor trimmed level with the rest of the pile. They should never be pulled out.

This process if not an exact science and a commercial tolerance is subjective but nevertheless is usually the professional judgement of the head dyer based on his/her experience.

Shading occurs because the pile of the carpet has become crushed, flattened or brushed in a different direction to the natural lie of the pile whilst in situ. This causes light reflection at differing angles resulting in the creation of light and dark patches on the carpet. This will occur on all pile fabrics but can be more noticeable on plainer carpets because the shadows created by pile pressure will not be disguised by a heavy pattern or design.

A greater level of tolerance is required on blended colours (Heathers etc). To ensure perfect colour matching it is advisable that a single width be used in any installation requiring exact colour matching. N.B. Carpets which are laid with the pile travelling in different directions, even though they be from the same batch will appear not to match. For further information please check with the manufacturers recommendations.

SAMPLES The samples held by individual retailers may not be from the same batch as current production and therefore should be used as a guide and not an exact colour match.

SHEDDING The original carpet tile

All cut pile carpets will lose short fibre, which is created during production when spun yarn is cut for tuft formation. These fibres fall onto the surface of the pile and appear as ‘fluff’. The effect varies with yarn type and may be removed without detrimental effect upon the carpet by vacuum cleaning. This excess fibre is only a small fraction of the total fibre contained in the carpet.

PULLED LOOPS

This information is given by responsible manufacturers to help you help your customer to make an informed choice.

• shedding • pulled loops

Pulled loops occur only in looped pile carpet where one or more loops in the continuous pile is pulled through the primary backing of the carpet. This is usually due to some local condition, possibly some sharp object which has caught in a loop in situ and has resulted in a pull. Pulled loops are easily dealt with by trimming the offending end level with the rest of the pile.They should not be left as this could result in further loops being pulled and developing into a ladder.

SHADING

STATIC Carpets do not produce static but like other household fabrics and objects have the capacity to store it. Static is caused by the build up of static electricity upon personnel in a dry environment and is discharged when a person makes contact with an object which can conduct electricity (i.e. door handle or filing cabinets, etc). The static charges will vary in intensity depending upon the individual, air humidity and the contact materials. Static is more usually associated with synthetic materials as they do not retain moisture very well but it can and does occur with wool in very dry room conditions. Preventative measures include the introduction of moisture into the room or in situ carpet treatment.

FADING ON WOOL Carpets made from wool can and do fade in use. The degree of fade can vary depending on the colour chosen and the local conditions to which the carpet is subjected. Fading can be caused by exposure to ultra violet light which is found in daylight, but is accelerated when sunlight shines directly onto the carpet. This has the effect of lightening or “Bleaching” the colour just as exposure to sunlight will lighten human hair. Wool is after all animal hair. Protection should be given to carpets exposed to such conditions just as you would protect other furniture or fabrics. A complaint on fading would be considered justified if it failed to meet the required shade standard when tested to the British Standard BS1006 (1990).

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

• sprouting • shading • static • fading • pile reversal • shedding • flattening • soiling

PILE REVERSAL

FLATTENING

(SEE SHADING)

Flattening will occur as a result of traffic which eventually flattens the pile particularly in the main areas of use. All pile fabrics will flatten to greater or lesser degree dependant on the amount of traffic to which it is subjected and the construction (tuft density/pile fibre/height/weight) of the product concerned.

Like shading, this occurs when the pile or nap of the carpet changes direction and thus reflects light at different angles showing the effects of shading which can become permanent. It is also described as ‘watermarking’. This can happen to every carpet construction be it Axminster, Wilton, Tufted, Hand Woven, Persian, Chinese, Indian or even Coir Matting. Like shading it can be more apparent on plain carpet because heavy patterns can disguise the effects. It can occur quite quickly after installation. A tremendous amount of research has been carried out over many years by many institutes to determine the cause of this phenomenon but none of it has proved conclusive. There is no commonly known manufacturing process which can cause or cure this phenomenon and therefore it is not a manufacturing fault. For further information please check with individual manufacturers recommendations.

INDENTATIONS When a carpet is subjected to a heavy point load, such as under the legs of furniture, it is unreasonable to expect the carpet not to indent. Usually, the longer the load is in place, the longer will be the time for the pile to recover. In the case of very heavy loads in place for a considerable time, the recovery time can be very considerable. It must be remembered that it is not only the pile of the carpet that becomes indented. the underlay will also indent and the backing of the carpet may also distort into the indentation in the underlay. Some underlay’s will recover well and some less well depending upon their composition, thickness, density etc. The use of cups below furniture legs can spread the load and the net result is a larger area of less deeply indented carpet. The ability of a carpet to recover from a heavy static load can be measured in the laboratory, using the test method described in BS 4939 and many manufacturers will have data on this aspect of carpet performance. In this test the carpet is loaded for 24 hours and the degree of recovery is measured after 1 hour and 24 hours. Since there are so many different underlay’s however, it is very rare for the recovery from a heavy static load to be evaluated on carpet and underlay. Often normal maintenance (vacuum cleaning with a rotating brush machine) will speed up recovery but in the case of serious indentations the use of an iron and damp cloth or a steam iron together with a blunt darning needle to carefully tease up the pile can be beneficial. Care must be take not to over wet the carpet, of course.

SOILING Soiling is usually the result of some local condition to which the carpet has been subjected to, or maintenance, or lack of maintenance programme. There is nothing we as manufacturers can do to prevent soiling in use. There are several types of soiling which are quite common:

Spillages - Liquids such as soft drinks, cordials or any drink which contains sugar, particularly hot drinks, is likely to leave a stain. In such instances, professional help should be sought.

Shampoo - if incorrectly applied, can leave

sticky soap residues in the fibres which can result in the soiling reappearing quite rapidly.

Dust - which is carried on draughts can soil carpets in various ways, apart from the obvious soiled edges, at gaping skirting boards for instance, dark lines appearing on surface might suggest airborne dust vacuum-drawn through poorly fitted floorboards. Sometimes the shape of floorboards can be seen quite clearly. Air borne dust sometimes shows itself as spots on the carpet, this is due to the air carried on a draught under the carpet escaping through minute holes both in the underlay and the carpet, leaving dust deposited on the pile much like a filter action. In such installations, the use of a lining paper is essential as a preventative measure. It is the responsibility of the retailer to advise the consumer when the carpet is measured of any poorly fitting doors, skirtings, or floorboards and the consumers responsibility to ensure any remedial work to seal draughts, is carried out before the carpet is fitted, if a resulting complaint is to be avoided.

INSTALLATIONS Telephone National Institute of Carpet Fitters (NICF) for further information – 0115 958 3077.

This information is given by responsible manufacturers to help you help your customer to make an informed choice.

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

The Stocklists Carpet Company Directory Abingdon Flooring Adam Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W Ww Alternative Flooring Associated Weavers Tw Tu Avena Carpets Ltd Tu Ww Axwoven Carpets Ltd Ax Be Axminster Carpets Ltd Ax Be Tw

01274 655694 01562 829966 01264 335111

Bronte Carpets Ltd 0121 550 5788 01297 32244

Balta Industries NV Tu Tw W Ww

+32 56 62 2211

Beaulieu International Group Be Pr Tu Tw +32 56 67 66 11

Belvedere Carpets

Bizspoke Custom Carpets Be Tw W

020 8800 0740

+32 56 23 54 10 01924 488882

0113 380 5333

Cavalier Carpets Ltd Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww

01254 268000

Christy Carpets Tu

Classis Carpets Tu W Ww

019078 308777

01562 745000 0800 505055

01737 830301

Dan-Floor UK W

0844 9151000

Domo International Be Pr Tu Tw W

+32 92 41 4511

Drury Lane Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W

01254 296829

E & WE Carpets W

01562 825952

Edel Telenzo Carpets Ltd Tu Tw W sales@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk www.edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk Enterprise Weaving Co Be Ww

0870 020 1725

+31 38 4778911

01204 881 234

Ww cummings@btinternet.com www.fellscarpets.co.uk

800 223 6186

Craigie Carpets Be

01294 558400

Creatuft Carpets Tu W

Mohawk’s Cherbourg Check

Fletco Taepper A/S Tu W

0116 284 1455

+32 56 35 4444

01977 662211

020 8944 6220

+45 96 60 3000

Firth Carpets & Flooring Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww

Couristan Carpets Ax Tu W Ww

Creative Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W

01562 745030

Fells Carpets

Fetcham Furnishings Ltd Tw Tu Tw W info@cormarcarpets.co.uk www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

01422 374 417

01675 433066

Cormar Carpets Ltd

BMK

Edel Telenzo’s Bakerloo

01924 262525

+31 383 861 060

020 7823 3040

Brintons Ax Tu Tw W Ww

01282 862 736

Burmatex Tu

Condor Carpets BV Tu

Blenheim Carpets Ax Be Tw W Ww

Bond Worth Ltd Ax

Be Tu Tw W office@brontecarpets.co.uk www.brontecarpets.co.uk

Clarendon Carpets Tw

Belvedere Carpets

BIC Carpets Be Tw W

01562 828200 www.brockway.co.uk

01422 330261

+32 56783250

Betap Tufting BV Tu Tw W

Tw W sales@brockway.co.uk

01422 431100

Bajong Carpets NV Tu Tw W

Tu W sales@belvederecarpets.co.uk www.belvederecarpets.co.uk

Brockway Carpets Ltd

Custom Carpet Company Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww

01484 721529

Furlong Flooring Tw W enquiries@furlongcentral.co.uk www.furlongflooring.co.uk

01772 696 787

Brockway’s Vogue

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

If you would like to be included in this section or upgrade your listing, please contact Diane Martin on +44 (0)1482 659396 or email diane@mayvillepublishing.co.uk

Every time you see a web or email address in The Stocklists, you can click straight to it from our online edition at www.thestocklists.com

KEY TO CODES: Be: Bespoke • Pr: Printed • Tu: Tufted • Tw: Twist • W: Wool • Ww: Woven Wilton

Gaskell Wool Rich Tu Tw W

01827 831525

Manx Carpets Tw W

01827 831 434

Tasibel NV Tw

Gaskell Mackay Carpets Ltd Ax Tu Tw W

01429 892525

Master Weaver W Ww

01562 754 382

The Grosvenor Wilton Co W Ww

01562 701456

Georgian Carpets Tu Tw W

01827 831430

Mayfield Carpets Tu Tw W

01706 639 866

The Sultana Carpet Co Ax

01299 822300

The Wilton Carpet Co Ax W Ww

0845 296 8850

Thomas Witter UK Ltd Tu Tw

0870 1128318

Godfrey Hirst (GB) Ltd Tu Halbmond Teppichwerke Be Pr Tu Heckmondwike FB ITC Be Pr Tw John Lanham Watts Carpets Ax Tw Ww John Evans Ltd Ax Tu Tw W Joseph Hamilton & Seaton W Kingsmead Carpets Tu Tw W

0800 526696

Le Tissage d'Arcade Ax Ww Lecaflor Ltd Ax Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww Leigh Spinners Ltd Tw Louis de Poortere W Lusotufo Tu

+31 38 851 8700

+49 037 421 420 01924 410544

0032 51 424 411

01937 588511

0161 368 2563

01827 831400

01827 831 424

Lano NV Ax Pr Tu Tw W Ww marketing@lano.be www.lano.com

MID NL Be

+32 56 65 4300

+32 05685 4747

0800 78 33 712

01942 673232

+32 56 393 386

01388 664101

Mohawk Europe marinagooch@mohawkeurope.com www.mohawkinternational.com Mr Tomkinson Tw Ww

01480 479830 01480 471304

01827 831 450

+32 52 499600

Timzo Tufting Industry BV Tu

+31 38 385 4477

Tisca Tiara Tu Ww

+41 71 791 0111

Trendy Tuft Designs Be Tu Tw W

01274 855080 02838 334433

Ossfloor UK

01675 433031

Ulster Carpets Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww

Penthouse Carpets Tu Tw W

01706 341231

United Carpets & Beds Tw W Ww

Phoenox Textiles Pr Tu

01484 863227

Victoria Carpets Tu Tw W Ww

01562 749300

Pownall Carpets Tw W

0845 6528811

Vorwerk

08700 104484

Westex Carpets Tu

01274 861334

Roger Vanden Berghe.NV Tu Ww

+32 56 73 57 11

Ryalux Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W

0845 652 8811

Sans Frontieres Ltd Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww

0844 5611977

Shaw Home Foundations Tu

01675 433 501

Weston Hammer W Whitestone Weavers Ltd Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww Wilkies Carpets Tw Woodward Grosvenor Ax Tu Tw W Ww

Signature Carpets Be Tu W

01422 845075

TAT Carpet

07976 607657

Tapibel NV Pr Tu Tw

01623 481 221

Bronte’s stand

Wool Classics Tu Ww

01709 732 666

0845 644 9090 01429 892555 0113 307 9955 0800 526696 0207 349 1560

Woven Carpets of Kidderminster W 01299 827477

Tollgate stand

Cormar’s Berwick

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Are you a Wholesaler? If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not listed here, please call Diane Martin on 01482 659396.

The Stocklists Wholesale Distribution Directory National Mercado Leeds 0113 3802900 sales@mercado.co.uk www.mercado.co.uk

Fells Carpets Goole 01977 662211 sales@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk

North East Carpet & Flooring Gateshead 0191 482 7373 gateshead@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk Fells Carpets Goole

01977 662211 sales@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk Floorwise (North East) Ltd Birtley - see Floorwise p16 Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

North West A&A Carpets Manchester 01204 701188 sales@aandacarpets.co.uk www.aandacarpets.co.uk

D. M. Miller Ltd Manchester 0161 205 9949 dm.miller@btconnect.com www.dmmillerltd.spaces.lives.com Fells Carpets Goole

01977 662211 sales@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk Kellars Ltd Stockport 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk Lee Floorstok Ltd Liverpool - see Floorwise p16 Lee Floorstok Ltd Manchester - see Floorwise p16 MCA Floorwise Ltd Morecambe - see Floorwise p16 Mytton Flooring Norwich - see Floorwise p16 Millbrook Carpets Darwen 01254 703999 millbrookcarpets@live.co.uk Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk Carpet & Flooring Manchester 0161 786 6800 manchester@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

Midlands

East

Carpet & Flooring Birmingham 0121 421 9131 birmingham@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk

Beds Flooring Bedford 01234 341234 sales@bedsflooring.co.uk www.bedsflooring.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies Northampton 0845 643 5601 dmsnorthampton@ dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk Floorwise D & J Ltd Southamsee Floorwise p16 J J Wholesale & Distribution Ltd Birmingham 0121 765 4994 jjwholesale@gmx.com RPS Flooring Mansfield Woodhouse - see Floorwise p16 STS Flooring Distributors Watford 08454 342000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk www.stsflooring.com see page 34 for details

Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com Woodall Brothers Ltd Shrewsbury - see Floorwise p16

Faithfull Floorcovering Suffolk 01473 822341 sales@faithfulls.co.uk www.faithfulls.co.uk STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Cambridge Tel: 01954 781142 sales@stsflooring.co.uk www.stsflooring.com See page 34 for details Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

South East Acorn Carpet Accessories Bromley, Kent - see Floorwise p16 AFS Middlesex 020 8805 8620 sales@afsenfield.co.uk See page 18 for details Ashmount Flooring Supplies Ltd Tottenham 0208 808 2158 sales@ashmountflooring.co.uk www.ashmountflooring.co.uk continued overleaf....

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Are you a Wholesaler? If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not listed here, please call Diane Martin on 01482 659396.

The Stocklists Wholesale Distribution Directory Beds Flooring Bedford 01234 341234 sales@bedsflooring.co.uk www.bedsflooring.co.uk

Faithfull Floorcovering Suffolk 01473 822341 sales@faithfulls.co.uk www.faithfulls.co.uk

Carpet & Flooring Bow 020 8525 5691 bow@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk

Kent Flooring Supplies Ltd Chatham 01634 668668 sales@kentflooring.co.uk www.kentflooring.co.uk

Carpet & Flooring Camberley 01276 672100 camberley@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk

Littner Hampton London 020 8520 8474 littnerhampton@aol.com www.littnerhamptoncarpets.co.uk

Clifford Floors Strood 01634 285900 sales@clifford.uk.com

Potts & Ward, Woodcocks Ltd Brighton 01273 557211 pwwflooring@fastnet.co.uk www.pwwflooring.co.uk

Culpeck Strood 01634 299000 sales@culpeck.uk.com Columbia Flooring Middlesex 020 8443 3322 sales@columbiaflooring.co.uk www.columbiaflooring.co.uk See page 22 for details

Rackhams London 020 8531 9225 sales@rackhamsltd.co.uk www.rackhamsltd.co.uk See page 32 for details Salesmark Lancing, - see Floorwise p16

Solent Wholesale Carpet West Sussex DMS Flooring Supplies 01243 774623 Hemel Hempstead sales@solentwholesale.co.uk 0845 643 5344 www.solentwholesale.co.uk dmshemel@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk See page 33 for details DMS Flooring Supplies Milton Keynes 0845 643 5320 dmslaser@dmsflooringsupplies.co.u Faithfulls Service Centre Kent 01322 285001 Faithfulls Service Centre Walthamstow 0208 498 3040 sales.walthamstow@faithfulls.co.uk

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

STS Flooring Distributors Orpington/Croydon 0845 434 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk www.stsflooring.com see page 34 for details Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@carpet andflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk

Wessex Flooring Amesbury - see Floorwise p16

C. K. Davie Ltd Aberdeen - see Floorwise p16

Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

C. K. Davie Ltd Dundee - see Floorwise p16

South West Carpet & Flooring Bristol 0117 316 0555 bristol@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk Fitwell Flooring Ltd Redruth - see Floorwise p16 Fitwell Flooring Ltd Newton Abott - see Floorwise p16 Solent Wholesale Carpet West Sussex 01243 774623 sales@solentwholesale.co.uk www.solentwholesale.co.uk See page 33 for details STS Flooring Distributors Thame (Oxford) 01844 213555 sales@stsflooring.co.uk www.stsflooring.com see page 34 for details Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@carpet andflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

Scotland

Headlam Scotland North Lanarkshire 01698 831 000 sales@headlamscotland.co.uk www.headlamscotland.co.uk Neil Smith Ltd Glasgow - see Floorwise p16

Wales Carpet & Flooring Bristol 0117 316 0555 bristol@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk Roma Flooring Neath - see Floorwise p16 Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@carpet andflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

Ireland Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Dublin - see Floorwise p16 Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Belfast - see Floorwise p16 Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Limerick - see Floorwise p16

Carpet & Flooring Glasgow 0141 427 8456 glasgow@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk

floorwise National Network of Floorwise Distributors Acorn Carpet Accessories 16 Bromley, Kent Tel: 020 8462 0422 Fax: 020 8462 0927

Neil Smith Ltd 3 Glasgow Tel: 0141 552 1141 Fax: 0141 552 0623

C. K. Davie Ltd 1 Aberdeen Tel: 01224 820077 Fax: 01224 822344

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd 4 Belfast Tel: 028 9075 3202 Fax: 028 9075 3901

C. K. Davie Ltd 2 Dundee Tel: 01382 226533 Fax: 01382 226544 Fitwell Flooring Ltd 20 Redruth, Cornwall Tel: 01209 214344 Fax: 01209 211162

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd 9 Dublin 10 Tel: 00353 (0)1 626 3913 Fax: 00353 (0)1 626 3960 LoCall: 1850 445 746 (ROI)

Fitwell Flooring Ltd 19 Newton Abbot, Devon Tel: 01626 835935 Fax: 01626 834334

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd 10 Limerick Tel: 00353 (0)61 227 100 Fax: 00353 (0)61 227 000 LoCall: 1850 445 745 (ROI)

Floorwise D & J Ltd 13 Southam, Warks Tel: 01926 814922 Fax: 01926 817899

Roma Flooring 15 Neath, West Glamorgan Tel: 01639 633001 Fax: 01639 646116

Floorwise (North East) 5 Ltd Birtley, County Durham Tel: 0191 410 7070 Fax: 0191 410 6116

RPS Flooring 11 Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire Tel: 01623 624198 Fax: 01623 620931

Lee Floorstok Ltd 8 Liverpool Tel: 0151 708 7420 Fax: 0151 708 7241

Salesmark 17 Lancing, West Sussex Tel: 01903 750522 Fax: 01903 851111

Lee Floorstok Ltd 7 Manchester Tel: 0161 231 8080 Fax: 0161 231 8787

Wessex Flooring 18 Amesbury, Wiltshire Tel: 01980 625888 Fax: 01980 676969

MCA Floorwise Ltd 6 Morecambe, Lancashire Tel: 01524 33517 Fax: 01524 381852

Woodall Brothers Ltd 12 Shrewsbury, Shropshire Tel: 01743 441584 Fax: 01743 441629

Mytton Flooring 14 Norwich, Norfolk Tel: 01603 624387 Fax: 01603 612888

1 2 3

4 5

6 7 10

11 12 13

18 19

16 17

HEAD OFFICE Floorwise Group Limited, Floorwise House, 22 High Street, Kegworth, Derby DE74 2DA, UK. Tel: 0044 (0)1509 673974 Fax: 0044 (0)1509 674841

Award-Winning Flooring Accessories

GRIPPER

UNDERLAY

ADHESIVES & SCREEDS

PROFILES

www.floorwise.co.uk www.floorwise.co.uk •• www.carpetunderlay.net www.carpetunderlay.net www.signaturewoodfloors.com www.signaturewoodfloors.com •• www.siennawoodfloors.com www.siennawoodfloors.com 16

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Flooring factsheet Wool fibre THE BEST CARPET WOOL Wool carpets have a historic reputation for quality because as a fibre it is known to withstand pressure and have excellent appearance retention properties. The best wool for carpet production is ‘strong’ wool and this is grown on sheep breeds found in Britain and New Zealand. Most carpets will contain both British Wool and New Zealand Wool because British Wool is more bulky and resilient and offers texture and unique heathery shades to carpet, whilst New Zealand wool is softer and whiter and particularly good for plain, lighter shaded ranges. Combining the two within a blend for carpet yarn gives manufacturers the perfect qualities for carpet. 100% wool or 80/20 – 80/10/10 wool rich Wool has yet to be matched by any man-made fibre; it has superior strength and does not need other fibres to improve its performance. However manufacturers choose to use synthetic fibres within the yarn blend for a number of reasons. These include fibre flexibility, dyeing, heat setting, stain resistance, durability and cost. These wool rich compositions offer industry standard carpets which will perform well in the home. THE BENEFITS OF WOOL CARPET Practical Strong and Resilient – Wool carpet will provide superior performance over many years as it can offer unique resilience and long lasting durability. The natural crimp of wool offers valuable ‘bounce-back’ so that pile compression is resisted and the effects of tracking and shading are reduced – maintaining good appearance over many years. Easy care – Wool is a natural fibre that has an inbuilt resistance to soiling due to its natural oils and its outer surface of microscopic scales and as a result additional anti-soil treatments are not necessary. Simply vacuuming the carpet will keep it looking good and whilst wool initially repels spills, prompt and complete blotting with white paper towels or an absorbent cloth is advised and will address many household spillages.

SAFE

DURABLE

Comfort Soft and Warm – Wool carpet adds luxurious underfoot comfort and warmth to the home and acts as an insulator improving heat retention and energy efficiency. Peace and Quiet – Wool carpet absorbs sound and cushions the home against echo and room to room noise transfer. Safety Fire Retardant – Wool is naturally fire resistant, has a slow ignition rate and tests show that it is self extinguishing within seconds. It meets many safety regulations without additional treatments and is favoured in contract locations for this reason. Fall Friendly – Carpet cushions and so provides a softer floor which protects against serious injury in falls by the very young or the elderly. Internal Environment Indoor Environment – As a natural ‘smart’ fibre with a complex physical and chemical structure, wool helps to create a balanced atmosphere in the home. It breathes and absorbs humidity in the air, releasing it when the atmosphere becomes dry and helps improve air quality by absorbing airborne toxins in indoor air. Anti–allergy – The minute scales on the fibre’s surface will hold fine dust until vacuumed which helps to reduce floating particulate in the atmosphere. Wool does not give off harmful emissions or promote the growth of bacteria and wool is not a food source for dust mites. Eco/Environmental Natural and Sustainable – Grown on sheep, which graze freely, wool is both 100% natural and fully sustainable. As shearing is a necessary part of animal husbandry this means that every year there is a fresh supply of wool available for the carpet manufacturing industry. Energy Efficient – Wool is energy efficient in the home and also in carpet production. Biodegradable – Wool fibre is biodegradable in soil and will produce nitrogen, sulphur, carbon dioxide and water which are all plant nutrients. Environmentally Assessed – Wool is an environmentally responsible fibre that has been measured in terms of its ecological impact. A Life Cycle Analysis study carried out by Leeds University to ISO 14040 standard for British Wool concludes that it compares favourably when measured against man-made fibres.

EASY-CARE

COMFORT

British Wool The Planet Friendly Fibre for Carpet aboutwool.com THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

UNDERLAYS

CARPETS NATURAL/LOOPS Pendleton

50/50 Wool Loop Roll Size Full Roll EQ* Description

SAXONY DEVOTION NOBLESQUE SUMPTUOUS SENSATIONAL

30oz PP Saxony 45oz PP Saxony 55oz Saxony 58oz Saxony

80/20 WOOL TWIST NEW KILDARE BELMONT TWIST BELMONT SUPREME

50/50 30oz Twist 80/20 40oz 80/20 50oz

PP TWIST CABARET SALT N PEPPER TRIDENT HEATHERS VIVA TWIST VANTAGE

PP Twist PP Twist PP Twist PP Twist PP Twist

LOOP PILE AND CORD DIVERSITY PINCH FELT PINCH FOAM ROCKY HB ROCKY FB CANBERRA CORD TITAN CORD VARIETY

Loop Pile Needle Punch Cord Needle Punch Loop Pile Cord Loop Pile Cord Velour Gel Back Loop Pile Gel Back Loop Pile

CORMAR STOCKED APOLLO BERWICK 40 BERWICK 50 FOREST HILLS SUPER FOREST HILLS ELITE GLENDALE HOME COUNTIES HOME COUNTIES MALABAR NATURAL BERBER SUPER NATURAL BERBER ELITE NATURAL BERBER DELUXE NEW OAKLANDS NEW OAKLANDS NEW OAKLANDS PRIMO DELIGHT PRIMO PLUS PRIMO ULTRA PRIMO TWEED

Excellon Twist 80/10/10 40 oz Twist 80/10/10 50 oz Twist 50/40/10 32oz Twist 50/40/10 42oz Twist 50/45/5 40oz Twist 42 oz Twist 50 oz Twist 100% Natural 80/10/10 35 oz Twist 80/10/10 45 oz Twist 80/10/10 55 oz Twist 80/10/10 32 oz Twist 80/10/10 42 oz Twist 80/10/10 50 oz Twist Excellon Saxony Excellon Twist Excellon Twist Excellon Twist

DURALAY CONTRACT UNDERLAYS TREADMORE 11 m2 8.0mm SYSTEM 10 11 m2 10mm DURAFIT 650 15 m2 6.5mm DURAFIT 500 15 m2 5.0mm DEFENDER 15 m2 100lb HEATFLOW CARPET 15 m2 6.0mm HEATFLOW WOOD 15 m2 2.75mm TECHNICS 5 15 m2 5.0mm

Crumb Crumb single stick under 40m2 Double stick crumb Double stick crumb Flat sponge 0.80 TOG 0.75 TOG sponge carpet 0.35 TOG sponge laminate U/L Double stick sponge

CORMAR CARPETS AVEBURY HEATHER CLASSICS 40 HEATHER CLASSICS 50 TOWN AND COUNTRY

3/5 DAYS DELIVERY 100% Pure New Wool 80/15/5 40oz Twist 80/15/5 50oz Twist 80/10/10 60 oz Twist

FELT UNDERLAYS FELT 28 FELT 42 KENSINGTON DELUXE

Wool/jute felt 8mm Contract wool/jute felt 11mm Felt crumb rubber

BRANDED TOP END RUBBER SPONGE RANGE Textured Rubber Underlay ELITE 11 m2 129lb Waffle Rubber Underlay MAJESTIC 11 m2 135lb Waffle Rubber Underlay COLOURS RED 11 m2 135lb 2 Waffle Rubber Underlay WILLOW GREEN 15 m 90lb Waffle Rubber Underlay CRUSADER SUPREME 15 m2 100lb Waffle Rubber Underlay SUPREME LIGHT 11 m2 101lb UNBRANDED TREDAIRE SPONGE RUBBER Rubber Underlay AFS CLASSIC GOLD 15 m2 95 lb Rubber Underlay AFS SUPER GOLD 15 m2 80lb Rubber Underlay AFS STANDARD GOLD 15 m2 60lb WOOD FLOOR UNDERLAYS BOARDWALK (Timbermate) 15 m2 3.75mm COMFORT SILVER 15 m2 2.5mm

23dB Moisture Barrier 18dB PE Foam + Foil

TREDAIRE PU UNDERLAYS SUPER 8 15 m2 SUPER 10 15 m2 BRIO 15 m2 ZEST 15 m2 SOFTWALK 15 m2 DREAMWALK 15 m2 CONTRACT 9 15 m2 SENSATION 15 m2

Tredaire PU Tredaire PU Tredaire PU Tredaire PU Tredaire PU Tredaire PU Contract PU Contract PU

8mm 10mm 8mm 10mm 9 mm 11 mm 9 mm 11 mm

15 m2 28oz 15 m2 42oz 11 m2 74oz

AFS Unit 4 Baird Road, Enfield, Middlesex EN1 1SJ Tel: 020 8805 8620 Fax: 020 8805 6840 Email: sales@afsenfield.co.uk

PLUS A VAST RANGE OF ACCESSORIES AND TOOLS FOR CARPETS AND LAMINATES Contact our sales office or your area representative for prices on any of the above ranges. We also offer a fast service on non stock items. Phone our showroom manager for prices and samples. Our latest price list is dated September 2011. REP DETAILS: Ashley Best Nick Hart Karl Goult Sales Office Eric Flowerday 18

Tel: 07976 916752 Tel: 07771 967609 Tel: 07957 685428 Tel: 020 8805 8620 Tel: 07826 649376

Surrey, South London Essex, East London North London, West London, North West London, Middlesex, Herts. Kent, South East London Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Hampshire THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Townshend Works Puxton Lane Kidderminster Worcestershire DY11 5DF Sales: 01562 745000 Fax: 01562 732827

BOND WORTH CONTRACT AXMINSTER OVER 150 YEARS OF BESPOKE EXCELLENCE

New trade price list Effective 1st June 2011

Berkeley Axminster 80% wool / 20% Nylon available 3.66m & 4.57m Range comprises 8 Designs 3-9080 Firenza 3.66 & 4.57m wdith End March Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

Variations Axminster 80% wool / 20% Nylon available 3.66m Range comprises 12 Designs 9-9100- Khalabar - End March 1-9016-Green Khyber - Mid March Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

Precious Gems Axminster 80% wool / 20% Nylon available 3.66m

Riverside Banqueting Rooms, Reading.

Range comprises 5 Designs All Items Stocked Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

Wensleydale Axminster 80% wool / 20% Nylon available 3.66m Range comprises 8 Designs All items Stocked Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

Cornell & Stanford Axminster

Imperial Hotel, Torquay.

80% wool / 20% Nylon available 4.00m Range comprises 7 Colourways in 2 Designs All items Stocked Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

Camargue Axminster 80% wool / 20% Nylon available 3.66m Range comprises 10 Designs All items stock. Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

New Afghan Axminster 80% wool / 20% Nylon available 3.66m Please Refer to Works Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Manchester Islamic Centre

FOR BESPOKE CONTRACT ENQUIRIES TELEPHONE 01562 745 000 19

• • • • • • •

40 colours on superb lectern 3 qualities – Diamond, Silver & Gold 80% Wool, 10% Nylon, 10% Polyester 4m and 5m widths 4 stacks of 18” x 9” samples 2 colour swatch books 9 coordinating stripes now available

This fantastic range is available for immediate delivery. Contact respective Brockway sales personnel for further detail. C U UK S ALES MANAGER: Steve Glover 07896 871 502 SALES TE AM: Dan Milstead Jon Ormrod Clem Eccles Hogan Enterprises Richard Venn Steve Perks S Simon Stead A Andy Finch Stuart Pollock

07841 565 349

Essex, Suffolk, South Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Beds, Hertfordshire, North London 07918 081 782 Lancashire, Cheshire, North Wales, Merseyside, North Staffordshire, North Shropshire, Derbyshire 00 353 86 609 6217 Northern Ireland 00 353 16234520 Republic of Ireland 07968 835 206 Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset & Avon, West Hampshire, Dorset, Channel Isles 07968 835 205 West Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, MidStaffordshire Wales SouthMidlands, Wales, Leicestershire, Herefordshire, SouthWorcestershire, Shropshire, South South Wales, Leicestershire, Herefordshire, South Shropshire, South Staffordshire Lincolnshire, Notts, Norfolk, North Cambridgeshire 07968 835 204 Yorkshire, North Humberside, Lincolnshire, Notts, Norfolk, North Cambridgeshire 07970 693 752 Sussex, South & South West London, Surrey, Kent, Berkshire, S.E. London 07854 580 658 Scotland, Cumbria, North East England THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

The Leading Country Wide Carpet & Flooring Suppliers We can supply you with virtually any make of carpet and flooring at GUARANTEED maker’s list price....... Delivered direct to business premises FREE OF CHARGE. For a Speedy and Efficient Service

CALL US NOW!!! 020 8443 3322 Columbia Flooring plc

Trade Show Rooms Available • Specialist advice and terms available on contract enquiries • TRAFALGAR TRADING ESTATE JEFFREYS ROAD ENFIELD MIDDLESEX EN3 7TY

Tel: 0208 443 3322 Fax: 0208 805 2346 Opening Times: Monday - Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm Saturday 8.30am to 12 noon THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Tel: 01422 374417 or 01422 371226 Fax: 01422 377452 Email: sales@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk Edel Telenzo Carpets, 2- 4 Southgate, Elland, West Yorkshire, HX5 0BW.

FEATURE PRODUCT OF THE MONTH Greenwich is one of our long running successes – a 50-50 wool/ polypropylene high-low level loop quality, crossing the boundaries between domestic and contract usage. It’s 5/32 gauge, with a 4mm pile height and 1.4 tog rating. Scotchgarded, on Actionbac backing and available in 4 and 5 metre widths, it comes in seven versatile shades: linen, mushroom, charcoal, driftwood, oyster, ivory and pewter.

OUR SALES TEAM

We’ve now got this great new roomset (and cameo) shot of Greenwich available for anyone wanting to promote it. We have new CDs available with photos of most of our main current ranges. Just contact the office to request yours.

Greenwich

A BIG WELCOME TO RACHAEL Many of you will already have spoken to the newest member of our office sales/administration team – Rachael Shaw. Rachael replaces Natalie who has moved to the south west of England and is already settling in well – perhaps her background in textiles is helping her get to grips quickly with our carpet ways!

Now out

COMING SOON

Our latest new contract range, Balmoral, is now in production and we think it’s a real winner. This is a lovely 1/8 gauge 100% polypropylene cut pile carpet, with a 8mm pile height and 1.6 tog rating, on a totally impervious backing, which makes it ideal for environments which are demanding but need also to be welcoming. Available in four metre width and in rolls only, Balmoral comes in nine rich colours – ash, cinnamon, grass, oyster, cappucinno, rose, velvet, iron and coal.

Look out this month for the launch of our exciting new 50-50 wool-polypropylene ranges, Highbury, a contrasting stripe, Islington, a textured loop and Hampton Court. We’ll be photographing these qualities in roomsets and cameos very soon so you’ll be able to promote them actively as well.

Check out your web entry We’re getting some very positive feedback from many of our stockists about our new Stockist Finder feature on the website. If you haven’t done so yet, do check out your own listing and let us know if there any amends needed to the details displayed. Remember, access to technical specifications is available to our registered stockists only – do call or email us to receive your access password! THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Greenwich

Greater London as far as N. Circular on north side of Thames and as far as M25 on south side, Surrey, Middlesex, Sussex, Kent John A Constable T: 01622 685397 M: 07836 734322 E: john@jcagencies.co.uk Yorkshire & North Lincs John Alsop T: 01904 762471 M: 07860 572220 E: alsopagencies@yahoo.co.uk Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset Brendan Hart M: 07850 130221 E: a.b.hart@btinternet.com Lincs, Leics, Northants, Notts, Derbyshire Jim Osborne M: 07738 642934 E: jim.osborne@sky.com Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire Niall Martin M: 07866 735772 E: niallmartin@msn.com South Wales, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire Andrew Jefferies M: 07831 457102 E: adj.agencies@btinternet.com Lancashire, Cumbria & Isle of Man John Rostron M: 07973 733208 E: johnrostron@aol.com East Anglia, Bedfordshire, Cambs, Essex, Herts, Norfolk, Suffolk Jonathan Hart T: 01621 817992 M: 07889 264466 E: jonathanhart66@hotmail.co.uk West Midlands, South Wales (Wholesalers) Paul Brewer T: 0121 4277117 M: 07798 745181 E: paulbrewer1@hotmail.co.uk Greater Manchester, Cheshire, North Wales Philip Hambleton T: 01925 740050 M: 07966 397676 E: carpetphil@aol.com North East Rebecca Gibbons M: 07970 491215 E: rebann2@btinternet.com Scotland Tim Tindal T: 01436 671421 M: 07836 705620 E: ttcarpetagencies@aol.com Channel Islands, Isle of Wight John Eastlake T: 01323 896141 M: 07885 398858 E: john_eastlake@hotmail.co.uk Northern Ireland Gary O’Boyle M: 07831 220675 E: goboyle@ntlworld.com

YOUR HEAD OFFICE TEAM CONTACTS Operations Manager: Lesley Inman M: 07703 337989 E: l.inman@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk 23

We all try harder. We k Scotland

GEORGE WISELY M: 07967 148665 SCOTTISH SALES DIRECTOR george.wisely@furlongflooring.co.uk

COLIN RICHFORD M: 07970 163372 WEST SCOTLAND colin.richford@furlongflooring.co.uk

North West

ALAN CHEETHAM M: 07966 263571 GREATER MANCHESTER alan.cheetham@furlongflooring.co.uk

BOB CHRISTIE M: 07980 786264 MERSEYSIDE, WIRRAL & N. WALES bob.christie@furlongflooring.co.uk

CRAIG MELLING M: 07970 269730 CUMBRIA, CHESHIRE & FYLDE COAST craig.melling@furlongflooring.co.uk

Wales & South West

BEN THOMAS M: 07794 048809 MID & WEST WALES bthomas@furlongflooring.com

JASON BRIMBLE M: 07794 041266 AVON & GLOUCESTERSHIRE jbrimble@furlongflooring.com

TIM BAILEY M: 07794 048414 S.E. WALES & HEREFORDSHIRE tbailey@furlongflooring.com

STEWART WAITHMAN M: 07794 048413 DEVON & CORNWALL swaithman@furlongflooring.com

Wood Floor Specialist

JOHN POWERS M: 07792 477312 SALES MANAGER BEDS, BERKS, BUCKS, HAMPSHIRE, MIDDLESEX, NORTHANTS, OXON, W&S LONDON, SURREY, DORSET johnpowers@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

RICHARD RICHMAN M: 07791 891044 AREA SALES MANAGER NORFOLK, SUFFOLK, CAMBS, N&E LONDON, ESSEX, KENT, SUSSEX & HERTS richardrichman@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

The Regency range of stain-resistant carpets ticks all the boxes:

quality choice availability service price THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

know you have a choice!

CAREFREE Carpets are distributed by

Yorkshire & North East

DES BEST M: 07968 828516 NORTH EAST/EAST COAST des.best@furlongflooring.co.uk

RAY ANDREW M: 07973 719801 EAST LANCS/W.YORKS ray.andrew@furlongflooring.co.uk

REG SYKES M: 07973 403450 SOUTH YORKSHIRE reg.sykes@furlongflooring.co.uk

Midlands

CHRIS ALLCOCK M: 07872 964685 NOTTS, DERBYSHIRE & LINCS chris.allcock@furlongflooring.co.uk

MIKE SHUTT M: 07970 158594 BIRMINGHAM/ STAFFORDSHIRE, SHROPSHIRE mike.shutt@furlongflooring.co.uk

MARTYN REA M: 07968 324598 LEICESTER/WARWICKSHIRE martyn.rea@furlongflooring.co.uk

London

JOHN AKIEN M: 07791 891024 S.W LONDON, SURREY (INS. M25) johnakien@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

IAN COLLACOTT M: 07816 217550 MIDDLESEX, W. LONDON, BERKSHIRE iancollacott@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

DARREN SPENDIFF M: 07791 890861 KENT darrenspendiff@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

RAYMOND SMITH M: 07816 217565 ESSEX raymondsmith@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

DAREN STEDMAN M: 07816 217548 N, N W & E LONDON, HERTFORDSHIRE darenstedman@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

South East

PAUL LOVELL M: 07816 217549 NORFOLK, SUFFOLK & CAMBS paullovell@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

IAN ROBERTSON M: 07816 217563 E & WEST SUSSEX ianrobertson@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

TONY CONWAY M: 07791 891025 BEDS, NORTHANTS, OXON & BUCKS tonyconway@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

Seeing is believing

Central contacts

Customers can buy with confidence when they see the Carefree cleanability in action with the new video units for your existing Regency POS systems. See our range selection in next monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue...

London Sales tel: 01322 628707 fax: 01322 698733

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Preston Sales tel: 01772 696787 fax: 01772 311921

PETER FLETCHER M: 07816 217561 HAMPSHIRE, DORSET & SURREY (OUTSIDE M25) peterfletcher@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

Newport Sales tel: 01633 283959 fax: 01633 275454

Email: enquiries@furlongflooring.co.uk

www.regencycarefree.co.uk 25

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Kingsmead Carpets Relay Park, Relay Drive Tamworth, B77 5PR. UK Tel: +44 1827 831424 Fax: +44 1827 831425 info@kingsmead-sales.co.uk www.kingsmeadcarpets.co.uk

SALES EXECUTIVES AND CONTACT DETAILS

WOLLTEC IS THE NEW CARPET FIBRE THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT. If you have not seen it yet, contact your local sales executive.

Glenn Baker - 07791 890441 (South West England) glenn.baker@kingsmead-sales.co.uk

Stewart Gillion - 07976 749552 (East Anglia) stewart.gillion@kingsmead-sales.co.uk

Paul Bartle - 07980 737339 (West Midlands & South Wales) paul.bartle@kingsmead-sales.co.uk

David Guscott - 07773 048574 (London within M25 & Kent) david.guscott@kingsmead-sales.co.uk

Clint Carver- 07970 888916 (North West England) clint.carver@kingsmead-sales.co.uk

Bill Robertson - 07980 737278 (Scotland & Northern Ireland) bill.robertson@kingsmead-sales.co.uk

Colin Fielder - 07971 968517 (South Coast & Home Counties) colin.fielder@kingsmead-sales.co.uk

Mark Watkinson - 07980 737283 (North East England) mark.watkinson@kingsmead-sales.co.uk

Adrian Garner - 07947 524633 (East Midlands) adrian.garner@kingsmead-sales.co.uk

NEW RANGES TO WATCH FOR

Artwork

GALLOWAY.

WOLLTEC RANGES FREMANTLE • SIROCCO • ZEPHYR.

WOOL TWIST RANGES ARTWORK • AYRSHIRE • GRAMPIAN • HOMESTYLE • LOTHIAN • NEW VITRONIC • TRIPLE TWIST BERBER • TRIPLE TWIST HEATHER • VITRONIC TRADITIONS • VITRONIC BERBER.

LUXURY SAXONY RANGES BRECON • CHEVIOT • CHEVIOT SUPREME • MALVERN • RIDGEWAY • SILK SENSATION • SILK SUPREME • SNOWDONIA.

OTHER PRODUCTS HIGHLANDS • LOWLANDS • MADRAS • PALOMA • ENJOYMENT • HOMEMAKER.

RECENTLY DISCONTINUED ARGYLL • BORDER TWIST • CHILTERN • PENNINE. THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Tel: +44 (0) 1562 754382 Fax: +44 (0) 1562 861 074 Sales: sales@masterweaver.co.uk Info: info@masterweaver.co.uk

Introducing the UK’s newest weaver, now open in Kidderminster with high levels of stock for rapid delivery. Wilton Sandhurst

Modern carpets manufactured using traditional values

Sandhurst Range The Wilton Sandhurst range is woven with 24 beautiful and modern colours. This plain twist is a great choice for both domestic and commercial markets. • Wilton Hardtwist Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1458 g/m2 • 4m • Extra Heavy Wear

Contrast Range A cut and loop range weighing in at 47oz comes in 6 modern and exclusive colours. Unique contrast pattern provides this Wilton range with a vibrant and strong presence. • Wilton Cut & Loop Pile • 100% New Wool, 1594 g/m2 • 4m • Extra Heavy Wear/Heavy Commercial

Honeycomb Range This cut and loop range features in 6 natural and warm colours. Made out of 100% new wool, the bee hive type of texture our Honeycomb range adds additional warmth. • Wilton Cut &Loop Pile • 100% New Wool, 1187 g/m2 • 4m • Heavy Wear/Medium Commercial

Chequers Range A loop range weighing in at 35 oz and comes in 6 colours with a unique chequers board like pattern. 100% new wool ensures high quality texture feel.

Wilton Contrast

• Wilton Loop Pile • 100% New Wool, 1187 g/m2 • 4m • Extra Heavy Wear

Marble Planet Range This range is made of 80% new wool and 20% nylon and is ideal for commercial and heavy domestic use. It features 8 strong and passionate colours. • Axminster Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1255 g/m2 • 3.66m • Very HeavyWear/Medium Commercial

Merlin Range Our Axminster Merlin range features 10 vibrant and light colours and is made out of 80% New Wool and 20% Nylon, ideal for commercial as well as domestic markets. • Axminster Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1187 g/m2 • 3.66m • Very HeavyWear/Medium Commercial

Baroque Cameo Range With the 10 strong commercial colours, the medallion pattern in combination with pindots makes this range ideal for ballrooms, function rooms and public areas.

Axminster Contrast

• Axminster Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1356 g/m2 • 3.66m • Extra Heavy Wear/Heavy Commercial

Baroque Pindot Range The traditional pindot pattern makes this range ideal for hotel rooms and receptions. Weighing in at 40oz our Baroque Pindot range, this Axminster range has 10 strong commercial colours. • Axminster Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1356 g/m2 • 3.66m • Extra Heavy Wear/Heavy Commercial

Trellis Range The range features 8 soft and natural colours which makes it extremely pleasant and warm. Made in 80% New Wool and 20% Nylon for the commercial market. • Axminster Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1255 g/m2 • 3.66m • Very HeavyWear/Medium Commercial

Tartan Range MasterWeaver AxminsterTartan range features 6 modern and vibrant colours, combining traditional Tartan design with modern and vibrant colours. • Axminster Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1255 g/m2 • 3.66m • Very HeavyWear/Medium Commercial

Axminster Marble Planet

MasterWeaver LTD. Stourport Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DYl17QL. England 28

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

You can create a carpet website for your business in

5 minutes. We’ll have it online for you within

5 days.

If you don’t like it, it will cost you

nothing.

If you do like it, it will cost you

£390 + £90/year. Fill out a form for five minutes and we’ll have a good-looking flooring industry website online for you within 5 days*. Then you can update it, add to it or ignore it for ever! Flooring stores don’t generally need anything too fancy – most of the time, visitors are just trying to find out your phone number, your opening hours or where they can park! Or they’re just checking if you look professional. The Floorsites package from The Stocklists offers:

7 ready-made pages of flooring industry content covering the key sectors of carpets, vinyls, laminates, etc.

Instant online editing – if you can type, you can customise these pages yourself anytime to add latest offers and news… or leave them as they are – we put all your contact information in there anyhow.

Choose photos from our library to make your site unique – or upload your own images.

Link to Google Maps – let visitors find you quickly and see where to park

Auto-email form to let customers contact you direct

* The site takes a bit longer to set up if you already have a website or address. A Floorsite from The Stocklists costs £390 for the set-up and the first year – and £90 per year thereafter (exc. VAT). Check out what your site would look like at www.thestocklists.com/floorsites or contact David Spragg at davidspragg@thestocklists.com or call 01845 573241.

NO OBLIGATION ‘TEST DRIVE’... We set up your site free-of-charge for a month. If you don’t like it, you don’t pay. There’s nothing to lose! 30

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

‘Well! Winter is rolling into Spring and there is an eager sense of anticipation here at Rackhams, our sales team are hard at work, our new products are coming on stream, and it’s ‘all systems go’!

GRAPHICS / CONTRACT GELS

TWISTS - STAIN RESIST

VINYL / SMOOTH FLOORING

Arena Endurance Scala Sentinel

Balmoral Briar Twist Chislehurst Clyde Desert Twist Deluxe 4&5m Dublin Twist 2011 Easy Heathers Expressions Fairfield Supreme 4&5M Heathertwist Design Heathertwist Supreme 4&5m Helmsley Moorland Twist Pembridge Twist Rhapsody Salt ‘n’ Pepa Somerset Startwist / Startwist Supreme 4&5M

Blackjack Casino Royale Chequers Eclipse Eclipse 2012 - Part I Eclipse 2012 - Part II Mojo Mojo 2012 Puregrip XL Suregrip XL Thunderball

NATURAL EFFECT Agadir Ancona Autumn Sunset Cashmere 4&5M Country Treasure 4&5M Challenger Berber Gold Fields Hopscotch 2012 Houndstooth Tweed Ivory Coast 2012 London Life 4&5M Promenade Rustic Treasure San Salvador 4&5M Shetland/Shetland Design 4&5M Woolweave 4&5M

SAXONY / SHAG PILE Chamonix Cleopatra Eminence Half Century New Century Nobility Saxon King Supreme Elegance Tennessee

CORD, NEEDLEPUNCH & ENTRANCE MATTING Bedford Gel Bolero Explorer Hippo Mat Gala Linea Magnum Mat Magnus Mat Scorpio Supacord

CARPET TILES

TWISTS - WOOL Citation Twist Discovery 4&5M Eden Twist 30/40/50 4&5M Iconic Twist 40/50 4&5M Paramount 30/40 4&5M Rosemount Twist 4&5M Super Sixty 4&5M The Berber Twist Collection 40/50 4&5M Ultimate Textures 4&5M Ultimate Berber Twist 4&5M Ultimate Twist 40/50 4&5M Ultimate Luxury 4&5M

Bedford Cord Capital Plus Heuga 727 Magnesium Neutron Positron Proton Quark

Call now to receive a copy of our latest Winter special price guide!

VELOUR / VELVET Designers Dream

WILTON Parallel Lines Renaissance Ultimate Wilton Oakland

We also stock Ball & Young Underlays, Accessories, Entrance Matting and offer a Special Order Service on products from virtually every flooring manufacturer in existence! 48 hour Delivery Service on all Balterio Laminate Ranges.

Stop preSS – ‘excitement ruleS here at rackhamS with the imminent arrival of citation twiSt, a claSS leading 50/50 wool twiSt pile. we were already buzzing with the Stir cauSed by our promotion on our ‘eminence’ range, perhapS the cheapeSt high quality Saxony currently available in the uk! and there’S more…… our Spring collection iS being readied, with new carpet rangeS and a total refreShment of our vinyl collection. one more thing to Say... Stand by for action! – Stop preSS

Area Sales Executives Ian Pullinger London N,W, NW & E Postals, Essex & Middx (Within M25) 07881-502506

James White London SW Postals, Surrey (West of A24), Beds, Berks, Bucks, Herts (West of A1) 07881-502508

Paul Henson Essex (Outside M25) Cambs, Suffolk, Herts (East of A1) 07837-295379

Phil Wheeler London SE Postals, Kent, Surrey (East of A24) & Sussex 07881-502507

Anthony Stapleton Sales Director 07881-502505 / 020-8498-2845 THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Solent Wholesale Carpet Company Ltd CARPET, FLOORCOVERING & ACCESSORY WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS Telephone: 01243 774623 Fax: 01243 533636 E-mail: sales@solentwholesale.co.uk Website: www.solentwholesale.com Zola Park, Barnfield Drive, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6UX.

CHECK STOCK, PLACE ORDERS AND MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNT 24/7 ALL THROUGH OUR WEBSITE Oxford, Berks, Bucks, Beds, Hants, Middlesex & Herts . . . . Ian Cardrick, i.cardrick@solentwholesale.co.uk, Sussex E & W, Surrey, South London & Kent. . . . . . . . . . . . John Robson, j.robson@solentwholesale.co.uk, Hants, Wilts, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucs, & I.O.W.. . . . . . . . . . . Adam Ayling, a.ayling@solentwholesale.co.uk, Accessary Sales and IT Specialist (All Areas). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luke Crooks, luke@solentwholesale.co.uk, VICTORIA Berber Stripe Castillion Celtic Heathers Crown Twist Duchess Elite EasiCare - Full Collection Gaelic Heathers Imperial Velvet Kelso Natural Accents Natural Companions (Sisal, Chenille, Ridge) Regal Twist Rustic Jewels Tudor Twist Coll Tudor Manor LANO Bolero - New Colours Campus X-treme Chiselhurst Heather Twist Design Heather Twist Supreme Pembridge Twist - New Colours Sentinel Startwist Coll Wilton Naturals BALTA Casablanca Colorado Springs Desert Twist Deluxe Fiesta Fusion Happy Days High Flyers Gala Cord-all options in stock Moorland Twist Nobility Rosemount Saxon King Shetland Shepherd Twist Stainsafe Favourite Super Wiltax Techno Twisty LUSOTUFO Celtic Horizon Mandaly Safi Sintra Boucle Tangier Titan & Tital Diagonal Twist Berber Unique Valencia

CORMAR Apollo Berwick 40/50 Home Counties 42/50 Malabar Oaklands 32 Oaklands 42 Oaklands 50 Primo Plus - New Colours West Country BROCKWAY Amore Stripe Collection Avanti Cavendish Craftsman Elite Cresta 40/Cresta 50 Orion/Orion Major Radnor 30/Radnor 40 DOMO Absolute Luxury Auvergne Briar Twist Cabaret Festival Twist Heather Twist Mountain Peaks Legacy Playground Portofino Prima Scorpio

mobile: 07973 406329 mobile: 07973 898453 mobile: 07973 406799 mobile: 07966 664379

BEAULIEU carpets Adventure Twist Athena Dublin Durham Twist Explorer Endurance Fashion/Gallery Grass Collection Heavy Tread Mars Motor Car Pronto Selections Sweet Homes Yucatan vinyls Arte Del Ceramic Celtic Stone - New Colours Chess Comfort Grip Grandioso Jazz Sherwood Oak Studio Sonata Urban laminates Essentials (previously Casa) Cottage IVC Classic Limestone Comfylux Extra Expressions Fantasy Fusion Master Grip Planet Precious Metals Presto Tile Styles Ultimate Oak Ultimate Minerals Victoria

ITC Belgravia Concerto Consul Heritage Collection Kreta Palace

MOHAWK CARPETS Century Collection - Century - Half Century Presidential Collection - Independence - Liberty - Freedom (4&5M) - Splendor

TAPIBEL Cachet Melody Nevada Reeds Sysoltex Homested/Aran/Crofter Toscana

MISCELLANEOUS CAVALIER Country Collection Hamlet Parish and Village LEIGH SPINNERS Atlas Velour THOMAS WITTER Innovations C&H Homestyle LVT - planks and tiles PARAGON Toccarre Carpet Tiles

News Flash...

CLEARANCE SALE : SATURDAY APRIL 21ST

We carry other products not listed above, and can also provide a swift special order service on non stock lines. Our reps and sales office would be pleased to answer all enquiries. Our last Price List is dated March/April 2012. THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

DID YOU KNOW? STS Flooring Distributors Ltd stock a large range of carpets and carpet tiles via our 5 depots ORPINGTON • CROYDON • WATFORD • CAMBRIDGE • OXFORD (THAME) 08454 341000 08454 342000

NEXT DAY DELIVERY STS GOLDLINE STOCK CARPETS Abbey Twist 30/40 Aston Twist Bernwood Design Bernwood Twist Bernwood Supreme Bernwood Heather Supreme Blenheim Twist 40 Blenheim Twist 50 Cherwell Cord Chislehurst Fairfield Supreme Gladiator Supreme Harrier Felt Harrier Gel Harrier Supreme Gel Heathdale Medicare Multicare Classic New Valley Twist Orinoco II Ravensbury Twist 32/40/50 Scala Serenity Supersava Elite BALTA STOCK CARPETS Gala Cord New Shepherd Twist EDEL TELENZO Fleur Hercules Lawrence Lima Puma

LANO STOCK CARPETS Bolero Chislehurst Fairfield Supreme Heather Twist Design Heather Twist Supreme Pembridge Twist Sapphire Scala Startwist Startwist Supreme CORMAR STOCK CARPETS Apollo Berwick 40/50 Forest Hills Malabar Textures Natural Berber Twist New Oaklands 32/42/50 Primo Delight Primo Plus Primo Tweeds Primo Ultra Town & Country BEAULIEU INTERNATIONAL Dublin Elite Ranger FIBRE BONDED Ecocord Supacord

CARPET STOCK TILES Ascot Beckenham Cheltenham Clipper II Croydon Croydon Stripe Heuga 727 (Interface) Keston Latour (Gradus) Saturn Series Collection (Interface) STOCK UNDERLAYS Blue Heaven Cirrus Cloud Nine Contract Cloud Nine Super Contract Cosi 8mm & 10mm Cumulus Durafit 500 Durafit 650 Goldtred Collection Heatflow Collection Nimbus Willow Green Roma Silver Lining Tredaire Elite Treadmore

AREA MANAGERS - NORTHERN

REGIONAL MANAGER - NORTHERN

AREA MANAGERS - SOUTHERN

Dave Lowman 07500 847758

Rachel Sherwood 07801 762724

Mirka Mihulcova 07500 847566

North/East London, Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middlesex, Northants, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire

South/West London, W Sussex, Berks, Hants, Surrey

Phaedra Duncan 07738 329714

REGIONAL MANAGER - SOUTHERN

Berkshire, Oxfordshire

Dana Baldock 07801 762725

Steve Osman 07919 128401

Vicky Langley 07962 646847 Surrey, W Sussex, Hants, South/West London

Paul Jeffery 07717 218024 South/East London, Kent, E Sussex

Essex, Cambs, Suffolk, Norfolk

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Weston Hammer UK 16/17 Byford Court Hadleigh IP7 6RD Tel: +44 (0)845 644 9090 Fax:+44 (0)845 644 9191 info@westonhammer.com www.weston-carpets.co.uk

We are pleased to announce the arrival of our latest display stand showing all our collection on one compact unit. If you are interested in having one of our free stands please contact our Sales Office or your local Sales Agent. Jacs Designer tonal loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths. Natural Lines Super luxurious 100% Wool loop pile available in 4m and 5m widths. Tunis A heavy domestic berber loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths. Queen Tweed A fine heavy domestic berber loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths. Denver A stylish heavy domestic tonal loop pile in 100% Wool, available in 4m and 5m widths. Oklahoma A heavy domestic berber loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths.

Supreme Stripe A heavy domestic tonal stripe in 100% Wool loop pile. Supreme Boucle Our best selling level loop 100% Wool product available in 12 up to the minute colours in both 4m and 5m widths.

Imperial Boucle A heavy domestic loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths.

Las Vegas A chunky luxurious loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths. Royal Velour A luxurious velour in 80% Wool/20% Nylon in 5m wide. Sisal Boucle and Sisal Berber Natural fibre textured loop pile ranges in two styles. The Stone Fibre Collection Our unique flat woven quality in many fashion styles and colours available in 4m and 5m widths.

Orlando A chunky loop quality with a thick latex backing for a luxurious feel.

Bespoke Design carpet from Hammer Carpets You may not have heard of them but Hammer Carpets in Denmark are the worlds largest manufacturer of Colortec bespoke design carpets in the world. Colortec is a state of the art tufting machine that uses computer controlled technology to manufacture any design in a maximum of 8 colours. This tried and tested manufacturing method is up to 10 times faster than Axminster and exactly replicates the appearance, unlike a printed design carpet. If you would like more details of this type of carpet and to find out how competitive and easy to use it can be then please call your Sales Agent or our Sales office who will be happy to help.

OUR UK SALES TEAM Mr Ron Fewery Tel: 07976 244892 London, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire. Mr Steve Acton Tel: 07957 836207 Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset. Mrs Jac Hayman Tel: 07815 785801 Contract Sales East Anglia. Mr Gary Foster Tel: 07515 283872 East Anglia, Northamptonshire.

THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

Mr John Hinchliffe Tel: 07774 990359 North Wales, Cumbria, Manchester, Liverpool. Mr Derek Boyd Tel: 07940 320708 Scotland. Mr Lee Palmer Tel: 07774 101640 Channel Islands. Mr Jonathan Gorman Tel: 07815 121660 Northern Ireland.

Mr Mark Garbett Tel: 07840 664757 Bristol & the West Country. Mr Steve Fletcher Tel: 07831 818989 Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Tyneside. Mr Keith Stevens Tel: 07710 160166 Midlands & South Wales.

Please visit our website at www.weston-carpets.co.uk for online cutting requests and more information on our products, or telephone 0845 644 9090 (local rate) to speak to one of our telephone sales team

The

Stocklists is first for flooring news and data FlooringFactsheets Adhesives Expertise advice from F Ball

page 4

Buying Groups Choosing the right organisation for you

pages 8

Carpet Company Directory Our line-up of the leading players

pages 12-13

Carpet Trouble-shooter All about stains, spots and shading

pages 10-11

Carpet Types The starter guide for picking a pile

page 5

Underlay Understanding underlay types and selection

page 9

Wholesaler Distribution Directory National & regional guide to distributors

pages 16-18

Wool Fibre Page A checklist of natural fibre characteristics

page 17

Woolsafe: the carpet care guide How to protect and clean wool carpets

pages 6-7

SALES AGENTS REQUIRED - see six recruitment adverts on page 67 of this issue THE STOCKLISTS March 2012

5 March 2012

FlooringNews

Ulster invests in £30m future The board of Ulster Carpets has approved a £6 million investment in the second phase of the company’s £30 million redevelopment of its manufacturing base in Portadown, Northern Ireland, setting an industry standard for sustainable 21st century manufacturing.

Silky style The reinvigorated Ultimo collection from Lano Carpets now features 10 stunning carpet ranges for interiors looking for the ultimate in style and luxury. As part of the Ultimo collection, Satine epitomises contemporary luxury with a lavish saxony pile and silky look that combine to create a carpet ideal for opulent interiors looking for the very best in modern style. Available in 18 of the moment colours, including a stunning collection of on-trend greys, Satine captures the essence of contemporary interior fashion and has the additional underfoot comfort of the ‘C-Back’ textile backing. “The Ultimo collection is all about luxuriant interiors and Satine will undoubtedly set the tone in contemporary interiors looking for the ultimate indulgent carpet,” comments Birger Karlsson, UK and Ireland sales manager, Lano Carpets. “We’ve looked towards the latest interior trends to develop the colour palette and Satine is unbelievably soft to the touch, making it a great go to product in store, particularly as it features on the brand new Ultimo display unit.” Satine is available in both four and five-metre widths and features a pile weight of 1,560g/m2 using high performance polyamide 6.6 yarn and a suitability in the most demanding residential (class 23) and commercial (class 32) locations. The carpet joins other ranges designed to appeal to homeowners looking for the very best in style and luxury, whether for minimalist contemporary homes or traditional period properties. The Ultimo collection ranges from 100% New Zealand wool velvets and loop piles, to the acclaimed Bamboo collection and a range of stain-resistant carpets. T 00800 5266 5266 from The Stocklists

www.www.lano.com

This latest stage involves the construction of a state of the art Dyehouse and Energy Centre at the company’s premises in Portadown. Planning permission is now being sought and building work is expected to get underway next year. RMI (Robinson McIlwaine) have been appointed as architects for the project and will work alongside planning consultants Turley Associates. The Energy Centre will build on the company’s pioneering work in Northern Ireland in developing sustainable energy and is a major step forward in reaching Ulster Carpets’ goal of being carbon neutral by 2020. Two years ago Ulster Carpets made a strategic decision to commit to a massive redevelopment of its manufacturing base in the UK rather than relocate to the low cost labour countries in Asia. The company continues to progress and succeed in a very unstable global environment due to its constant endeavour to push the boundaries of design and embrace innovative technology, in addition to its continual drive to improve productivity, quality and customer service. Nick Coburn, managing director, commented, “Not only does this further underpin our long term commitment to Northern Ireland, but it ensures retention of high value jobs within the UK in the current difficult economic climate. We also believe it is important to maintain all our production operations in the U.K, ensuring that we continue to meet the high level of customer service and reliability to our markets for which we are renowned”. Mr Coburn added: “Thanks to the efforts of our employees we have managed to stay profitable throughout the deep recession. It has always been our policy to re-invest all profits in new projects, which will deliver significant benefits, not just for the company and the future of the business, but to the benefit of the local community as well. We are optimistic for the future and intend to remain focussed on strengthening our position as a premium brand in the carpet market”. T 028 3833 4433 www.ulstercarpets.com March 2012 37

News

Maximum minerals The essence nature materials provide the inspiration for Avenue’s Ultimate Minerals cushioned flooring collection. The collection provides a stunning range of designs that use the visual and textural qualities of minerals such as marble, sand and granite to provide a range of contemporary natural-looking flooring. Conceived to bring interiors a unique look, Ultimate Minerals stands apart as a collection that brings cushion flooring to a new design-focused audience of homeowners. With the natural look & feel achieved through mechanical embossing technology, designs such as Manilla, Pierrot and Modus provide an incredibly realistic look but still provide the advantages of a floor that is comfortable underfoot, highly slip-resistant (R11) and that is easy to maintain thanks to its PU Lacquer surface treatment. With a 0.3mm wear layer, Ultimate Minerals will last too and comes backed by a 15-year residential wear warranty. “The Ultimate Minerals collection is testament to Avenue’s intent to bring cushion flooring to a new audience of style conscious consumers,” says Caroline Wille, product manager, Avenue. “Contemporary in its attitude, the collection is right on-trend and packed with performance attributes to make it an irresistible flooring for homeowners looking to create interiors that are about individualistic style.” T 00 32 5665 3211

www.avenuefloors.co.uk

Parquet perfection Tarkett has now been awarded the Cradle to Cradle Silver Certificate for its multilayer parquet flooring ranges Epoque, Tango, Salsa, Rumba and Professional. This makes Tarkett the first wood flooring manufacturer in Europe to offer Cradle to Cradle certified products, and is testament to the company’s continued investment in the wood floor market. Tarkett’s engineered wood floorings are available in a wide range of wood species including oak, ash, beech, merbau and jatoba, with a variety of surface finishes such as aged, brushed, stained or heat treated, to allow creation of truly individual, beautiful floors. The Cradle to Cradle certification is based on 5 criteria: material content; material reutilisation and design for the environment; use of renewable energy and water stewardship during the production process; and social responsiblity principles. The Silver Certificate means that the materials used for Tarkett’s engineered wood flooring are identified and positively assessed. even be upcycled. T 01622 854040

www.tarkett.com

The smart series Packed full of performance and quality features, the Series collection of laminate flooring from UK Flooring Direct is ideal for homes of all shapes and sizes. With the online retailer’s fast nationwide delivery, free sample service, anytime ordering and great pricing; installers can benefit from a great range with enough choice to accommodate even the most demanding of homeowners. With Series Elite 10mm Antique Oak V Groove flooring, installers and fitters can recommend a laminate for the most demanding of family homes thanks to its AC4 Heavy Domestic rating. With a textured surface for added realism and grooves on all four-sides, the European made product is precision engineered to deliver outstanding durability and stunning looks. 159mm wide and in plank lengths of 1380mm, Series Elite 10mm Antique Oak V Groove features an install-friendly click system and has received excellent customer reviews. “Many of our customers have given Series Elite 10mm Antique Oak a five-star rating and it is one of our most popular high-end laminates,” says Josh Ashby, product manager, UK Flooring Direct. “With a top level specification and stunning looks the floor is a great choice for installers wanting to provide their customers with the very best quality and it is surprisingly cost effective too.” T 0845 287 5623 38 March 2012

www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk

FlooringNews

News

A lotta bottle Contributing to the recycling of over three billion plastic bottles every year, Mohawk’s EverStrand residential carpet collection has been given a brand new display that draws attention to its environmental prowess and stunning performance. The header of the stand features a clever plastic bottle filled with the various stages of EverStrand, charting the fibre’s progress from plastic bottle to chip, to extruded fibre and then to carpet. Clearly explaining the environmental benefits that separate EverStrand from other carpets, the tombola-style stand also details the Lifetime Stain, Soil and Pet Warranty as well as the fibre’s softer is better approach. Capped by striking lifestyle photography, the display is a clear statement that carpets from Mohawk are leading the way in environmental consideration and performance focus. “The EverStrand collection, now with the widespread use of EverStrand XtraSoft®, proves that Mohawk is at the forefront of providing consumers with a carpet that not only satisfies maintenance worries and expectations of underfoot comfort, but that also appeals to their better nature,” says Howard Lindsay, VP for UK, Ireland and South Africa. “Not only does the 100% recycled fibre help EverStrand to separate itself from other ranges in-store, but it also makes for a great background story that most consumers will find hard to resist.” The new EverStrand displays are rolling out to retailers across the UK over the coming months and features the stunning American Legacy collection with ScotchgardTM Protector Advanced Repel Technology. T 01480 479830

www.themohawkgroup.com

Heading for Harrogate AFS highness AFS are thrilled to have been awarded the Royal Warrant, a mark of recognition for the supply of goods and services to Her Majesty The Queen. The Royal Warrant takes effect from 1st January 2012 and initially lasts for 5 years, and starting in the Queens Jubilee year is an added bonus. The Royal Warrant is a symbol of excellence and quality. It is great to see a small independent business recognised for its quality of service that AFS work tirelessly to achieve.

With several new launches planned for the forthcoming year, Crown Floors is continuing to build upon a hugely successful 2011 and has announced plans to present its latest collections and retailer marketing support at this September’s Flooring Show 2012. In fact, with a prominent position in Hall A, Crown Floors is getting ready to stand alongside some of the biggest names in the carpet industry. “2011 was phenomenally successful for us and made even more extraordinary because it was our first year of working directly with retailers across the UK,” comments James Caldwell, sales coordinator, Crown Floors. “However, we fully appreciate that in order to widen our base of retailers and to deliver improved service levels to all our customers, we must continue to invest in product development, communication and marketing and so we are committed to making an even bigger splash in Harrogate this year.” Crown Floors is yet to release full details of its plans for the Flooring Show 2012, but visitors can expect industry leading initiatives, product introductions and the provision of exemplary marketing materials for all Crown Floors retailers. T 0800 0773301 40 March 2012

Over the last 10 years Allied Furnishing Supplies has supplied both the Palace and Windsor Castle with floorcoverings, carpet underlay and accessories and this supply has increased in the last 3 years. To receive the Royal Warrant, a company must have supplied the Royal Household for at least 5 years and supply quality products with first class service. Products supplied most recently include Cormar and Regency Carpets, underlay's from Interfloor and Texfelt and accessories from Stikatak and Gripperrods. There is a stringent environmental requirement which AFS take very seriously and endeavour to use recyled products where ever possible. Being awarded the Royal Warrant is not only a great honour but is testament to their overall commitment to offering service levels of the highest order. AFS look forward to displaying the Royal Coat of Arms on their fleet of vehicles, stationery, marketing communications and of course pride of place at their premises in Enfield. T 020 88058620

www.crownfloors.co.uk

FlooringNews

T 0161 355 7618 www.recofloor.org

from The Stocklists

March 2012 41

Voice of the Trade Joanna Ramsden Creative Manager, Wools of New Zealand

“

Which colour do you think has not had the recognition it deserves? The blue palette is taking longer than I thought to make its mark in the marketplace, from the grey and denim-inspired blues to the brighter and more saturated dark shades. Blue is very fashionable and very prominent in furnishing fabrics, wallcoverings and paints. I therefore feel we will see some introductions in this shade coming through in the near future. What design do you think is past its sell-by date? The key word in interiors today is ‘eclecticism’. Anything goes. A home should be made and not bought. We are furnishing rooms to our own preferences and tastes, hence there is a market for all types of design. Individuality is key to home making, and current economic conditions have placed more consideration on lifestyle within our homes rather than outside them. The current trend towards nostalgia, Arts & Crafts and Heritage has been instrumental in the renaissance of traditional patterned design in new and contemporary colourways. The striped look continues to grow in popularity although I feel there is more scope for new interpretations in this style direction. What do you think is the next big thing in colour or design? Yarn styling will play a far more important role in carpets going forward. Natural textures and surface interest will be the key to design, particularly in tufted carpets. It is a means of introducing multicolour into a carpet. Contemporary and traditional heathers, new-look marls and tweeds, vibrant space-dyes and tonal dip-dyes can be used to introduce new products into the marketplace. Multi-coloured textures have the advantage of being practical as well as fulfilling many creative needs. If you could ask retailers to change one thing in the way they present carpet to consumers, what would it be? Do more with window displays to entice customers into the store. It is essential that carpets are seen as an integral part of interior styling and not just an adjunct to it. So often consumers have to make decisions about carpets in isolation of other materials, ie. paints, fabrics, papers, etc. Mood boards and/or mini-roomsets would aid and inspire consumers as well as giving them confidence to make decisions. How have manufacturers changed in their approach in the last five years? They have accepted the need to innovate, whether it be by introducing new colours or co-ordinated textures and patterns, ie. stripes, and have marketed these ranges more creatively and inspirationally. A recent example of this is Kingsmead’s ‘Artwork’ collection which has had a facelift via a new colour palette with accompanying stripes. 42 March 2012

“Yarn styling will play a far more important role in carpets going forward. Natural textures and surface interest will be the key to design, particularly in tufted carpets” What are the biggest influences on consumer tastes (TV makeovers, home décor trends, apparel fashion, etc)? Apparel fashion has always influenced colour & styling and will continue to do so. However from an interior perspective there is no doubt that TV makeovers and property programmes are very influential to all age groups. The aspirational factor is high and consumers who are more savvy in DIY and home décor are able to replicate ideas and also add their own finishing touches. Home-making magazines continue to grow in popularity and the internet allows researching the best deals. How much of a problem is the price of wool? Of course wool prices fluctuate and will always affect the market. The speed at which wool prices increase create instability throughout the value chain. Wool is a niche, luxury fibre, however there are many points of difference in the types of wool we see in the carpet market. Essentially consumers get what they pay for, ie. cheap ‘wool’ carpeting is using inferior fibre and low percentages of wool. The finest (and most expensive) carpets in the world are made of NZ wool due to the clean white colour and lustrous fibre, and the price reflects the quality of the raw material. This end of the market is not driven as much by price as it is by quality, and manufacturers can build in premium price points. Wools of New Zealand branded products offer mid-priced ranges whereas the traceable Laneve branded ranges carry far higher prices.

“

Which colour’s popularity has most surprised you? I think the popularity of colour in general has been a welcome surprise. More retailers are stocking colour lines as well as the established beige/neutral ranges. Manufacturers are more aware of the need to add and/or update colour to satisfy the growing consumer demand. Colour is the most significant consideration when choosing a carpet and is an integral part of the decision-making process when redecorating/ furnishing a home hence the increase in popularity.

Are synthetic fibres catching up with wool in terms of quality and appearance? Yes is the answer to both, however the natural benefits of wool from a colour, comfort and maintenance point of view outweigh those of synthetics. Wool carpets will stay looking good for longer and are naturally more comfortable. They are flame resistant, anti-static, absorb indoor air contaminants and reduce heat loss. Colour and price are the key factors in buying decisions – however added benefits have to be considered as part of the overall value. If you hadn’t got involved in the flooring business, what might you be doing now instead? Having a background in Fine Art, I would love to be living a life of leisure in Italy.

FlooringNews

Sh w Buying GroupsNational Flooring

Wednesday 16 May 8.30am - 5.30pm Cranmore Avenue, Shirley, Solihull, W Midlands, B90 4LF.

To apply online visit: www.bgnfs.co.uk from The Stocklists

March 2012 43

Domotex reviews

DOMOTEX 2012 The World of Flooring

The writing is on the floor The latest collection from Domo Floorcoverings brings homes beautiful value-driven carpet to blend with any contemporary interior. Nature’s Writing captures the variation to be found in natural surfaces with a collection of four distinct loop pile styles that add textural definition to the floor. Available in Stricto, Thunderbird, Skyhawk and Jetwing textures, Nature’s Writing is packed full of exquisite detail and colourways have been carefully selected to be up-todate and blend perfectly with contemporary interiors. Using 100% Exelto stain resistant yarn for enduring ease of living, the collection brings homes a carpet designed for today, with performance, style and value on offer from each texture. “Nature’s Writing is about moving stain resistant carpet in a different direction, positioning it as high style flooring,” comments Mathieu Steenland, Product Development Director, Domo Floorcoverings. “We are seeing an increasing number of homeowners taking a more considered approach to their carpet choice and with Nature’s Writing they can benefit from a range that not only quells their want for a low maintenance easy to live with carpet, but one that also will satisfy their desire for a timeless statement of style.” All four textures within Nature’s Writing are available in a four-metre width for use in all areas of the home, including the stairs, and offer excellent levels of underfoot comfort, sound absorption and thermal insulation for a more comfortable home. T +32 56 62 22 11

broadloom@baltagroup.com

Soft sell Creative innovation With its ITC, Domo and Balta Broadloom brands, the Balta Group delivered a stunning array of innovations for 2012 at Domotex reaffirming its position at the forefront of the broadloom carpet sector.Visitors to the Hannover, Germany exhibition were captivated by the diversity on offer from the group, with each division showing its unique interpretation of broadloom carpet. ITC presented the latest BCreative® carpets that utilise Chromojet technology to digitally print onto commercial rated carpet. Giving specifiers and designers creative freedom, the innovative technology taps into the trend for using the floor space as a blank canvas. In its residential portfolio, the optical effect of Lakeland’s ‘cracked ice’ pattern in a timeless colour palette drew acclaim from retailers visiting the show. Domo used the three days to push forward its Exelto® polypropylene carpets, revealing several new additions to the growing brand. Designed to bring consumers low maintenance and attractive carpet for their home, Exelto® products launched at Domotex included the natural quality of chunky loop High Flyer and the tight and loose loops of Thunderbird from the Nature’s Writing collection. For the Balta Broadloom division the show proved the launchpad for significant changes and introductions with an update to the premium Woolmaster® collection, new launches within the Stainsafe® brand, the relaunch of the famous woven Wiltax range and the introduction of Sensit®, a newly developed supersoft polypropylene fibre that offers bleach cleanable performance. T +32 56 62 22 11

broadloom@baltagroup.com

Mohawk presented the latest developments to its pioneering SmartStrand® and EverStrand carpet collections at this year’s Domotex, demonstrating to visiting European retailers the powerful messages behind the collections. With the introduction of even softer variants of both fibres, Mohawk underlined that both carpets deliver attractive performance without sacrificing the appeal of touch that is an instinctive part of the buying process for consumers. Combined with leading environmental properties, outstanding textures and colours, class leading wear warranties and excellent in-store marketing, Mohawk is delivering retailers a comprehensive package: “Domotex was a great opportunity for us to demonstrate the powerful combination of environmental story, worryfree performance, durability and a great range of styles,” comments Howard Lindsay, VP UK, Ireland and South Africa. “Both EverStrand and SmartStrand stand out in a market place overrun with wool-rich and polypropylene incarnations and we believe that either, or even both combined, represent a perfect opportunity for retailers to really deliver consumers something fresh and exciting.” With SmartStrand and EverStrand retailers growing in numbers across the UK and with the company’s plan to significantly increase its share of the UK carpet market, Domotex proved the ideal launch pad for a launch packed 2012. T 01480 479830 www.themohawkgroup.com

44 March 2012

FlooringNews

News

Floral flooring Striking slate and wood designs have seen the Penta collection from Itec Contract Floors provide Wimborne Garden Centre with a floor that performs flawlessly day in and day out. As part of The Garden Centre Group, Wimborne Garden Centre is a destination for local horticultural fans with great on-site facilities including a restaurant and, as with any modern retail environment, presentation is a central part of the centre’s success. With this in mind, flooring contractor Trevor Wharton Carpets recommended Itec’s Penta range. Selecting the dramatic Matai 40 x 40cm slate tile effect design, along with the wood effect of Calais, Trevor Wharton Carpets has created a floor design that helps to indicate different usage and shopping areas, while providing all-round ease of maintenance and performance: “By their very nature, garden centres are home to a lot of dirt and this inevitably ends up on the floor so it is essential that it is easy to maintain. Also with wheeled trolleys, wellington boots and heavy loads common place the floor must also be exceptionally durable,” says Trevor Wharton, contractor responsible for the installation. “Itec’s Penta collection met all these requirements, while also offering us the only slate effect tile design currently available, giving us a unique opportunity to clearly distinguish between areas without having to switch floorcovering types.” T 00 32 5665 3211

www.itecfloors.co.uk

Super coloured cord Heckmondwike has revealed details of its refreshed and updated Supacord and Broadrib fibrebonded carpet ranges. While the best of the elements that have helped both ranges become so widely accepted have been retained, new colourways have been introduced to provide an extended variety of specification and design options. “Both Supacord and Broadrib are firmly established in the market as first-choice floor coverings that can be specified with confidence for many different types of education, retail and commercial projects,” explains Heckmondwike Marketing Manager, Abby Chandler. “However we pride ourselves on listening closely to our customers so that we can exceed their expectations, and we felt that it was time to make some subtle changes to these ranges so that we can continue to achieve that aim.” With a 30-year track record of success to its credit, the cost-effective Supacord range now features a refreshed and extended range of colourways which further increase the versatility of this well-proven, British-made carpet. Now available in 42 colours, Supacord’s rugged, fibrebonded and narrow-rib construction allows it to be cut and laid with great precision and without the danger of fraying. A choice of 2m and 4m wide carpets, a carpet tile option and an A+ BRE Global Rating for reducing environmental impact add to Supacord’s popularity for school, college, retail and office accommodation projects. With a similarly revised selection of colourways, the heavy contract carpets in the Broadrib range offer all the properties of Supacord but with a distinctive wider rib. This gives the carpet a more defined surface texture which represents a competitive commercial flooring solution for schools, colleges, universities, and similar public buildings. The British-made, easily maintained Broadrib carpets also deliver antistatic and anti-slip performance, excellent acoustic properties to help reduce noise levels, and impressive thermal insulation properties. T 01924 406161

www.heckmondwike-fb.co.uk

Wasting a way to success Waste carpet is emerging as a serious raw material resource according to latest figures from Carpet Recycling UK that show 66,000 tonnes were diverted from landfill last year – representing an increase in the diversion rate from 10% in 2010 to 16.5% in 2011. This figure is fairly evenly split between recycle and reuse (32,000 tonnes) and energy recovery, mainly in cement kilns (34,000 tonnes). The proportion of carpet sent for recycling has risen from 33% in 2010 to 48% in 2011 as new outlets have developed and established outlets have grown. “It’s a fantastic achievement and testament to the on-going commitment and consistent efforts of all throughout the supply chain to make carpet recycling and diversion of this bulky waste from landfill a positive reality,” commented Laurance Bird, Director of CRUK, an association of companies with 12 core funders that actively support the development of carpet recycling. Managed by Axion Consulting, CRUK was set up by industry leaders to develop viable solutions to the nearly half a million tonnes of carpet waste landfilled in the UK each year. CRUK targets include 25% landfill diversion by 2015. Laurance explained recycling capacity has increased in response to the growth in specialist facilities able to handle carpets in reuse, recycling and energy recovery processes. “It is encouraging to see the growth in the use of carpet fibres for equestrian surfaces and felts. There are now 32 specialist outlets contributing to these total diversion routes.” T 0161 440 8325

46 March 2012

www.carpetrecyclinguk.com.

FlooringNews

from The Stocklists

March 2012 47

The British Wool column Charity for textile industry offers a helping hand The BWMB was particularly interested to learn about the work of a unique charity which supports the children of workers in the textile industry. The Fashion and Textile Children’s trust was established in 1853 and lends a helping hand through education and welfare grants to children who may need support. The parent can work, or have worked, in any area of the textile business and the financial support may be for a wide variety of circumstances. It may be respite for a child that is a registered carer for their parent, a young person struggling to cope with illness or disability or equipment to support a child with learning difficulties. The key thing is that the grants which FTCT provides make a huge difference. In the words of one Mum of a 14 year old boy, “Thank you seems completely inadequate for the difference this grant will make to my son.” The Fashion and Textile Children’s trust offers grants to the

The grants do not have to be for a major project, they can be for fairly small children of textile industry workers. things which may have a huge and beneficial impact on the family concerned. This amazing charity looks at each case individually and everything is in total confidence.

Anna Pangbourne of the FTCT said, “If your child needs help with special needs or if changes at home are affecting your child’s education, our small friendly team at the Fashion & Textile Children’s Trust (FTCT), may be able to help.” Bridgette Kelly of the BWMB comments, “Occasionally you come across something truly brilliant that is a spark of hope and goodwill in an often difficult world. Anna’s team and this wonderful charity seek no funding from the textile industry but quietly they offer support to its workers both present and former. I hope our industry will consider how this organisation may be useful to their colleagues.” If you know someone whose child needs support, please visit www.ftct.org.uk or call Anna just to have a chat in confidence on 020-7170-4117 or email anna@ftct.org.uk.

Best of British Wool

British sheep grow wool that is particularly strong and durable.

Over the next few months on the BWMB column, we are looking at some of the great ranges that are using British Wool. It is of course, the unique resilience of British Wool that makes it a perfect choice for those busy areas of the home – halls, stairs, living rooms, busy household pathways – they all benefit from the extra robust crimp of the British Wool fibre. “Our climate is fairly tough to endure but sheep on the hills are protected by their fleece, which has adapted to become strong and hardy. This durable quality is maintained in the processing and so it adds significant underfoot resilience to the carpet,’ Tim Booth, product development manager of the BWMB explained. This month we feature Adam Carpets and invited Eamonn Prescott to talk loud and proud about their own Best of British range.

48 March 2012

Fine Worcester Twist by Adam carpets This premium product range by the well regarded Adam Carpets celebrates its 21st birthday this year. The key to the success of this superb product is that Fine Worcester Twist is manufactured from a very high quality of wool and course - it is the wool that makes the difference. Eamonn Prescott of Adam Carpets comments, ‘It is because we use this high quality yarn, we are able to spin and twist it with staple nylon to create a super-fine (2/72's) two ply yarn that helps gives Fine Worcester Twist the finish for which it is acclaimed.’ ‘We are also able to achieve very light Fine Worcester Twist by Adam Carpets colours, free from contamination, – a great British Wool range. because of the quality of the wool, which has helped extend our colourbank to 65. Fine Worcester also achieves the luxury rating class 5 (the highest) under BS EN 1307:2008 carpet performance test. It also easily passes clarification 23 (Heavy Domestic). Our in-house testing also shows a level of performance consistency which is unrivalled and which we are justifiably proud.’ ‘We are delighted that our retailers consider Fine Worcester Twist to be one of the best twist pile carpet available today.’

FlooringNews

from The Stocklists

March 2012 49

News

Quality on show Quality is at the core of May’s major flooring exhibition which invites members of all buying groups for the first time to a showcase event in Solihull. The Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show (BGNFS) takes place at Cranmore Park on 16th May. The event follows a highly successful occasion in 2011 which involved a limited number of buying groups. Now, the doors will be open to any retailer who is a member of a flooring buying group. Manufacturers have risen to the occasion with more than 60 leading brands taking part, including some flagship companies who have not exhibited elsewhere in recent years such as Axminster, Brockway, Ulster, Victoria and Westex. The BGNFS list also includes all the other major preferred suppliers who have relationshops with the buying groups. “The event is distinguished by the quality of the participants – and the quality of the experience,” says Glenn Harding of the Flooring One group. “Cranmore Park is one of the UK’s best exhibition venues and the environment is calm, professional and friendly. People have time to talk with the suppliers who matter.” The Solihull event is popular with manufacturers who respect their close relationship with buying group members and the timing is perfect to cue up new ranges and marketing ideas in good time before the Autumn buying season. Glenn added: “This event focuses on the independent retailer and gives them the opportunity to get a good feel for the market and compete successfully in an ever competitive environment.” The event has been organised by a consortium of buying groups - ACG, BRM, Flooring One, Metro Group and SMG – who see the event as part of their service to members, to give them that extra edge to succeed in business. Visitors need to be pre-registered and should apply online at www.bgnfs.co.uk Cranmore Park is a first-class business event venue which is centrally located near Birmingham and the NEC - close to junction 4 on the M42 and handy for the M6 and M1. Organisers say the event has been gaining strength and an option to add a second day has been pencilled in for 2013. The Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show takes place the day after Flooring One’s own member event at the same venue. www.bgnfs.co.uk

50 March 2012

FlooringNews

News feature

adoration for the nation! Paul Brady is an LVT evangelist and his belief and enthusiasm for one of the market’s most interesting product launches has earned him many loyal followers across the UK and Europe. Paul is just completing a pilgrimage throughout the length and breadth of Britain for adore – the revolutionary LVT with top quality credentials and an easy click system for rapid loose-lay installation. Dozens of demonstrations have reached about 1,000 installers and the number of adore disciples has exploded. “I’m a hands-on person and the demonstrations help people make up their minds,” says Paul. “We want to win hearts and minds. It’s about changing people’s concept of what a vinyl floor is all about.

John Roberts is leading the demonstrations to fitters throughout the UK

“Fitters are used to sticking down their vinyl and I understand that. My company has been making stick-down vinyl for 25 years and it’s still our biggest business. But this is better,” says Paul. “I think people want to be convinced and the good news is that once they’ve seen it in front of them, and listened to a professional installer’s experience, within half an hour they are on board.” The professional installer is John Roberts – or his son Carl – who are working with adore on technical support for fitters as the product is introduced. John, a well-known industry figure, has been instrumental in delivering two demonstrations a day for much of January and February for adore’s distributors from South East England to Scotland and Ireland.

Saving 50% on time, a third on costs

“It’s about changing people’s concept of what a vinyl floor is all about.”

The argument is a compelling one. Loose-lay can take less than half the time to install compared to glue-down and this saving, plus the reduction in sub-floor preparation and the absence of adhesives, can reduce overall costs by a third. And the quality of the adore product, painstakingly developed for the UK market is undeniable – 14 wood planks are in the first launch campaign with on-trend new decors as well as the more conventional, but enduringly popular, variations of oak. Attractive stone and ceramic decors were launched by adore at Domotex in January and will be rolled out in the UK later this year. The 4mm planks have a 0.55mm wear layer with micro ceramic particles for durability giving the product a 25-year warranty on domestic installation, 15 years for commercial. “Confidence in the product is total but we know you can only build a business on the basis of service and strong customer relationships,” says Paul. “That’s why we wanted to meet people face-to-face, listen to what they want and make sure they get it.” adore has just doubled its UK stockholding to ensure they can react quickly as demand builds and is using the Home Foundation distribution network to deliver the goods. “I suppose I am something of an evangelist,” says Paul. “I don’t think of myself as a salesman – the product sells itself to that extent – but I am so keen to see this succeed as this system is what we know people want – and we know they want to deal with a professional company that’s approachable and reliable for their LVT.” www.adorefloors.com T 01675 433075

from The Stocklists

March 2012 51

Business News

Home furnishing sales boost Furnishing sector retail sales showed a growth of nearly 4.8% in January, say the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in results which suprised analysts who were expecting stagnation at best.

Adam evolves

Deep discounting was believed to be responsible for the trend which was part of an overall increase of 0.9% in UK retail spending for the first month of the year.

In 2011, Adam Carpets showed their commitment to investing in the long term with the launch of over 60 new designs and colours into the market. In 2012 further investment is starting with the launch of a new company logo.

“All sectors are experiencing some growth when you look at year on-year. In particular, the household goods sector has risen - it has ended a long period of contraction,” says Kate Davies of the ONS.

Managing Director, Chris Adam, explained the thinking behind the change. “This new branding is evolution rather than revolution. We are showing by keeping it in Green, that we are proud of our history and what we have achieved in the past.”

Anecdotal evidence from flooring manufacturers shows a patchy performance, however, with many reporting a slow start to trading this year.

Carpetright looks to new future? The struggling Carpetright chain may turn its back on the stock market after issuing investors with six profit warnings in the last year. The share price has been rising a little lately on rumours that Lord Harris may take the retailer back into private hands - he already owns 18.8% of the stock. Harris failed in an attempt to take the company private in 2007 when the shares were 1250p each. Now they are less than half that value. Ironically, the bid in 2007 was because Harris wanted to expand more quickly but future moves are likely to centre on reducing Carpetright’s footprint and making the better stores more profitable.

Victoria awaits showdown

He went on, “We are now evolving the brand. By making the Green softer we are appealing to the female consumers who are historically the decision makers in terms of fashion and trends within household furnishings.”

The boardroom battle at Victoria Carpets comes to a head on March 6 with an annual general meeting when shareholders will vote on a rebel consortium takeover led by former director Alexander Anton.

The new logo features the A in ‘Adam’ sweeping into the D, signifying the design and style for which Adam Carpets are renowned.

The consortium’s attempt to replace two current directors with four of its own led Victoria to offer itself for sale to force a shareholder decision on the issue.

T 01562 829966

The war of words has turned increasingly acrimonious with the consortium labelling the current board’s actions as “damaging and irresponsible.” The board responded with a statement: “The board considers the hostile conduct of the consortium generally, combined with their aggressive statements about the board as a whole, to be irreconcilable with their suggestion that the proposed directors can work together harmoniously with the executive directors.”

www.adamcarpets.com

Confidence builder Exclusive new research by leading global research company GfK NOP provides new insights into what’s been described as the ‘big-ticket slump’ in consumer purchases that is hitting most retailers. Among its findings, it reveals that 27% (1 in 4) of all working adults would like to buy at least one big ticket item - holidays, golf membership, gym, carpets/flooring, furniture, televisions, brown goods, PCs or laptops, iPads or smartphones in the near future but are put off from buying due to concerns around job security. The findings also show that a vast total, almost £7bn (£6.93bn) worth of new sales, could be added to these sectors alone if these adults were given the confidence to make those purchases by removing the feeling of employment insecurity that is holding them back. Richard Davies, Director at jobsafe.me, commented: “Many of these consumers do actually have the money but due to concerns around job security are storing up their cash for a rainy day should that eventuality materialise.” Jobsafe.me is a money back promotional product, which covers consumer purchases up to £2000, although it can be implemented with higher amounts. It is a money back guarantee that, should the consumer experience job loss within 12 months of purchase, they receive their money back and keep the product(s) or service. Richard Davies explains further: “Jobsafe.me is a consumer promotion and its cost is integrated into the retail price as added value for the consumer. It is not a separate consumer purchase.” T 01908 352042

52 March 2012

www.jobsafe.me

They accuse the consortium of repeatedly “threatening the directors” via legal letters.

Grabbing the growth A study by industry analysts Plimsoll Publishing has identified a group of 87 emerging companies in the UK Floor Coverings industry. In the last year these companies have increased sales by an average 13% and are taking further control of the market as we start 2012. Over the last 2 years, growth in the market has been sporadic, averaging 6% two years ago and 2% last year. However, these high growth companies have managed to grow much faster. Of the 1000 companies analysed in the Plimsoll Analysis, 83 were found to be suffering the consequences of these high growth companies. They saw their own sales fall, on average by - 11% in the same period. David Pattison, author of this new market study states, “This is absolute evidence that whatever growth there is in the market is being captured by a select group of companies.” So what have these companies been doing to create this growth? Pattison offers the following explanation, “It’s clear that the market is changing. The revenue and growth streams companies took for granted a couple of years ago have changed. Frankly, it’s the one question that we all want to know the answer to, ‘Where is the market heading?’. These 87 winning companies seem to have the best idea”. Copies of the full 1000 paged analysis are available now in PDF format, priced at £350 (+VAT) and readers of Stocklists gain a £50 discount if they quote reference PR/AA10 www.plimsoll.co.uk

FlooringNews

from The Stocklists

March 2012 53

News feature

Goodweave UK - the challenge of caring Samantha Towle, Executive Director of GoodWeave UK talks candidly about the charity’s work in the UK...

“

GoodWeave UK celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2011 and it proved to be an eventful year including the launch of the Talking Rugs online shopping directory and the opening of The Rug Company’s showroom at Harrods. The Rug Company has been a long-standing and significant supporter and the new store is an excellent showcase for GoodWeave labelled rugs. This year has already seen the formation of a new European office in Manchester, which will expand GoodWeave’s scheme to new countries including France and Italy and will put UK retailers in contact with new GoodWeave importers and wholesalers. At an international level, the GoodWeave organisation goes from strength to strength. Key events in 2011 included the launch of a pilot scheme to certify GoodWeave labelled rugs from Afghanistan, and the Nepalese office winning the internationally recognised Asia-Pacific STARS Impact Award for the work it does protecting children in the rug sector – the $100,000 unlimited funding prize and consultancy support will be invaluable to the work the organisation does in Nepal. However, 2011 was also a testing year for the UK as B&Q stated it would be pulling out of selling GoodWeave labelled rugs and would no longer require any of its suppliers to be accredited. This is a frustrating set-back, but B&Q’s attitude to tackling child labour is typical of the mass market in the UK. Large retailers such as B&Q, Laura Ashley, John Lewis and M&S have ethical policies in place, and carry out supplier audits, but when it comes to child labour their audit mechanisms are just not robust enough. All too often these large retailers fail to understand that the only way to prevent child labour in the informal manufacturing sector is to have local inspectors out in the villages carrying out random, unannounced inspections on a regular basis. Likewise, the final decision about working with GoodWeave is often left to the buyers – let’s face it buyers care most about sales and profit, not supply chain ethics.

“I firmly believe that, if marketed well, the high street retailers could attract new consumers if they took the initiative and actively promoted GoodWeave rugs.”

54 March 2012

FlooringNews

Rug manufacturing takes place in some of the poorest regions of the world, and rural poverty and lack of access to education forces families to send their children to work, often hundreds of miles from where they live. It is important to understand the context here – these kids do not bring home any income to their families, they sit for 14 hours or more a day working in atrocious conditions in return for a meal and somewhere to sleep, if they are lucky. It is easy for the large retailers to be duped into believing that their suppliers are not using child labour, as weaving is often subcontracted out to thousands of individual, village based weavers. Visiting buyers and annual audit teams cannot possibly visit all these places and yet this is where children are often found by our inspectors, making rugs. GoodWeave inspectors find children working for even the most well-intentioned producers – it is just impossible for a rug producer to vouch for all his sub contractors, whereas GoodWeave inspects deep into the supply chain and its independent inspectors are out in the rural villages. I firmly believe that, if marketed well, the high street retailers could attract new consumers if they took the initiative and actively promoted GoodWeave rugs. We can support them with initiatives such as the Rug Directory and press relations, but we can’t do their job for them. This lack of effort in the UK is in sharp contrast to the USA and Germany where major retail brands such as Macy’s and Otto make GoodWeave labelled rugs widely available. On a more positive note, in the UK GoodWeave labelled rugs are now widely available in the luxury sector from the likes of The Rug Company, Bazaar Velvet, Jacaranda Carpets and Knots Rugs. Interior designers are also becoming increasingly aware of the issues surrounding ethical sourcing, as is the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID). To make the sourcing of ethically produced rugs easier, GoodWeave UK launched its own online Rug Directory in 2011 www.goodweave.org.uk/rug-directory which tells designers and consumers about the latest GoodWeave labelled rug designs and where to buy. T 07740 459279

from The Stocklists

www.goodweave.org.uk

” March 2012 55

Survey

The rough with the smooths Vinyl gets a mixed report from retailers

59% are selling more vinyl than 5 years ago

Vinyl is a smooth sell say UK retailers in last month’s Flooring Forum survey by The Stocklists. Nearly 60% say sales have risen in the last five years and the majority of stores are expecting further growth.

92% prefer vinyl to wood or laminate

And the product is popular with retailers. 77% said the margins on vinyl were the same or better (41%) than selling carpet and a massive 92% said they preferred selling vinyl to laminate or wood.

41% enjoy better margins than carpet

The growing popularity of LVT, cushioned flooring and other resilient flooring has gained momentum in the past year and the market is starting to show some characteristics of the laminates boom several years ago – a flood of products and variability in service and quality. “Too many cheap badly cut or shaped tiles now appearing on the market,” said a Scottish retailer. “The quality difference between good and bad hard to explain to customers.”

77% say quality is improving

“Everyone is on the bandwagon,” said a North East manager. “With the vast quantity there are now the consumer is getting confused between good decors and good quality, a bit like laminate. Any one can go to China and come back with containers.”

54% prefer glue-down to loose-lay

But manufacturers generally seem to be giving the trade what they need in terms of products – 85% of our respondents said there was excellent choice in the range of vinyl decors available and 76% felt the quality of designs was still improving.

34% say POS needs to get better

Retailers said they like selling on key benefits such as durablility (the top choice at 27%), water tolerance (22%) and cleanbility (20%). Strangely, the realism of decors came bottom of our list with only 7%. More than 70% of respondents said recyclability did not help sell a product. While there appears to be a good understanding of the latest click systems that have been introduced in the last two or three years, the popularity of glue-down vinyl is twice that of loose-lay – an attitude that will be interesting to re-visit in another five years. While retailers were generally happy with the service they get from manufacturers, the response on merchandising and POS was mixed. Over a third of our respondents said marketing support was poor or required improvement and only 30% rated it as ‘generally good’. Vinyl does seem to play a poor second fiddle to carpet in merchandising, however. A North East store owner who said he “loved selling vinyl” added that there was a lack of enthusiasm by suppliers: “The product launch is often ‘and there's a new vinyl book as well’. When vinyl is such an important business why can't they take more time to promote it?” A Midlands retailer said POS was “woefully inadequate” and an Essex store points out the probem with sampling: “Every time the customer needs a sample you have to take the stand apart to give them a sample.”

“Too many badly cut vinyl’s are on the market”

“Consumers are getting confused about quality”

56 March 2012

The Stocklists polled 1020 retailers throughout the UK during February 2012 . Replies and comments are recorded anonymously. Many thanks to all those who took part.

And as we were aware of some industry disquiet about the approach of some major players in this market, we asked if vinyl manufacturers were better or worse to deal with than the carpet suppliers – three quarters of our respondents said worse! Finally, the ease of installation is compromised by the usual lack of skilled installers – 64% said they struggled to find good vinyl fitters. “There are too many cowboys willing to chance it when it comes to floor prep,” said a Tyne & Wear retailer. “We get approached by many, established fitters who don't have moisture meters or have been using the same screed regardless for years - needless to say we don't give them any work!” And many, many respondents bemoaned direct selling to fitters or via the internet. “Our prices on retail have had to drop to compete more with the internet sellers who in my opinion devalue the products,” said a Lincolnshire store. “More experienced businesses would survive if the manufacturers stop supplying these people and focus on shops.”

“There are too many cowboy fitters”

“Internet sellers devalue the business”

“We love selling vinyl. What’s not to like!”

FlooringNews

Flooring’s design pioneers The Interiors show at Birmingham’s NEC is the UK’s leading home design event and introduced flooring for the first time last year – adding to the established exhibition halls presenting furniture, soft furnishing, beds and lighting. Almost 25,000 visitors, including interior designers, contract specifiers and stores groups, attend the show annually to see some 600 trade stands and there is always a bit of showbiz glamour around the event, this year with high profile TV personality and interior designer Laurence Llewelyn Bowen as guru in residence. Last year’s show faltered a little in the face of recessionary forces maybe, but the 2012 event was widely acclaimed as a strong return to inspiration and innovation with a little more risk-taking by the trend-setters in the sector. Better still, exhibitors reported substantially improved levels of serious business from major buyers at the event. Indicative of flooring’s status in this sector, the number of companies participating is not large – 23 in total – but those present offered new and exciting ideas and were rewarded with strong levels of interest reported at the four-day event.

Read three pages of reviews from companies at Interiors 2012 - pages 57-59

V4 Woodflooring V4 Woodflooring goes from strength to strength with its top quality products and this year marks its status as a ‘national’ company with distribution throughout the UK and a network of 12 agents. “We aim to be the best at what we do and have seen steady growth,” says Khush Khan, “but we haven’t rushed it. We are a family company and we know how important service and customer relationships are to a successful business.” Those relationships came good when a serious warehouse fire last year threatened to stop the business in its tracks – but two months later, trading was back to normal and the ‘Eiger Phoenix’ was launched to celebrate their rise from the ashes. An impressive new display unit was launched at Interiors and was very well received. T 01276 488099 from The Stocklists

www.v4woodflooring.co.uk March 2012 57

Carefree from Regency Carpets Carefree from Regency Carpets continues to enjoy a very strong run of popularity with retailers for its easy-care credentials and smart marketing. The Carefree collection now comprises 12 ranges for the widest choice across all the price points and the recently launched Elegance range attracts major interest for its wool-like feel and appearance. “Carefree has ticked all the boxes in the retail store as the ranges you can really sell without any obstacles and with a great story to tell,” says Neil Valentine of Furlong Flooring who distributes the collection. The Carefree story is presented on lectern and wall-unit video displays that show consumers just how easy it is to remove stains. T 01772 696787 www.regencycarefree.co.uk

Mastercraft Rugs Mastercraft Rugs have a long track record of getting it right for independent retailers with a keen eye for the designs that sell while backing the products up with exemplary levels of service. Mastercraft is a regular winner of awards from buying groups for their performance. “Retailers need a rug supplier they can always count on,” says director Robert Dickson. “We believe in service in depth and we’ve set our stall out the way retailers want to work.” Shaggies are still popular and Mastercraft’s Twilight range continues to be a best-seller. New for this year are some striking patchwork designs added to the Galleria range which are highly fashionable in home décor at present. T 01282 694565 www.mastercraftrugs.co.uk Robert Dickson receives a top award from Glenn Harding of the Flooring One buying group

Dates for 2013 Next year’s INTERIORS UK event will be open at the NEC between January 20 - 23 and organisers say that already half the exhibitors have re-booked their space for the event. A new occasion in 2013 will be the launch of a specialist show in May - Interiors London - which is being described as a ‘boutique’ event for mid to high-end exhibitors who are seen as trend setters in the sector. The new show is open on May 19 - 23, 2013. www.interiorsuk.com

58 March 2012

FlooringNews

JANUARY 2012 NEC BIRMINGHAM

Fibre Fibre is an interesting company which has seen strong growth since its launch three years ago, presenting a comprehensive range of natural plant fibres – mainly sisals, seagrass and coir. As well as strong environmental credentials, the products are extremely hard wearing and have a range of textured effects that are especially popular in the current market. New for 2012 is a range of attractive on-trend colours including comtemporary shades of grey and modern metallic’s – a striking departure from the natural-look sisal shades that are familiar to the market. Fibre is now a national business with UK deliveries twice a week for rolls and cut lengths. T 0844 4142177

www.fibreflooring.com

Oriental Weavers Alpaca Rugs

Oriental Weavers are looking to a little more colour in their rug collections for 2012. “The UK market has been very conservative in creams and beiges but peope are now taking a little more risk with design and colour,” says Pascal Petit. With machine made rugs from Egypt and hand-made from India, Oriental Weavers reckons to cover the market across all price points with both classic and very contemporary designs. Big patterns are selling strongly this year and a popular new range launch (previewed at Harrogate) is Viola, a hand-carved polypropylene in 17 different options and three sizes. T 0113 380 5330

www.owbmk.com

Alpaca Rugs are niche and a little exotic and their appearance at a trade event always generates interest. The Alpaca wool, imported from South America, is unrivalled for its luxurious softness and warmth – the alpaca (a relative of the llama) lives 12,000 feet up in the Andes so they need a lot of insulation! The fleece has 22 different natural shades which are used to create pictures and geometric designs in the rugs by the artists who make them in Peru – each one takes up to 200 hours to make. “We have seen a lot of interest from professional buyers and the geometric designs are doing well this year,” said David Dempster who owns the business which is based near Hull in East Yorkshire. T 01482 631072

from The Stocklists

www.thealpacarugcompany.co.uk March 2012 59

Flower on Flooring News News Extend the sales proposition Underlay represents the most logical means for retailers to gain add-on sales, with options available for all flooring types. Following recent cold winters, emphasising the need to make homes warmer, combining with the nesting trend resulting from continuing economic difficulties and encouraging the desire for increased comfort in the home, opportunities to include underlay in flooring purchases are increasing.

acoustically sensitive areas, use with under-floor heating or the need for a moisture barrier. The range also includes 3mm and 5mm slatted underlays from £4.08 sq m and adhesive backed products from £8.01 sq m for fixed engineered or solid wood floors. Acoustalay 250 Adhesive+, retailing at £10.07 sq m, provides an ideal solution for engineered and solid wood installations onto a concrete sub-floor, eliminating the need for a separate vapour barrier. The Acoustalay range is fully tested and certified to industry standards, and comes with a 10-year guarantee, the company states. Anglo Recycling says from a standing start in January 2011 it has recycled between 10% and 20% of the waste produced by UK carpet manufacturers. System designer Michael Walsh, says: “We take wool rich carpet edges from all the major UK manufacturers and through the process we have designed, we can recycle the fibre which then goes to make underlay.” Managing director Simon Macaulay says “The Carpet & Flooring Group have been great innovators and supporters of our new product, Reco42. “They were the first to take it in bulk and promote it through their customer base. We are now using all the fibre we can pull ourselves with our own process."

Acoustalay 250 from Beacons Products

The extended range of options are illustrated by foam engineering company Beacons Products, which initially created its Acoustalay range to meet the requirements of the European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF). Now a comprehensive range for domestic to heavy commercial loading, with retail prices from £2.65 sq m, Acoustalay includes options suited to laminate, engineered and solid woods. Different grades offer various functional benefits to accommodate requirements including

Anglo Reco42 underlay is 100% recycled

60 March 2012

Lee Hildebrandt, Carpet & Flooring commercial manager, says: “When I first saw a sample of Reco42, there was no doubt in my mind that this was an ideal product to run with. It has equally as great a benefit as any other underlay, but can boast that it is 100% recycled, and is extremely cost effective." He further states that his company is proud of its eco-friendly credentials and finds there is growing demand for these products, leading to its sales with Anglo Recycling more than doubling last year. “We have set up a project with Jane Gardner and Carpet Recycling UK to start to take the production offcuts from local

Axminster ‘s Axfelt has a luxury domestic rating

FlooringNews

by Dennis Flower carpet shops and recycle them. CRUK will give shops a promotional pack so that they can let their customers know of the good environmental work they are doing," says Mr Macaulay and states the carpet sector is dealing with its waste before being forced to do so by governnment. Continuing the recycling theme, Steve Upperton, Axminster Carpets sales director says that Axfelt is produced from recycled carpet waste and tyres, has been recommended by Which? magazine and "is the perfect underlay to sit underneath that beautiful new carpet. Consumers selecting wool as their fibre of choice will already appreciate that underlay adds comfort and helps to make carpet last longer, and they will also have an appreciation of wool’s natural and sustainable qualities. Combined, the two make an attractive and almost irresistible proposition for any consumer looking for an underlay to support their new Axminster Carpets purchase," he says. “Just like our carpets, Axfelt is backed by the Axminster Carpets name, so consumers are assured of great quality in every single roll. “Adding underfoot comfort, extending carpet life, giving a warming TOG rating of 2.2 and ear-pleasing acoustic insulation of 32dB, Axfelt achieves a Luxury Domestic Use rating making it suitable for all areas in the home. When it comes to underlay to go underneath a woven or tufted carpet from Axminster Carpets, Well, it could really only be Axfelt couldn’t it,” says Mr Upperton.

"The reasons for choosing one over the other become obvious with touch and this is often compelling enough for the consumer to spend a little more. However, should they need a little extra swaying, we’ve also equipped the Hyper range with geared to consumer point-of-sale and incorporated a Tread Station on the display unit to really drive the message home. Do not look at underlay just in terms of product specification, instead look at how the range communicates its benefits and provides scope for upselling," says Mr Bailey. Interfloor reports a continued rise in the “portfolio buyer”, referring to retailers who buy both PU and rubber underlay. Steve Woodhead, marketing director, says: “There’s never been so much choice in underlays. A growing number of retailers are buying both PU and rubber underlay. In the last three years we’ve seen a growth in the proportion of these portfolio buyers from 27% to 37%. This reflects the wide variety of uses for sponge and crumb rubber underlay and the relative ease of creating a range that looks, and performs, differently.”

Floorwise helps retailers trade up with the Hyper range

Richard Bailey, Floorwise managing director, agrees that underlays should be seen as an opportunity to generate extra income and encourages retailers to consider the ranges they carry and the way they are presented to consumers. “Our Hyper range has been developed with this in mind and has a proven track record in independent flooring retailers. As a PU underlay with Hyper the tale is in the touch, as apart from different coloured backings, visually there is little to tell them apart." The difference is immediately obvious when touching each underlay, he says, and consumers can easily feel the difference between the 8mm SD (Standard Density) HyperBASE and the 11mm SHD (Super High Density) HyperFORM.

from The Stocklists

He has also found that specialist products continue to grow in popularity: “We’ve seen strong growth in the last year in double stick underlays (such as the Duralay Durafit System) and underlays for underfloor heating (Duralay Heatflow) and wood and laminate floors (Duralay Silentfloor Gold and Timbermate Excel). This proves that high quality, branded underlays that meet specific needs are a key weapon in the retailer’s arsenal,” says Mr Woodhead. For more information about featured products: Acoustalay • T 01685 350011 www.beaconsproducts.co.uk Anglo Recycling • T 01706 853513 www.anglorecycling.com Axminster • T 01297 630650 www.axminstercarpets.co.uk Floorwise • T 01509 673974 www.floorwise.co.uk Interfloor • T 01706 213131 www.interfloor.com

March 2012 61

News

Pests problems solved

Campaigning carpet

With carpet beetles and other textile pests presenting a real and growing problem, professional carpet technicians would be well advised to take a place on a brand new course from The WoolSafe Organisation, starting this year. The Control and Treatment of Textile Insect Pests will give all professional carpet technicians the necessary expertise to deal with these destructive bugs and is fully compliant with COPR (Control of Pesticide Regulations) Requirements with successful attendees receiving TIP numbers. Trainees who are Clean Trust (IICRC) members will also receive one Continuing Education Credit (CEC). The one-day course covers a broad syllabus with the goal of giving attendees a good understanding of textile insect pests and the appropriate method for their removal. Covering insect biology, metamorphosis, reproductive strategy, identification, lifecycles, moths, beetles, fleas, PPE requirements, Health and Safety and application of the relevant treatments; the course is invaluable for all those involved in the maintenance of carpet who wish to expand their operations to include this in-demand service. Steve Bakker, marketing manager, WoolSafe explains the reason for introducing the course in 2012: “With cases of textile pests on the rise, carpet technicians are coming across the destruction caused by carpet beetles and moths on an increasingly frequent basis. However, with the specialist nature and strict controls of pesticide use, many technicians would have to pass the case on, losing vital revenue. Now thanks to this new course by WoolSafe, members can use their new knowledge to rid homes and commercial properties of these damaging pests as well as improve customer service and maximise potential revenue.” The next date is April 16th, 2012. T 01943 850817

www.woolsafe.org/uk/cleanertraining

2012 will see several new initiatives from the Carpet Foundation including a digital campaign and a new award scheme. An online campaign on IPC’s housetohome.co.uk portal will begin in the Spring to capitalise on the tremendous strength of the site which attracts over 1 million individual users per month. The campaign is built around a theme of Britain’s pets and encourages visitors to vote for their favourite pet on the site. While having a fun element, consumers will land at a page that stresses the benefits of Carpet Foundation members, both retailers and manufacturers and is designed to capitalise on ‘Brand Britain’ that will be so popular this year with the Diamond Jubilee and Olympic Games. To encourage greater exploitation of Carpet Foundation membership at both retailer and manufacturer level, and, ideally, greater discrimination towards the CF supporting manufacturers, the Carpet Foundation Awards have been launched. The Awards are open to all retail and manufacturing members. The new retailer Awards are: Best in-store display of the CF, Best promotion of the CF - this could be in advertising, pos, online, in local media, etc, and Best monitoring results. The manufacturer awards are: Best CF presence on a website and Best exploitation of membership. Commenting on their introduction, Chief Executive Andrew Stanbridge said: “Greater exploitation results in increased consumer awareness which means increased value of membership to our members. The phenomenal success of the Red Carpet Awards for journalists got me thinking if we could do something similar for our members.” Editorial exposure for carpet continues to grow and since October there have been 8 full features, comprising 34 pages on carpet in home interest magazines, all of which have featured CF retail and manufacturer members. In addition to the full length features, carpet has been placed in a further 10 titles. Look out for the April edition (on sale now) of the best-selling Good Housekeeping which has a wonderful carpet spread. This is specifically targeted at the Red Carpet Awards. Carpet is making waves in the media! T 01562 755 568 www.carpetfoundation.com

Designer doubles Designer Contracts, floorcovering contractors to the new build industry, has doubled the size of its North East premises in Newcastle. The move to a larger facility comes within weeks of the fast-expanding business doubling the size of its operation in Scotland. Designer Contracts, which was previously based at Unit 22c within the popular and well-established Airport Industrial Estate at Kingston Park in Newcastle-uponTyne, has moved a stone’s throw away to Unit 3a on the same estate. The unit, which comprises a 4,000 sq ft ground floor plus an additional 1,000 sq ft mezzanine floor, provides Designer Contracts’ North East office, which currently employs eight people, with increased capacity for offices and warehousing as well as further room to expand in future. Designer Contracts’ North East regional manager Jim Ellis said: “Our business is very well established in the North East and we are pleased with how well it is developing. We anticipate that demand will continue to grow into 2012 and beyond. “Our new premises are big enough to allow further expansion going forward, which is inevitable given the increasing volume of contracts and projects that we're handling. Airport Industrial Estate is ideally situated for us to serve our customers throughout the North East - from the Scottish Borders down to York and over to Carlisle.” Airport Industrial Estate has excellent access to the major road network, being situated adjacent to the A1 Western Bypass, four miles North West of Newcastle City Centre and three miles from Newcastle Airport. Designer Contracts operates from 10 regional offices and employs over 140 people. In addition to floorcoverings, the company also offers furniture, lighting, curtain and blind packages to new homes developers. T 01246 54577 62 March 2012

www.designercontracts.com

FlooringNews

News feature

Speckly tech QR codes take to the floor in the latest e-marketing trend While you can probably safely ignore exultations to follow your favourite carpet fibre on facebook or tweet about wool twist, the latest tekkie trend is likely to have a greater impact on the High Street – the QR Code. European flooring manufacturers are already rapidly adopting the speckly bar code technology to bring new value to point-of-sale displays, labelling and literature. QR codes are specialised barcodes that can be scanned by smartphones to send your customer to a web page, fire up an email, download a video or access further information. Current examples already in our marketplace include Wools of News Zealand letting consumers see exactly where the wool in their own carpet comes from and F Ball for multi-lingual spec sheets on adhesives. Manx and Ulster are already using the codes in POS and advertising while the Woolsafe organisation uses a range of codes to assist their communciations ‘hub’. As the code can link to any web page, the possibilities are endless and ideas already around include: • Sample labelling linked to roomset images for each range/colour • Downloads of spec sheets and care guides for products • Wear and stain warranty schemes with registration forms online • Find-a-retailer links from literature and press adverts • Virtual sampling – allowing store visitors to snatch the details of several options for viewing in detail later

• Rug galleries so consumers can see other designs and colours in a collection that are not on display in store Retail is also using QR codes extensively for promotions, offers and competitions – allowing users to scan in a coupon – for example from a poster in the store window – to bring inside for an extra discount. • Sample labelling linked to roomset images for each range and colour • Downloads of spec sheets and care guides for products • Wear and stain warranty schemes with registration forms online • Find-a-retailer links from literature and press adverts • Virtual sampling – allowing store visitors to snatch the details of several options for viewing in detail later • Rug galleries so consumers can see other designs and colours in a collection that are not on display in store Retail is also using QR codes extensively for promotions, offers and competitions – allowing users to scan in a coupon – for example from a poster in the store window – to bring inside for an extra discount.

The strength and weakness of QR coding - see overleaf

News feature - QR codes

The best things about QR codes You can make your own codes – there are hundreds of applications on the way that let you create a code to link to your web pages – all for free. You can follow through your engagement with the customer with lots more information. Smart phones can bring alive in-store displays with roomset image galleries and product videos. Almost everyone has a smartphone now. It’s easy to look like you’re up-to-date with the current technology trends. It has more practical uses than facebook or twitter and can make your existing web material work harder.

The worse things about QR codes They’re ugly and need to be printed reasonably large to work OK.

F. BALL F. Ball uses QR codes on export packaging. F. Ball and Co. Ltd, manufacturer of subfloor preparation products and flooring adhesives, translates product data into several different languages. Since 2011, QR codes linked to that data has featured on the side of adhesive buckets being exported internationally. The company also uses QR codes to communicate information about new products. At Domotex 2012 the code above was used for Stopgap Fast-Track 30. T 01538 361633 www.f-ball.co.uk

You need a special app on most smartphones to scan the codes and it’s a little clunky to work with – many smartphone owners haven’t bothered getting the apps yet. The demographics tend strongly towards young people – i.e. kids who don’t have any money to buy carpets! It’s for smartphones – that means tiny screens and slow downloads for video and image-rich content. Web pages should really be optimised especially for mobile devices which means extra expense. Like many of these trends, QR codes will become, once the novelty wears off, an expectation rather than an added value feature – and therefore there will be an additional burden on the trade to link to useful content. But used well, QR codes can extend the impact of retail displays by delivering more engaging, customised content that will sustain customers interest in your products.

MANX CARPETS Manx Carpets have embraced the potential of the QR code with new pattern book covers which carry web links so that consumers can explore their ranges in more detail and more... The launch of the new Easy Living Anti-Stain collection includes a 10-year wear and stain guarantee and users can register their warranty online using links from QR codes on POS and promotional literature. T 01827 831434 www.manxcarpets.co.uk

Scan the codes on this page to follow the links. The code above will get you last month’s issue of The Stocklists. 64 March 2012

FlooringNews

News feature

ULSTER CARPETS Ulster is a company with its finger on the pulse of innovation and they have already started using QR codes in promotional literature. “In keeping with our ambition to gradually move towards a more environmentally friendly and digital approach to any material we produce, QR codes are sure to be an essential accessory going forward,” says Claire Conway of Ulster Carpets. The QR code shown here links directly to the company’s extensive online product catalogue. T 028 3833 4433 www.ulstercarpets.com

WOOLSAFE Steve Bakker, marketing manager, The WoolSafe Organisation, introduced QR codes to the organisation’s marketing strategy in order to promote its ‘communication hub’ that allows visitors to contact WoolSafe at the touch of a smart phone friendly button or access information on its website www.woolsafe.org : “Of course, QR Codes can be used for many things, from providing basic contact details or links, but given the technological nature of the concept, we felt this wouldn’t quite be doing it justice,” Steve explains. “Scanning the codes with their smartphones, QR code users are quite a tech-savvy bunch and so we felt it best to deliver upon their expectations. “Our QR code is used on many platforms, including our marketing leaflets and materials and exhibition displays. In fact, anywhere we can

get it we’ll put it! It really is a great way of delivering information easily and instantly. QR Codes strike while the iron is hot and in the fast paced environment we work and live, this is a definite bonus. “With so many facets to our operation, we wanted consumers and professionals to land on a ‘hub’ that could take them to wherever they needed to go, simply and quickly, embracing the QR concept by reducing and simplifying the steps to the required destination. We called this our ‘communication hub’ and QR users can visit our website, email us directly, call us, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter. They can even find a WoolSafe Certified Operator or Approved products. What’s more the communication hub is optimised to work with smartphones for a friendlier user experience. “If you are going to employ the benefits of a QR code, my advice is this, just make sure that what greets the people who have made the effort to visit you is both worthwhile and easy to use. Instant technology like this means that you have to provide users with the information they are looking for with the minimum of fuss. We found that the communication hub is a great way to achieve this.” T 01943 850817

www.woolsafe.org

We’re going for technological overload this month! You can now follow @thestocklists on twitter for flooring news snippets and comments. from The Stocklists

March 2012 65

Stocklists Classified The

SITUATIONS VACANT

AGENTS REQUIRED We are looking for well-connected, enthusiastic, self-motivated Regional Sales Agents to join our wholesale business in the UK, promoting our range of Rugs to Independent and Regional Group Retailers. Successful applicants should have a proven track record with the key responsibility of seeking opportunities with new and existing customers to increase sales. We offer • established areas with room for development • good rates of commission • prompt payment • full training and sales support • showvan (shared use) • showrooms in Nottingham and Lanark Please send a letter or email your application to: Paul James, Sales Director Origin Red UK Ltd Unit 10, Harrington Mills Leopold Street, Long Eaton Notts. NG10 4QE paul.james@originred.co.uk

SERVICES

AGENTS REQUIRED Selected Rug & Matting Ltd are looking for successful Agents to sell our popular & repeating ranges of modern rugs to carpet & furniture outlets. Excellent support & commission given by long established importers with large stocks & prompt service.

Areas available :SOUTH WEST, SOUTH WALES, EAST ANGLIA, ESSEX, KENT, SOUTH LONDON, SURREY, NORTH-EAST.

Please write OR email to :Simon Eisenberg, Managing Director. Selected Rug & Matting Ltd. 74 Long Lane, London SE1 4AU. Email: srmlondon@aol.com

UNDER RUGS

OVERWORKED? OVERSTOCKED? Let John Lanham Watts Carpets Ltd CUT & WRAP SERVICE take the strain. Your stock will be looked after by experienced carpet people. Cut and dispatched by specialists. Don’t let your premises dictate the size of your business. Grow with JLW.

www.jlwcarpets.com

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COMBINATION UNDERLAYS NEEDLEFELT UNDERLAYS For orders and further information, please ring P&R Ratcliffe (Underlays) Ltd. Burnley, Lancashire BB10 3BH Tel: 01282 421026, Fax: 01282 412321 www.foxirugtamer.co.uk

Contact David for more details: davidspragg@thestocklists.com

66 March 2012

FlooringNews

Stocklists Classified The

SITUATIONS VACANT

SALES AGENT OPPORTUNITIES

Are you calling on quality retailers? John Lanham Watts Carpets Ltd require motivated and hardworking sales agents for the following areas: West Midlands, Shropshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. South East, Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire. Scotland. There is an established customer base in these areas. If you have the contacts and can sell top quality Axminster and tufted carpets please get in touch. Please apply in writing to:Wool Loft House, Sandbeck Way, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS22 7DN or email sales@jlwcarpets.com

FOR SALE

SALES AGENT REQUIRED Custom made carpet manufacturers Bronte Carpets require a highly motivated sales agent to cover the following area:

East Midlands (East of M1), East Anglia, Staffs, Derby, Notts, Lincs. Applicants should be well situated to cover the whole area. They should be well organised, professional, and capable of providing a high level of customer service to our existing customer base as well as being able to develop new business. Applications should be sent to: Andrew Broughton. (Sales Manager) Bronte Carpets Ltd, Bankfield Mill, Greenfield Road, Colne, Lancashire, BB8 9PD.

QUALIFIED NVQ ASSESSORS/TRAINERS WANTED FOR NATIONWIDE FLOOR LAYING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME We are looking for A1 Assessors and outstanding Trainers with a proven track record and experience of working within the flooring industry and have an understanding of NVQ/QCF qualifications. Ability to deliver top quality training is necessary. This is an exciting and challenging opportunity for dedicated, flexible and adaptable applicants. Please send a CV and covering letter to:mblakeley@psctraining.co.uk by Friday 20th April.

AGENTS REQUIRED Simply Rugs have been supplying Carpet and Furniture Retailers for 20 years. We require successful agents to promote our range of heatset and wool rugs in territories nationwide, including Home Counties, London, East/West Midlands, North East and other areas. We offer high rates of commission. For more info, please contact Nick Clinch on 01264 352218 or email simply.rugs@btconnect.com

Advertise here! Call Diane Martin on 01482 659396

In an independent survey which asked 450 retailers which of the nine trade titles they actually read, our magazine came top of the pile. Thank you!

from The Stocklists

March 2012 67