Orlando—Soft carpet fiber continues to gain market share, and recent surveys show that “soft” is now one of the top five drivers in consumer decision making for carpet. To further position itself for growth in the soft category, Karastan is significantly expanding its selection of carpet featuring Wear-Dated Kashmere soft fiber for 2013.
“Research shows that softness continues to build momentum in premium carpet categories. Research also shows that consumers define ‘soft’ in different ways,” said David Duncan, senior vice president of marketing for Mohawk and Karastan. “What Karastan is able to do is to give consumers a choice when it comes to truly soft carpet, using our SmartStrand Silk and Wear-Dated Kashmere fiber systems. This gives our dealers some powerful advantages in the marketplace—and consumer choice that they’ve never had before.
Duncan said consumer research conducted by Karastan and Mohawk showed that people have different preferences when asked to define “soft.” When asked to select between carpet samples, 64% chose SmartStrand Silk, 26% selected Wear-Dated Kashmere, and 5% chose competing products.
“Ninety percent of consumers preferred soft products made with SmartStrand Silk or Wear-Dated Kashmere,” Duncan said. “And a quarter of the market chose the softness of Wear-Dated Kashmere as the best in softness. That’s significant, and it means that with both systems, our dealers can deliver what today’s shoppers want.”
Wear-Dated Kashmere provides a full, rich softness that Duncan described as being ideal for “people who love to live and play on their floor.” Wear-Dated Kashmere is the first true 4th generation soft nylon, and it uses two times the fiber of ordinary soft carpet to achieve its luxurious feel. It’s also durable: testing showed no loss of performance even after 30,000 foot passes.
Duncan said Karastan is uniquely positioned to offer the two premier soft fiber technologies.
“Karastan is a brand that that gives luxury consumers the product selection they demand so there is absolutely no compromise on style, feel, or quality,” he said. With SmartStrand Silk and Wear-Dated Kashmere, shoppers can get precisely what they want in the softest, most luxurious carpets for their homes.”
Karastan is launching six new Wear-Dated Kashmere styles for 2013:
- Absolute Perfection: A soft tonal patterned loop that is sure to turn heads.
- Artfully Designed: A patterned carpet showcasing Karastan’s sophisticated styling and fashion.
- Distinctive Taste: “Best in class” is the way to describe this Wear-Dated Kashmere loop that will be featured on the new 2013 Pattern/Loop Display.
- First Look: Provides the tonal tailored textural allure that’s so popular today in 20 rich and sophisticated colors.
- Love Story: A complement to First Look, Love Story also provides tonal tailored texture in 20 colors.
- Redefined: An LCL pattern showcasing Karastan’s sophisticated styling and fashion forward looks.
“Wear-Dated Kashmere is an extremely important fiber in today’s marketplace,” Duncan said. “And we’ve given our dealers the styles they need to take advantage of its remarkable selling power.”