Volume 27/Number 23; March 17/24, 2014
By Jenna Lippin
So far, 2014 has brought about a never-ending winter for most of the country, with short-lived, hopeful bursts of spring providing only glimmers of hope. Due to the challenging weather most states have endured over the last few months, now is as great a time as any to encourage consumers to get out of their homes and start to spend. To help move along these potential buyers, many flooring manufacturers are offering appealing incentives to dealers for the coming (hopefully warmer) months.
Couristan
Couristan’s collection of handmade and power-loomed area rugs will be available at their lowest dealer pricing of the year until March 30, as part of the winter 2014 Savings Event program. Enhanced with fresh designs in all categories, the company’s assortment showcases a wide range of high-end fashions at a variety of price points to help attract consumers.
Couristan’s promotional packages offer bonus discounts for bulk purchases. These limited-time incentives are applicable to all sizes of area rugs, every coordinating special shape offered and every design in Couristan’s product gallery, from contemporary to traditional and transitional to trendy.
With a minimum required Savings Event purchase order, dealers will receive sale rug tags with vinyl envelopes in time for the Couristan Spring Sale from April 1 to 30.
In addition to special pricing, Couristan will offer two unique promotional merchandising opportunities during the 2014 Savings Event:
*Handmade Fashions area rug display unit will be on sale for $999 (delivered with no shipping costs, regularly $1,299 plus shipping). The sleek fixture measures just over 7-feet high, 7-feet wide and less than 2-feet deep, and features 25 samples from Couristan’s finest hand-tufted and hand-knotted area rug collections.
*Handmade Area Rug sales board package will be available for $199 (delivered with no shipping costs, regularly $299). An easy sales tool, this package includes over 20 boards, each measuring 15-inches wide x 20-inches long, with large sample swatches in front and comprehensive collection sell sheets stored in the back pocket (limited stock available).
Karastan
National Karastan Month takes place annually during the spring, and this year the promotional period will run April 24 through June 9. During this time, Karastan retailers will be given extensive resources to showcase the brand’s signature styling and help attract customers, including national advertising, retail advertising (e.g. ready-to-use images, newspaper ads, magazine ads, direct mail inserts, radio scripts and web-based promotions), point-of-sale kits, finance offers, the Imagination program and a cushion offer. The sale features consumer rebates and product discounts on the season’s most popular trends.
Mirage
Mirage will hold a hardwood flooring promotion across North America at all participating Mirage dealers from March 31 to May 24. Consumers will receive a $0.50/square foot rebate on all Mirage floors during the promotional period. This offer is valid on all Mirage Classic, Mirage Engineered and Mirage Lock products regardless of species, color or width. Nearly 2,300 Mirage Maestro Dealers through North America are participating in this event. Further details will be available at miragefloors.com/ rebate starting March 28.
Mohawk
Mohawk’s Love Your Floor spring sale is exclusively available for Floorscapes and ColorCenter retailers from March 28 through May 12. The promotion offers a number of valuable incentives, including product discounts and cushion offers, cash-back incentives, consumer finance offers—including no interest financing until 2017—and enhanced Mohawk Infinite Reward points. Mohawk is also extending a full mix of national and local advertising support and updated, eye-catching point-of-sale kits to promote in store.
Shaw
The Capture the Spirit program is an internal plan created by Shaw that provides a central location for all RSA needs. For spring 2014, the company has also made changes to its consumer credit program to help offer participants improved rates.
According to Heather Yamada, Shaw’s director of consumer marketing and merchandising, Shaw’s focus this spring is on “dealer and RSA promotional activity. Our promotions are geared to drive the sales of our new introductions and programs. We have so many new introductions this year with Clearly Chic, Anso Originals, 5th and Main and new, beautiful additions to our Epic Hardwood collection. We want our dealers to take the spring promo opportunity to engage with those new introductions to help drive their business as well.”
Stainmaster
Until further notice, Stainmaster is running a special advertising and merchandising event that features the new Puppy Promotion kit for retailers. The program highlights Stainmaster’s PetProtect carpet and includes a 30-second TV commercial that can be tagged by each individual retailer in addition to customizable print ads, direct mail pieces, POP and stuffed puppy specialty items. Retailers have the option of including any products they choose from the PetProtect collection.
The Puppy Promotion kit is essentially free, barring a request for a special digital format for the TV spot and/or any additional stuffed puppies (the first 10 are free).
Tarkett
Tarkett’s spring 2014 promotion, Better Indoor Air Quality, helps promote the environmentally friendly aspects of the company’s FiberFloor and Luxury Tile and Plank products, which are all phthalate free. The entire FiberFloor system—including materials, installation method, cleaning and mainatenance—is also certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation
With Better Indoor Air Quality, retailers will be offered special pricing from April through June. FiberFloor SPECIFi options are offered in 17 designs with four constructions, while Tarkett Luxury Tile SPECIFi and Tarkett Luxury Plank SPECIFi are each available in eight designs with three constructions.
The in-store support Tarkett offers with the Better Indoor Air Quality promotion includes a 2 x 3 two-sided window banner, 8.5 x 11 counter card with easel and a 5 x 7 two-sided display sales tag.
Tarkett’s special spring offer to retailers allows consumers to purchase floors that provide improved indoor air quality. With Tarkett SPECIFi, each consumer has the ability to select the quality and construction that is appropriate for her individual budget and lifestyle.
US Floors
USFloors will run its Spring Fling promotion during the spring months. Deals are offered on closeouts and excess inventory specials on traditional and strand bamboo, cork plank and hardwood floors. The company has a limited supply on these deals, “so when they are gone, they are gone,” said Gary Keeble, product and marketing manager.
Dealers can contact their USFloors territory manager or USFloors promotional sales manager Dennis Ridley at 706.278.9491, ext. 2203, for pricing and/or sample cuttings.