Editor’s note: To augment the fall selling season for its retailers, Mohawk announced that National Karastan Month will take place Sept. 19-Oct. 31. All Karastan products are included during this sale, and there will be promotional offers such as consumer rebates, special consumer financing and in-store point-of-purchase materials.
When it comes to U.S. brands, longevity does not guarantee success. If it did, brands like Pan Am, Oldsmobile and Tower Records might still be around.
The Karastan brand has been around a long time, too. Unlike those other brands, however, Karastan has thrived for more than 90 years and shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, it has evolved into a well-rounded brand with a breadth and depth of products across soft and hard surface categories.
At the helm of the Karastan brand today is Jamie Kim, newly appointed senior vice president of sales, fashion for Karastan and Godfrey Hirst. In his first interview with FCNews in his new role, Kim spoke of the stewardship of the Karastan brand, which passed from Bill Storey to Jason Randolph and now to Kim. The objective: continue to enhance the brand.
“If you don’t have great products that can pass the test of time you are going to have a hard time convincing your customers,” Kim stated. “You must have cutting-edge styling; you have to maintain the best materials and select products that are going to be beautiful to the eyes first. Second, we will continue with our select distribution, which is very clean, very tight, knowing that you can’t purchase Karastan just anywhere. Third is the people, our salespeople. We have a dedicated team that interacts with customers a little differently. We take a little longer with them; we take our time; we get to know our customers’ business. The stewardship over the last few years of leaders Bill Storey and Jason Randolph have been received well by customers. Bill and Jason are the epitome of class, of doing business the right way, and we want to continue that.”
Product launches
Providing great products that help flooring retailers win is part-and-parcel of what Karastan is all about. In soft surface, it is using the latest technology to freshen up its color palettes and focus on small-scale transitional patterns. To that end, Karastan is releasing 12 new products across its fiber portfolios, including wool, SmartStrand and XTRA collection styles all offering unique trend and style diversity. Karastan’s high-impact wool offerings revitalize timless styles with soft and modern multicolors and a mix of classic and bold patterns. SmartStrand introductions feature color refreshments that redefine the multicolor aesthetic. Karastan’s Kashmere XTRA collection combines the most exclusive fibers to provide design possibilities for next-level fashion and performance.
In hard surface, Karastan is presenting 15 LuxeCraft products across its Artisan Reserve, Opulent Charm and new Willow Estates collections. Artisan Reserve features GenuEdge pressed bevels where the surface visual wraps over each plank’s edges and amplifies the product’s realism. “Customers have been asking for the pressed bevel,” Kim said.
Also in demand is BelleLuxe Waterproof laminate, “which has been dynamite for us,” Kim said. With 31 products featuring more high-end wood species, such as hickories, walnuts and oaks—along with a wider, longer platform with fewer pattern repeats—BelleLuxe Waterproof provides high fashion at an accessible price point to help retail partners expand their reach in the marketplace.
“If you have great product, you are able to help your retailers trade up and make more money,” Kim explained. “My expectation for our brand and customer service expectations are very high. With what we have coming product-wise, and our strategy behind it, we are only bound by our imagination on where we can take the brand. It’s always going to be about elevating it.”
Marketing support
Throughout the year Karastan will provide marketing support through advertising options and national promotional events. Additionally, Karastan is sharing design inspiration with retailers and consumers through its “lookbook.” The latest version of the lookbook showcases style stories featuring both hard and soft surfaces, including A Cut Above custom-sized rugs. The lookbook provides a valuable resource for RSAs to help shoppers envision how Karastan products enhance any space. As Kim explained, “Most customers start their shopping journey online; the Karastan lookbook is a great resource for them as they can look at different products and how they go together. The lookbook is an essential tool that can create a multi-product purchase.”
