ABC Carpet on the move

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 10/28/2002 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK —

ABC Carpet & Home is on the move.

The home furnishings specialty retailer just opened a 40,000-square-foot store in the trendy Brooklyn neighborhood called DUMBO — for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass — a section of the city that appears to be the SoHo of the 21st century.

The ABC store is in a landmark building, facing the East River and Manhattan's skyline, and originally was a brewery, said Evan Cole, president and ceo. The physical plant is a major part of the merchandise statement with 30-ft.-high ceilings.

To cater to the neighborhood and its residents Cole explained, "We're in DUMBO with a totally new concept. More contemporary. More colorful. There's a lot of regional chauvinism in Brooklyn vs. Manhattan." We have a lot of shops; we have a day spa, Mud Honey, vintage clothing, jewelry and eyewear. And in November we'll open a disco nightclub in DUMBO." But ABC is not neglecting its premiere flagship in the Flatiron district of Manhattan.

In home textiles, Traditions by Pamela Kline opened last month, one of a series of leased departments for home textiles that now includes Sferra, Area and Ann Gish, as well as Anichini and Matteo.

Traditions is the first retail venture for Pamela Kline and her partner in the ABC venture, Tom Roth, of Weathervane Hill/Roth Fabrics, whose fabrics are a major part of the bedding, kids and baby collections and custom linens.

In the main store, "we're doing a lot of shops. This is a special approach for us. It sells lifestyle," Cole said.

The Flatiron flagship is beginning a total renovation, Cole explained. "Every square inch is being looked at in terms of customer satisfaction, customer service, product and a sense of value. This store is being totally renovated — every square inch.

"What is growing in importance is a sense of value. It is value conveyed in terms of product and service more than price," he explained.