Surya Enhances 'Value’ Assortment

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 9/15/2009 12:00:00 AM

At the New York Market —

To appeal to retailers’ growing need for more value-price product options, Surya developed for this market six new rug constructions, bringing the company’s total to more than 50.

Satya Tiwari, president, told HTT his company — which manufactures and supplies area and accent rugs as well as coordinating decorative pillows and throws, has shifted its product development approach to “color and style first.”

By that, he means Surya is creating designs and patterns that can be applied to the company’s broad array of constructions, hence giving retailers the ability to take a style through a variety of price brackets. “Buyers can come in and concentrate on the colors and designs they need and prefer, and once that is done, we can work with them on the constructions that will work within their pricing needs to make the price right for them,” Tiwari explained. “Mass merchants and major chains are looking for color in design in all price point levels.”

Surya’s value-price range spans $399 for a New Zealand wool tufted rug from India to $99 for a machine-made polypropylene style imported from Egypt.

In 5’-by-8’ and larger sizes, Surya is introducing several new value offerings. Included in this mix are: an 8’-by-10’ hand-made wool collection from India for $249; new patterns in printed nylon styles for $99 for a 5’-by-8’; and a new loop hand-tufted construction grouping that hits a lower price point at $125 than regular hand-tufted rugs, which typically retail for $299 to $399.

“Retailers are looking for more value,” Tiwari continued. “If before they had a promotion for $299, now they want one for $249.”

Another value-conscious offering from Surya this market is the launch of new scatter size programs in several constructions — all of them set to retail for between $9.99 and $29.99, depending on the size and construction. One example is the new nylon printed collection from Egypt, which can be made on different bases for less or more density.

Hand-made poly-hooked styles are also new to the scatter line, as are some wool styles and a chenille-with-viscose collection of area rugs that are now available in smaller sizes.