Restoration cuts floor in favor of window

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 7/12/2004 12:00:00 AM

SAN FRANCISCO —

As of Aug. 1, specialty home goods retailer Restoration Hardware will exit the soft floor covering business in its retail division to make more room for an expansion of its window treatment offerings.

"This now is the last stage, and we have very little product left in the stores," said Julie Shannon, merchandise manager. "The rug category just wasn't doing as well as our new window products, and we needed room to expand that business."

With rugs making up only 2 percent of the retail business, she said, the company made its decision to exit the category at retail about nine months ago.

However, she noted, soft flooring does "quite well" in Restoration Hardware's catalog and Web divisions. The company will continue to pursue building the category in these venues, with a focus on direct sourcing.

Restoration Hardware's retail division carried "all kinds of rugs," Shannon said — hand-mades, machine-mades, hand-tufted and flat weaves.