Chortex Encores Rhapsody Royale Collection for U.S.

Home Textiles Today Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 5/13/2011 7:00:05 AM

NEW YORK - Longtime Turkish towel manufacturer Chortex is shifting to a retailer-direct business model with the recent opening of the distribution facility in the United States.
     Industry veteran Eric Vergucht took on representation of Chortex earlier this year to help expand the company's retail reach in the United States and Canada.
     The company, which calls Europe its core market, has been working on and off in the United States over the past 10 years dealing mostly with high-end brand suppliers.
     The company will continue to do business with independent specialty retailers, albeit on a direct basis, as well as department stores and online retailers.
     The drop-ship capabilities for online at Chortex's DC in upstate New York "is one of the major things," Vergucht told HTT.
     The company is also bringing back to the U.S. market its high-end bath ensemble collection Rhapsody Royale after a five-year absence and will expand to the mill's full line of offerings.
     Chortex will take a booth at the New York International Gift Fair in August, returning after several years. It launched Rhapsody Royale in 1996, and three years later the product earned the "Best Product Award" during the NYIGF that year.
     Vergucht explained Chortex wanted to bring back Rhapsody Royale to respond to the customers' requests for the product.
     "Due to popular demand, the Rhapsody Royale towel is enjoying a renaissance in the USA market," Vergucht said. "We are delighted to offer once again a full range of these magnificent towels. Our Rhapsody Royale towel is the real thing. It's a very good quality, very soft product. No corners were cut here to produce it."
     At 660 gsm, the bath towel is set to retail at $24.99. Suggested price points for other pieces are: $7.99 for tip, $17.99 for hand and $39.99 for sheet.
     Chortex is co-owned by Onur Uyanik, who is based at the company's headquarters in Turkey. Claire Smithson heads the company's European headquarters in London.