Invista Expands Stainmaster Use

Atlanta — Stainmaster, the longtime stain-resistant product from Invista that has been used in the carpet market, will launch in February in basic bedding: pillows, mattress pads and mattress covers.

The home textiles launch for Stainmaster, which was introduced in 1986 for carpets, is being developed by several suppliers, according to Ana Torrence, vp home and hospitality for Invista.

"Consumers are being influenced by hotel looks, and have concerns regarding durability, ease of cleaning and being luxurious," she pointed out. "We won't put Stainmaster on a product that hasn't a luxury level."

Before beginning the development, Invista worked with two "leading home furnishings retailers" and developed prototype packaging to be used in a consumer test, the company said. Each retailer had packaging identified with Stainmaster on the private label brand and just with the retailer's private label brand.

More than 90% of the consumers that responded to the associated internet survey had an awareness of Stainmaster in the carpet market, and twice as many respondents said they would prefer Stainmaster-treated products vs. products without it, even with a 20% price premium.

Of the consumers surveyed, 78% indicated they were highly likely to purchase Stainmaster home products.

Invista is offering the Stainmaster program to all suppliers of fiberfill bedding products with no exclusivity, Torrence said. And while the brand "commands a premium, it is up to the retailers to determine the price points." The manufacturers that have access to the Stainmaster brand will be licensees and will be responsible for maintaining quality compliance wherever the products are produced, she added.

Several years ago, Invista launched Stainmaster into the furniture market. "While consumers had a high regard for the product, furniture retailers make a lot of money on after-market treatments," Torrence remarked, noting that stain-resistant upholstery is thus a mixed blessing in that retail sector.