Incentives of all types offered to retail salespeople, consumers
By Louis Iannaco
Volume 26/Number 22; March 18/25, 2013
As consumers emerge from the doldrums of cabin fever with thoughts of redecorating —as well as, hopefully, an economy finally on its way to brighter days—many are ready to shop for new flooring, or at least these are the expectations of suppliers.
To accommodate the restless shoppers and retail sales associates, and with hopes of getting 2013 off to a flying start, several mills are now unveiling their spring promotions.
Beaulieu of America
Mill executives have announced Beaulieu’s sponsorship of the March of Dimes imbornto campaign for 2013. Beaulieu’s Bliss carpet brand collaborates with Kmart, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, ProFlowers and other well-known brands to be the official sponsor of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day with its support of the March of Dimes annual fund-raising drive.
Gary Fisher, Beaulieu’s executive vice president of marketing, said even though there is a year-long partnership, much of the support will be focused during late spring and early summer with particular focus on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. “Beaulieu’s participation with our Bliss brand will be featured throughout this national campaign in USA Today and Martha Stewart Living ads, as well as outdoor boards in major U.S. cities. We will also promote this cause with our Bliss dealers nationwide.”
Beaulieu will donate $.50 for every yard of selected styles of Bliss carpet sold during May and June.
For more information, visit blissflooring.com, imbornto.com or marchofdimes.com.
Boa-Franc
The hardwood flooring mill announced the launch of its Mirage spring 2013 Rebate Sale. The promotion will be offered across North America (valid in the U.S. and Canada, excluding Quebec) at all participating Mirage dealers from April 2 to May 25.
Consumers get a $.50 per square foot rebate on all Mirage floors, noted Luc Robitaille, vice president of marketing. The offer is effective on all Mirage Classic, Mirage Engineered and Mirage Lock products. “Spring is a popular season for residential renovation and construction, so this event comes at a perfect time to save big while enjoying the quality Mirage floors are known for.”
Nearly 2,250 Mirage Maestro dealers are taking part in this event. For the rules and a list of participating dealers, visit miragefloors.com/rebate beginning March 29.
Congoleum
The company is putting its entire DuraCeramic line on sale, selling cartons at a considerably reduced price, according to Amy Mueller, director of marketing services. The sale began Valentine’s Day and runs through May 17. “We’ve sent flyers to our customers and provided them with a pop flyer they can pass on to their retailers,” she explained. The promotion, American Dreaming, positions DuraCeramic against the competition coming from imports. “Our goal is to highlight the DuraCeramic difference in quality and standout features, especially that it’s made in the USA.”
AirStep Plus, Congoleum’s mid-tier version of AirStep, is also being promoted this spring. “We’re supporting this through quick and easy sell sheets to allow retailers an at-a-glance view of all the patterns and colors offered in the AirStep Plus line,” Mueller said. Dates for the promotion are March 1 to April 30.
Finally, Congoleum’s classic sheet product, Fast Track, is also offered at a special price. “We’re supporting this roll sale through a quick and easy sell sheet to allow retailers to see all of the designs on one convenient sheet.” This promotion also began March 1 and runs through April 30.
For more information, call 609.584.3583.
Couristan
According to Larry Mahurter, vice president of marketing, for a limited time only, March 1 to 29, Couristan’s entire array of handmade and power-loomed area rugs will be available at their lowest dealer pricing of the year as part of the mill’s winter/spring Savings Event program.
Then, from April 1 to 30, discounts apply to all area rug sizes, every coordinating special shape and every design in Couristan’s product gallery during its Spring Area Rug National Sale Period.
In addition to its special discounted area rug prices, Mahurter said, Couristan is offering “two value-packed promotional merchandising deals on our Handmade Fashions Display and Handmade Area Rug Sales Board Package.”
For more information, call 800.223.6186.
Lauzon
The seasonal in-store promotional campaign for Lauzon is available to select retailers across Canada. The You Always Win sales event provides consumers with instant rebates, from a minimum of $.25 up to $1 per square foot. The promo includes eye-catching point-of-sale material, such as large posters and scratch ’n save coupons, to engage the consumer and encourage her to purchase.
The event kicks off the spring renovation period starting April 15 and ends July 15. The promotion applies to all hardwood in Lauzon’s Ambiance and Designer collections.
Mohawk
The company’s annual spring sales event, Love Your Floor, is exclusively for Floorscapes and ColorCenter retailers and runs March 29 through May 13. The sale offers a variety of incentives to motivate consumers to purchase product from Mohawk-aligned retailers.
“The market is looking up, and the Love Your Floor sale gives consumers numerous reasons to visit their local Mohawk-aligned retailers and make a purchase that same day,” said Jenny Nichols, director of retail marketing for Mohawk.
Offers in the 2013 Love Your Floor event include:
• Promotional blankets to support the sale.
• Consumer finance offers, including no-interest financing until January 2016, and 18 months with pay-deferred in-terest. Both special finance offers include a credit buydown for retailers.
• Increased opportunities for retail sales associates to earn Mohawk Infinite Rewards points on selected soft and hard surface purchases.
• An upscale, professionally designed point-of-sale kit consistent with the design of all Love Your Floor campaign messaging. Point-of-sale materials include a floor unit, hanging graphics, outdoor banner, floor stickers and more.
• Specials from Mohawk SmartCushion.
To drive store traffic, Mo-hawk has also developed a strategic national media campaign. Popular home shelter publications, including Better Homes and Gardens, House Beautiful and Traditional Home, will feature advertisements reaching a total circulation of 11.5 million. In addition, online banner ads will appear on dozens of high-traffic consumer websites, generating over 40 million online leads during the sales event.
Mohawk’s complete Love Your Floor customizable advertising kit is designed to help aligned retailers further target consumers in their local markets, Nichols said. A variety of print, television (including all-inclusive cable TV packages), radio and online ads are available and can be adapted to include the retail store brand for greater impact.
For more about the Love Your Floor national sales event, retailers should visit mohawktoday.com or contact their Mohawk sales representative.
Shaw
Caress by Shaw Floors’ spring promotion features the manufacturer’s newest soft carpet rollout. Running from April 11 to June 3, the special offers consumers an up-to-$500-off coupon to inspire purchases that can “outfit the entire home.”
The offer is good on Shaw’s Caress products as well as a full array of qualifying carpet, area rugs, hardwood, laminate, tile and stone, and resilient products. Depending on how much the consumer purchases, Shaw dealers will be able to offer a $100, $300 or $500 coupon.
“We’re leading with this unique collection while also offering sales on all of our premier products,” said Trey Thames, vice president of marketing for Shaw Floors. “From our American Restoration Epic hardwood to stunning new resilient floors, consumers will have everything they need to help renovate their entire homes this spring.”
Shaw will harness a creative national TV, print and social media campaign, he noted. “The impactful ad campaign will be viewed by millions of consumers, and Shaw’s local dealers will have exclusive access to the campaign for use in their individual markets.”
Backed by financing packages and local advertising materials—including web banners, print ads, TV ads and more—the spring initiative will “additionally equip each dealer with a tailored marketing plan, direct mail campaign options and materials needed to drive store traffic,” Thames said.
For more information, visit shawfloors.com.