Wool carpet: Bremworth opens Auckland retail store

Bremworth hopes a retail presence will have flow-on benefits for its wool carpet business. Photo / Jamie Wright

Wool carpet manufacturer Bremworth has opened a retail store in Auckland, as the company looks to grow its share of the domestic and export rug markets.

Bremworth said the “prototype brand experience and retail concept store” would expand throughout New Zealand and Australia - if the trial proved successful.

The 99sq m store is designed to address issues faced by consumers unable to find floor coverings to match the size of their furniture, by designing customised rugs onsite that are an exact fit for the space.

Bremworth’s chief executive Greg Smith said the local rug industry was highly fragmented and the company’s research showed that over half of rug purchases by Kiwis were made offline.

Smith said the opening of the store was designed to help Bremworth diversify into a growing segment of the market and address the complexity that could be associated with rugs.

“Traditionally most Kiwi homes would have had carpet in the lounge, however, there is an established trend towards the use of hard flooring in these living spaces - which may then be covered with a showpiece rug.”

Smith said Bremworth was aware that for many consumers, buying a rug online, or from a small sample, could be “challenging”.

“Despite the advance in online retail, there is a segment of the market where shopping for flooring is still a very tactile experience and a high-involvement purchase,” he said.

“Most rugs are sold through big-box department or furniture stores, a dominant brand hasn’t emerged in this part of the market yet and consumers have little flexibility when it comes to the size of the product, let alone whether it is made with New Zealand wool.”

Smith said the new concept store in Parnell was designed to offer consumers and interior designers an immersive retail environment, “where they can get inspired, learn about and interact with the brand”.

“Once we have proof of concept the natural next step is to expand our concept around the country, and possibly into Australia and other export markets.”

Smith said the company sold over $1.1 million of rugs through its online store last year, with sales up 45 per cent over the previous 12 months.

He said the new retail presence would benefit their wool carpet business.

“The performance of our e-commerce channel in a relatively short time frame has given us confidence that there is considerable demand for our product and opportunity for the wool sector.

“In-store, we are able to work with a customer to understand what their needs are and design a customised rug which perfectly matches their space, and then deliver it to their home.

“It’s exciting because a customer can transform the look and feel of a room in minutes with a rug they design.”

Smith said Kiwis lived their lives on carpets but it didn’t get the same attention as a bathroom or kitchen - or even a rug.

“To grow wool’s share of the flooring market we need to elevate the importance of carpet in the home from a design and aesthetic perspective.”

Smith said Bremworth had selected the Residium (formerly the Home Idea Centre) in Parnell as its retail home as it aligned with more than 80 other home and living suppliers in the building.

He said the company also offered online consultations and experiences to cater to customers outside of the store’s physical location.