More is in store for FLOR. The modular floorcovering company just opened its two newest locations — in New York and Atlanta — and plans to open more by year’s end. The New York store is located in the SoHo neighborhood, while the Atlanta store is in its Westside area.
The company already has locations in Chicago, where it is based, and Santa Monica, Calif., but the New York market is where it needed to be, Chip DeGrace, vice president of creative strategy, told HFN. “It’s the most dynamic city in the country.” And more locations are to come, as the company looks to open possible locations in such major markets as Dallas, Houston and Brooklyn by the end of the year. “You have to follow the customer where she wants to shop,” DeGrace said.
The “totally participatory” stores are ideal for customers who prefer to see product in person, rather than in FLOR’s catalogs or website, DeGrace said. A select group of brick-and-mortar retailers sell FLOR products as well, but having its own stores is important to its strategy, according to DeGrace. “No one explains it like we do,” he said.
Since 2003, FLOR has allowed consumers to build their own customized rugs with its coordinating system of 50 centimeter squares in a range of colors, patterns and textures, including felts, wools and materials made of recycled bottles. “You can’t make a mistake — it’s low commitment,” he said.
“I love this stuff,” said DeGrace, who has been in the carpet industry for 20 years. “It’s absolutely my intent to change the vocabulary of the floor, and have people do things they wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.”