SUMMER STOCK; OWNERS OF VACATION HOMES ARE MAKING RUGS A BIG PART OF THEIR DECORATING.

HFN: The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network, May, 2001 by Honores, Crystal

NEW YORK-While sunny, warm weather means slow traffic for some rug retailers, for those who cater to vacation homeowners, summer business couldn't be brighter.

The number of vacation homes in the United States is increasing, and where there are summer homes, there are affluent consumers and smooth flooring. Plus, vacationers aren't skimping on rugs when it comes to their second homes, according to retailers. That's good news for rug retailers looking to boost summer business.

The number of households that own a second recreational home grew by 109 percent from 1989 to 1998, according to a study by Zhu Xiao Di, Nancy McArdle and George S. Masnick of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.

Many of these homes are located...