Carpet Co-Op sees opportunity in market upheaval

Home Channel News, Oct 23, 2000 by Robyn Taylor Parets

Advantages of consolidation

These brands help dealers stay one step ahead of other carpet retailers. And the consolidation of the flooring business has also helped Carpet One members retain a competitive advantage. A few years ago, the industry went through tremendous upheaval when Shaw, the industry's leading carpet manufacturer, bought several carpet chains. In essence, the supplier became a competitor to many of its own customers, explained Bob Mastrocola, owner of Bradford Carpet One in Saugus, Mass.

At the time, Mastrocola's store wasn't affiliated with any franchise or co-op and was buying from Shaw. In 1995, his company became a Carpet One member. "Just before [Shaw] went retail, we saw the need to look at other things. We needed professional advertising and marketing. This was too costly to do on our own," he said as he walked through his 15,000 square foot store.

Bradford Carpet soon adopted the Carpet One logo and signage. "Joining Carpet One really helped us. It's like having a big brother in the business," he said.

That turned out to be a good move for Bradford. Shaw, which lost its business with Home Depot after getting into retail, got out almost as quickly. Shaw sold its stores to The Maxim Group, which, under its new moniker Flooring America, soon filed bankruptcy. It is now closing corporate and franchised stores. This also bodes well for Carpet One, which hopes to attract new members in the shakeout, Brodsky said.