FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

CB Whittemore is the Director, In-Store Innovation for Wear-Dated Carpet Fiber – Solutia, Inc. She has graciously shared some answer to some questions that may help demystify carpet fiber branding!

1. What is Wear-Dated?

Wear-Dated® is Solutia’s brand of nylon carpet fiber for the residential market. It is also our warranty to the consumer that carpet made with Wear-Dated carpet fiber will perform.

Solutia manufactures nylon 6,6 fiber and sells it into the commercial and residential markets. On the commercial side, Nylon 6,6 is the fiber most often specified by architects and designers because it is so durable. Imagine, then, the benefits on the residential side: Nylon 6,6 makes for beautiful yet durable carpet that any consumer would want in her home.

2. What benefit does Wear-Dated represent for the consumer?

Not all carpet made with our carpet fiber can carry the Wear-Dated carpet fiber brand. We test the carpet to ensure that its construction meets performance standards. If it meets those standards, then it can carry the Wear-Dated brand. We go to this effort because our brand is also our warranty to the consumer. Even though we make the fiber, we guarantee the carpet made from it.

3. What is the origin of Wear-Dated?

We first introduced the Wear-Dated brand into apparel in 1962. We then extended it to upholstery fabrics in 1975 and to carpet in 1980. In all of these categories, it can be difficult for a buyer to determine whether the end product will last or not. Wear-Dated offers peace-of-mind for all of the things you can’t see or easily evaluate. Our tagline for carpet is “You’ll Wear Out Before Wear-Dated does.” That’s how durable carpet made with our fiber is.

At the same time, though, carpet is beautiful and comfortable. It’s an important design element for the home, and has all kinds of other benefits that enhance life [e.g., it’s fashionable and stylish, provides cushioning and sound absorption, alleviates allergies, it’s easy to care for, and offers better insulation…].

4. What’s new with Wear-Dated?

We are excited about Wear-Dated developments as we see a renewed focus on carpet styles. Consumers are more design-savvy than ever before. They want beautiful carpet that will perform in their homes. That’s what we are focusing on with our mill partners.

Our newest fiber introduction – Wear-Dated Natural Nylon™ – recreates the classic texture, luster and appearance of fine natural wool by combining the superior performance characteristics of Nylon 6,6 carpet fiber with a proprietary insert technology that acts as a glue to bind individual fibers together.

There’s an additional benefit to Wear-Dated Natural Nylon: the technology at work means that staple yarn [i.e., the yarn normally associated with traditional textured carpet styles] can now go into carpet constructions that up-to-now were only possible with BCF yarn [i.e., the yarn that creates loop and pattern carpet styles]. So the variety of pattern and styling possibilities become endless! And the look and feel is more wool-like than ever.

5. What changes are taking place in the carpet industry?

There’s increased focus on design and style in recognition that consumers expect fashion from carpet. Also consumers are blending hard and soft flooring surfaces in their homes and want their carpet choices to be just as elegant as their wood or granite or tile selections! They want beautiful, stylish carpet options that work well with beautiful hard surface options. In many cases that means they are trading up rather than making commodity purchases.

Consumers want quality and style. Any carpet they consider must appeal to them from a color and style perspective. And, then, brands like Wear-Dated assure them that the carpet will perform over time.

6. Which are your favorite Wear-Dated Products?

Karastan has just re-introduced Intriga Colors, a textured loop top seller, with 60 new colors. Super Chic from Tuftex is the ultimate shag and makes a terrific rug. Currydale from Gulistan is a plush frieze with interesting barber pole accents. Fabrica recently introduced Silk Weave, a gorgeous striated tone-on-tone pattern with fabulous colors. Also, do check out WundaWeve’s Palm Vista; it’s a 2008 special buy casual frieze that combines softness with value and durability.

7. Wear-Dated has recently launched a redesigned website. How did the need for a new site come about? What is the goal of the Wear-Dated website?

The new Wear-Dated.com website updates the look, feel and experience of the Wear-Dated brand. It matches it up with our award-winning By The Foot marketing campaign which takes a quirky look at carpet buying from the perspective of our woman consumer. It focuses on the beauty, comfort and durability that carpet offers, humanizes the category and the brand, and injects humor into a category that –for the most part – is a bear for consumers. The redesigned website wants to make it easy for consumers to not only find beautiful, comfortable and durable carpet, but also find information on the category, the brand, the warranty and how best to care for carpet.

8. What tools does the website offer that is helpful to the consumer?

We’re excited about the tools available on the website! First, around content. We’ve improved the site content and add to it as more information becomes available. We included robust search to find information; content can easily be shared either via social sites or email.

Here’s an industry first: visitors can rate and comment on products or retailers. All they need to do is register onsite. That helps other visitors with their decision-making.

We’ve also improved the room visualizer so it uses images of actual carpet to create room settings.

Then, there is the new Newsroom where visitors can find all of the latest information relating to Wear-Dated: press releases, announcements, promotions, news updates on what’s been posted our blogs…

9. What can consumers look forward to in the future from Wear-Dated?

Absolutely a continued focus on fashionable carpet style types made with Wear-Dated carpet fiber! These styles must meet the design needs of discerning consumers!

Also, more communications via the website, our blogs, Facebook, YouTube, etc. about all of the beauty, comfort and durability that carpet offers consumers. We’re planning a newsletter, more promotions from retailers around the country, and contests! Definitely, stay tuned.

10. You mentioned blogs. Please tell me more!

We consider blogs very important. Our official Wear-Dated carpet fiber blog is The Carpetology Blog. There, we celebrate all things carpet – color and fashion trends, maintenance, carpet in the news, how to purchase carpet, what to look out for during installation, carpet inspiration… We see it as a means of adding texture and perspective to the topics we address on the website.

We also blog at Flooring The Consumer about marketing to women and the retail experience, especially in flooring.

Thanks to CB Whittemore for helping us understand more about Wear-Dated!