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LOSING LEADERSHIP
Carpets and Rugs
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Fifteen years ago Philadelphia had
45 per cent, of the Carpet and
Rug Industry.
Ten years ago Philadelphia's share
had decreased to 40 per cent.
Five years ago Philadelphia had only
32 per cent., and was still
losing ground.
Five years ago Philadelphia was producing 32 per cent, of
the carpets and rugs in this country, reckoned by value.
Ten years ago Philadelphia was producing 40 per cent.
Fifteen years ago Philadelphia was producing 45 per cent.
The last census showed that the consumption of carpets
and rugs in this country had increased 15.6 per cent, in five
years. But Philadelphia, the centre of the industry, showed a
decrease from twenty-five millions to twenty-two and a half
millions, and a decrease of nearly 2300 in the number of persons
in the city employed in making carpets and rugs.
Why should Philadelphia be thus losing her leadership in
this industry ?
The reason is that other cities and other sections of the
country have been attacking her markets with more vigorous
salesmanship. They have the secrets of manufacture. So has
Philadelphia. But they also have the secret of selling success
fully. And this is being overlooked in Philadelphia.
The carpet and rug manufacturers of Philadelphia have,
however, a great opportunity, one that is wide open to them to
day, but which tomorrow may be much lessened.
In some of the great textile industries, competition in other
cities has already entrenched itself through modern selling
methods, including national advertising. This has not only in
creased the present danger to Philadelphia's prestige and made
it every day more essential that Philadelphia's mills adopt
modern methods. It is also giving these advertising manufac
turers a longer and longer lead which will be harder and harder
to overcome when at last Philadelphia mills make the inevitable
start.
There are, however, only a few manufacturers of carpet3
and rugs who have thus far employed national advertising.
Some have done so and others will do so soon. It is the time
for one, or two, or three, Philadelphia manufacturers to begin to
get the long lead themselves instead of letting someone else get it.
The report on textiles made by the Curtis Division of Com
mercial Research, after a year's study which involved 32,000
miles of travel, visits to every part of the United States, and
1016 interviews with merchants and others, has this to say,
among other things, about the advertising opportunity for car
pets and rugs:
"Possibility of consumer advertising in floor
coverings seems excellent. Carpets have to be
bought largely on faith, 'for even an expert, it is
said, cannot judge a rug within 10 per cent, of its
value, hence the customer must rely on someone's
guarantee of quality, and he prefers the guarantee
of the manufacturer. The fact that pattern is sub
ordinate to texture and that styles change slowly
seems to make it clear that a manufacturer of
quality goods by quality copy could make a marked
success of floor-covering advertising." (Carpets,
rugs and linoleums.)
"We should be glad to confer with any Philadelphia manu
facturer, and to lay before him the full report of this expert
investigation and make any other suggestions that we can,
showing how Philadelphia may reclaim her leadership in this
industry.
The Ladies9 Home Journal
i
The Saturday Evening Post
The Country Gentleman :'v
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THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
INDEPENDENCE SQUARE, PHILADELPHIA ;
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