National Floor Trends’ just-released 2003 Carpet and Area Rugs Market Study brings into focus the prominent role carpet and -- to a lesser degree -- area rugs, cushion and rug underlays play in the businesses of the hundreds of specialty flooring dealers we surveyed. Seventy-six percent of respondents reported that they sell carpet, and 51 percent said they sell area rugs.

In contrast, retailers devote a fraction of that floor space figure to area rugs. Although many retailers maintain a substantial commitment to the product, slightly more than half of respondents said they allocate only 1 to 5 percent of their floor space to rugs. Taking into account all participants’ responses, retailers allocate an average of 10 percent of their floor space to rugs.