Mohawk is offering retailers a new in-store merchandising system aimed at eliminating one of the biggest obstacles to a carpet purchase-fear of making a mistake. Mohawk’s color coded EasyChoice divides products into one of four categories based on performance characteristics. The four categories-“Select,” “Preferred,” “Premier,” and “Elite’ – are designed to help shoppers guide themselves through the shopping experience. By specifying the benefits of each product level,  the company says the system will also help sales people encourage shoppers to consider higher-end products. The company says the new system “does the consumer’s homework for her.”

“Mohawk has worked on numerous ways to help consumers get the information they need to make informed decisions about flooring,” said Jenny Cross, the company’s brand manager for residential carpet. “We know that making the customer comfortable with our products is critical.  Mohawk EasyChoice is the latest step in this process.”

The EasyChoice system also coordinates warranties with carpet constructions to help shoppers see the benefits of better quality merchandise. “Research suggests that consumers often want to buy better goods than salespeople might suspect,” Cross said.  “And Mohawk EasyChoice helps them feel confident enough about their selections to opt for better carpet-and make the buying decision.”

Mohawk said it is including EasyChoice merchandising kits with each 2007 card update package. They are also available for those displays that do not have card updates this year.  Each kit includes a product listing by category, designators for each sample, and a new header for the display.