Are national carpet brands rebranding cheaper alternatives?

Do national carpet brands, such as Carpetright, offer more affordable prices compared to local retailers? Alternatively, could these well-known brands be rebranding substandard products?

Allegedly, Reportedly, some prominent national brands rebrand inexpensive carpets to give a false impression of high quality. Many believe that these carpets are introduced into the market at soaring prices, only to be subsequently discounted during sales promotions. Nonetheless, even after these carpets have been substantially reduced in price, identical carpets can still be bought for less money from local independent carpet retailers.

National brands often use names for their branded carpets that imply they are luxury carpets, which they aren't. These include titles such as Duchess, Champagne, Emperor and Belgrave. They may be offered at half price or part of a buy one, get another for half price deal. These deals often sound too good to be true and probably are. The original price may have been heavily inflated above a fair price for the carpet, only because it can later be halved. The other issue is the quality of the carpet, which may not be that high. Then, there may be added costs such as fitting, fitting accessories, delivery and underlay, which may not be part of the deal.

Like for like?

The primary factor to consider when determining whether to buy from a national brand or a local carpet retailer is to know if you are comparing equivalent carpets.

Comparing similar carpets can be challenging for consumers. Despite appearances, the products may differ in quality. Although a national brand carpet may have a higher price, it could be of inferior quality compared to carpets from a local store.

National brands frequently market carpets under their own brand labels. However, they do not make the carpets themselves; they get them from carpet producers who may also supply identical products to other vendors that rebrand them. In many instances, these identical carpets can be bought through independent carpet retailers at cheaper rates.

The challenge with carpet comparisons that arises is that identical carpets are often marketed under diverse brand names. This makes it difficult to ascertain if you are comparing prices for the same product.

Judge for yourself

To judge which is the best carpet deal, you could try comparing carpet samples. Visit both a national brand carpet shop and a local retailer for samples. Find a carpet sample that looks the same at each shop to compare the quality. Ideally, take home the carpet samples so that you can take your time comparing the quality. If there is no local branch of a national carpet seller near you, free samples may be obtained from their website.

Assessing the quality of a carpet can be quite difficult for the inexperienced eye, as multiple factors contribute towards determining the quality. It is important to examine the density of the carpet and how closely its fibres have been stitched together. Is the carpet made from tough fibres and made to last? Additionally, the fibre twist, which is the number of times strands of carpet are twisted together, needs examining. Stronger carpets tend to have a greater number of twists. Alternatively, a carpet may have a loop pile that improves its durability.

Can you get a better deal from an independent carpet retailer?

Proprietors of local independent carpet retailers have extensive knowledge about carpets. Ask them to examine your samples from prominent national brands. They may stock a comparable colour and quality of carpet at an equivalent or reduced cost. Alternatively, they are likely to sell an improved quality of carpet for not much more than the branded carpet offered by national retailers. Since high-quality carpets have a longer lifespan, they can ultimately prove more economical.

Most local independent carpet retailers have straightforward deals, with many including free fitting and quality underlay as part of the cost. When you add up the additional costs some national carpet retailers charge, you may find that you get a better deal from the local carpet seller.

Independent retailers sell good quality carpets at fair prices without having to resort to sensational deals. You also have the satisfaction of supporting the local economy.

Local carpet dealers tend to foster long-term relationships with their domestic and commercial customers. Without the vast marketing investment of the large carpet retailers, they rely more on testimonials from satisfied customers who have had fair deals. Happy customers are likely to recommend others to a carpet retailer.

Whilst you may appear to save money by buying carpets from a national retailer, on closer examination this is not always the case. You could be better off going to a local retailer for carpets.