STAINMASTER® carpet provides consumer-friendly research
New Online Source Gives Homeowners the Knowledge Needed for a Smart Carpet Purchase

May 12, 2005
ATLANTA – Buying carpet for a home, like making any major purchase, should be an informed decision. Consumers have indicated that they like to do their own online research before buying carpet, but did not know where to find reliable information. That revelation arose from four focus groups with women ages 25-70 conducted by STAINMASTER® carpet. In response, STAINMASTER® carpet developed a new section of the STAINMASTER® carpet Web site that includes video demonstrations using easy-to-understand language that allow consumers to see for themselves how carpet is made and tested and how its numerous characteristics affect both style and performance.

Many of these women also said that they experience “shopping anxiety” when buying carpet due to the overwhelming decisions they face. To help consumers understand what it takes to make quality carpet, the new section of the STAINMASTER® carpet Web site reveals the science behind carpet. Consumers learn about the technology that leads to innovation, durability, and stain and soil resistance in carpet.

The site features four categories of product information to prepare homeowners for their carpet purchase: Fashion, Performance, Warranty and Resources.

Focus group respondents said that they look for carpet that comes in a variety of styles and colors and has a soft feel. In the Fashion section of the Web site, visitors learn about the trend-setting innovation and color technology that STAINMASTER® carpet offers. They can also view a video that explains why Tactesse® nylon fiber feels softer than wool while performing extremely well under wear tests.

The Performance section of the Web site takes the shopper behind the scenes to learn how carpet fiber is made, why the fiber shape is important and why nylon 6, 6, the fiber type found in STAINMASTER® carpet, is the preferred fiber.

Nylon 6, 6 fiber, due to its unique molecular structure, offers more durability to the consumer. Performance demonstrations include a series of videos that show how nylon 6, 6 STAINMASTER® carpet fiber resists indentations from household furniture, abrasion from office chairs and texture loss from stair traffic.

In addition to offering exceptional durability, STAINMASTER® carpet also features superior stain and soil protection technology, an important feature that influences carpet buying decisions according to research respondents. Also in the Performance section of the site, stain and soiling demonstrations show consumers how this technology helps keep STAINMASTER® carpet up to 40 percent cleaner.

This new online information source also includes STAINMASTER® carpet warranty information and resources such as a dealer locator tool to help homeowners find a retailer in their area offering STAINMASTER® carpet.

To learn more before making a carpet buying decision, visit www.stainmaster.com.

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