Consumers have been ditching traditional floor coverings

Sales of laminate flooring have soared as people try creating the minimalist look featured in magazines and on DIY television shows.

Industry bosses claim the trend has hit carpet manufacturers, particularly in the UK which is already having to compete with cheap imports.

Last week the UK's largest carpet manufacturer, Carpets International, was placed in receivership.

Bradford-based Carpets International, which employs 1,200 people, supplies high street and household name carpet-selling shops.

Industry watchers are waiting to see if the company, which boasts a �120m turnover, can find a buyer.

The company blamed its predicament in part on the move towards wooden and laminate flooring.

Old-fashioned

The firm has six active sites - its Bradford headquarters, a distribution centre in Hull, factories in Hartlepool, Gwent, and Donaghadee and Killinchy in Northern Ireland.

But the carpet industry has decided to fight back with a �1 million advertising campaign in an attempt to shake-off its old-fashioned image.

The Carpet Foundation, which represents leading UK manufacturers and is based in Kidderminster in Worcestershire, says demand has been falling for at least a decade.

In 2001, 197 million square metres of carpet was sold in the UK, compared with 212 million square metres in 1990.

At the same time there has been a big increase in demand for "smooth" flooring, of which about 70% is laminate.

In 1990, 22.8 million square metres of "smooth" flooring was sold in the UK, worth �98.8 million.

By 2001, this had risen to 59.9 million square metres, worth �393.3 million.

There is no question that over the last 10 years there has been a move towards more smooth flooring. Michael Hardiman Chief Executive of The Carpet Foundation

About 65% of carpet now sold in the UK is imported compared with virtually none in 1970.

As a result, the number of people employed in carpet-making in the UK has gone from 45,000 to 7,500 over the same period.

"The irony is that British carpet is the best in the world," said Michael Hardiman, chief executive of The Carpet Foundation.

"If you arrive at Hong Kong airport or when you go on the QEII you will be walking on British-made carpets."

While exports have risen, manufacturers are keen to use the new campaign to target British householders.

Mr Hardiman said: "There is no question that over the last 10 years there has been a move towards more smooth flooring.

"This has been driven by a lot of imported, cheaper laminated products which is sold through DIY chains and is seen as trendy."

The new advertising campaign, which starts on 16 September, uses the "come back to carpet" slogan.

"We are trying to get people to have a rethink," said Mr Hardiman.

"Carpets are not thought of as a contemporary product but from a practical point of view it cannot be beaten for luxury, comfort, warmth and noise."