Carpet shops 'having 10 Christmases at once'

The "booming" carpet industry is "having 10 Christmases at once", a UK trade body says.

Worcestershire-based Carpet Foundation said retailers had seen "handsome dividends" amid the pandemic, with some adopting new business models.

It suggested many firms operating "by appointment only" had benefited, with the system leading to better rates of inquiries turning into sales.

But the body, in Kidderminster, added demand was also exceeding supply.

Manufacturers "were cut off in their prime in March", spokesman Rupert Anton explained.

According to one family-run retailer, the upswing comes at a time when some customers have more cash to spend than usual. And on the place they are spending most of their time.

"With the first lockdown, people couldn't go on holiday," said Keven Nutt, 63, a director at T Nutt & Sons Ltd in Derbyshire.

"So they had a surplus of money."

When the first wave of restrictions were eased in the summer, and the business could fully trade again, "it was incredibly busy", said Mr Nutt, adding sales were the briskest he had seen in 26 years.

The shop shut again for England's second lockdown in November, although fittings continued.

Mr Nutt estimated there was 30% more custom approaching Christmas compared to previous years.

But he added manufacturers had not always been able to fulfil orders and whereas in normal times customers would wait three to four weeks following order placement, many recently were seeing longer waits for fittings.

During lockdown, tradespeople could visit private homes, subject to certain conditions over distancing and also the health of both the visitor and the occupants.

Mr Anton said it meant that when carpet retail shops were closed due to restrictions, appointments could still be made and staff able to visit customers' properties, not only with a tape measure but also carpet samples.

Before the pandemic, he explained, a customer might go to two shops in a town.

But in lockdown, following discussions for up to an hour away from a store, people were not "willing to spend two or three hours" going through "stuff again", he said.

"Ever since lockdown eased," Mr Anton added, "it's been like having 10 Christmases at once."

Taro Strowgger, owner of Floor Coverings in the Cambridgeshire village of Dry Drayton, said October was its best month ever in 24 years of trading - 20% higher than most months before the pandemic.

He said people had more disposable income this year.

"We were... before [the pandemic] guilty on some Saturdays of not spending as much time as we should have discussing client needs," he said.

"So we plan to continue appointment only for the foreseeable future.

"[But] next year I believe our industry will struggle. People will go on holiday for a longer time."

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk