Elders sells wool's story to US chain

The unanimous decision of a major United States flooring retail chain to stock New Zealand wool carpets has prompted an exporter to question why such opportunities have previously been lost.

Elders Primary Wool (EPW) managers were buoyed following a week promoting their Just Shorn wool brand to 120 flooring and textile retailers, and say their reaction showed the fibre's time had come.

But, it also raised questions why a generation of consumers had grown up oblivious to its qualities.

"It's a tragedy," said Elders New Zealand managing director Stuart Chapman.

"We've lost a lot of business and put the whole sheep industry at risk," he said in an interview from Las Vegas.

He urged farmers to retain faith in the fibre a bit longer, saying the response of International Design Guild retailers to their presentation had exceeded anything they had hoped for and could lead to a recovery in prices.

"It's been a huge success for us. It is something we have worked on for close to two years and it has all come together."

Elders would now prepare carpet designs and samples which would be sent to manufacturers.

Carpets were expected to be in US stores in June.

The deal also included the supply of rugs made from Romney wool.

Mr Chapman said wool would be sourced from growers under contract and with the retail price expected to carry a premium, growers would also receive premium prices.

Required volumes and prices would not be known until orders were placed.

Retailers were attracted to the story behind EPW's Just Shorn brand, that it was a natural, sustainable and environmentally-friendly product, but that story appeared to have been lost on retailers and consumers, he said.

"I wonder if a generation of people ever understood or grasped wool's qualities."

Mr Chapman said the Just Shorn brand validated wool's natural, sustainable and environmentally friendly qualities, while also guaranteeing the source of the fibre.

A tag on the carpet would carry a code which the buyer could use to link to a website and see where the wool came from and a history of the farm.

The website would also show images of New Zealand and the wool harvesting process, reinforcing the animal welfare and environmental standards.

While buoyed by the reaction, Mr Chapman warned initial wool volumes would be small until demand grew over the next four to five years, but the potential rewards were huge.

The US was the largest carpet market in the world and with wool accounting for just 3% of the flooring and textile market, increasing that market share to 4%could account for all of New Zealand's strong wool clip.