Retailer Profile: Monarch Carpets
Spotlight on the flooring retailers who are putting their trust in the yellow bucket.
For this issue, we spoke to Emma Marnoch, director at Monarch Carpets, Rugby.
The established family retailer offers a wide range of carpets, luxury vinyl tiles, laminate, and vinyl flooring.
We started by asking Emma about its history.
“Our business started in 2010 when Jamie, my husband, became redundant from Allied Carpets. He bought a van and decided to start up as a sole trader, initially out of our home. Within a year, he found a warehouse and started to work from there and made a mini showroom for people to come and visit. It’s grown from there. In 2014, I joined the business, and we found the perfect location for a shop so opened a separate shop and kept the warehouse. We have now been here 11 years.”
How does the company stand out?
“We pride ourselves on our customer service and knowledge that enables us to bring customers’ visions for their interiors to life. We are pleased that our growing customer base is from repeat customers and recommendations.”
What trends are you seeing in the market at the moment?
“At present, we are booked up until the end of September and busy with hard flooring installations, including LVTs. We are seeing customers moving away from grey tones towards warmer wood-effect plank. For us, the split is equal between straight-lay and herringbone designs. It’s a similar story for carpets – the more neutral colours are very popular at the moment.”
How has the market changed since you first set up?
“It’s changed a lot. LVTs are much more popular and are what customers are mostly wanting throughout the downstairs of their homes. Flooring is classed as a luxury purchase, and with the rising cost of living we have noticed a change in customers spending habits.”
Are there any standout jobs that you have undertaken that you are particularly pleased with?
“We have recently completed a project where there was a height difference of 44mm across a 39m2 floor in an extension built on to a kitchen where the customers wanted us to install LVTs. It took us four visits to get the levels to where they needed to be before we could start fitting their new floor. It looks amazing now, and the customers are beyond happy.”
What do you enjoy most about your job or the industry?
“I love meeting and speaking with new and existing customers.”
Which F. Ball products do you use?
“We stock Stopgap 1200 by the pallet, along with Stopgap 600, Stopgap 700 and Stopgap Fast-Track 30 smoothing compounds, as well as Stopgap 400, Stopgap 500 and Stopgap Micro Rapid finishing compounds. We also use both F. Ball waterproof surface membranes.
“In adhesives, we use Styccobond F3 for carpet, Styccobond F44 and Styccobond F46 for vinyl and Styccobond F41 carpet tile tackifier. Our fitters love the products, information about them is very accessible and the technical support team are excellent.”
How do you engage with the support that F. Ball offers?
“Rachel, our retail representative, is great. She comes and visits us regularly to explain new products, loyalty promotions competitions and training courses.
“We had a technical issue with a job 18 months ago, I called Lee [Crofts], technical representative at the time, and he came out the same day to look at the floor and offer advice.”
“I have also been on a two-day Women in Flooring course. It was great. I gained so much knowledge from it that I’m able to put to use in my daily work, and I was able to try the products.”