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Wallpaper borders

are stocked in rolls and the new flat packs on the fixture. "The f...
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Americana Wallpaper Border
ldor's wallpaper business is in its hardware aisle, where borders are sold alongside sidewalls and p...
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Frog Wallpaper Borders
Borders range in price from $4.99 to $14.99 retail for a 15-ft. roll or a flat pack. In many case...
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Border Pooh Wallpaper Winnie
hams, comforters, fabric-by-the-yard and

wallpaper borders

," said James Alvord, operating vice presi...
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Border Laundry Wallpaper
r the amount of product they need. And within five days their order will be ready." "We will have...
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Dragon Wallpaper Border
tor in this industry. Borders are more appealing because they are smaller--making them easier to app...
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Cheap Wallpaper Border
first licensing agreements was with International China. "It is common that many consumers decorate...
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Nascar Wallpaper Border
of paint. "Because of coordination, wallpaper and

wallpaper borders

are displayed throughout the sto...
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Sunflower Wallpaper Border
r has been successful with its coordinated

wallpaper borders

partially because the number of skus ar...
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Custom Wallpaper Border
even displayed alongside dinnerware at Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target. Multiple displays have wallpap...
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Discounters are finding that good things do come in small packages. Consumers are buying smaller ticket items like kitchen textiles, decorative pillow window toppers, chair pads, and bath accessories. The same holds true for

wallpaper borders

. They outsell sidewalks two-to-one.

"Most of the growth I've seen is in the accessory area," said a Hills buyer. "We have been very successful--especially with

wallpaper borders

Hills borders retail between $4.97 and $9.48 for a 15-ft. role. "We carry a very basic assortment," said the buyer. "We tried cross-merchandising the borders with bedding, but the patterns were too limiting for our customers. One problem is that when a new bedding ensemble is introduced with a coordinating wall border, often the old wall border is discontinued. So that means our stock is limited. We carry 90 skus in a 16-ft. display."

Caldor has been successful with its coordinated

wallpaper borders

partially because the number of skus are limited. Caldor caries three different patterns that coordinate to bedroom ensembles from Springs Industries.

"We developed with Springs a totally coordinated bedding program that runs the gamut of sheets, shams, comforters, fabric-by-the-yard and

wallpaper borders

," said James Alvord, operating vice president, divisional merchandise manager of domestics at Caldor.

"The majority of our bedding business is in accessories," said Alvord. "We have very good returns on

wallpaper borders

. For a relatively small sum of money this winds up being a three or four ticket purchase."

These 15-ft. borders retail for $9.99 and can be found on sale at 25% off.

The greater portion of Caldor's wallpaper business is in its hardware aisle, where borders are sold alongside sidewalls and paint. The borders in this department usually coordinate directly to the sidewalls resulting in double sales.

In the hardware department sidewall sales have been slow, but if James Fennema, operating vice president and divisional merchandise manager at Caldor, has his way, this will quickly change. Fennema would like to see this industry follow in the footsteps of alternative window treatments.

"We need to treat this segment of business in the same manner as made-to-measure window treatments," said Fennema. "Wallpaper is a planned purchase. Customers should be able to come in, browse through books, and order the amount of product they need. And within five days their order will be ready."

"We will have to utilize Quick Response [a computerized order system] for this to work," said Fennema. "This will also ensure that we have enough product for the consumer to buy."

Whether buying borders or sidewalls, customers usually purchase anywhere from three to 10 roles. Often consumers can't find matching patterns. It's common for most discounters to run short, which means the store will lose the sale.

"Most of our store displays for wallcoverings are between 24 ft. and 32 ft.," said Fennema. "We try to offer a wide selection, but we can offer a better one if we use a made-to-measure order system."

Dan Bonini, director of marketing at FSC Wallcoverings, agreed, "Special orders are virtually non-existent at mass merchants.

Borders sell well at the stores, but sidewalls sell much better out of special order books. This is a planned purchase. And because of the size of sidewalls, people are going to live with this for a long time. If they put up even one wall, it's unlikely that they will take it down right away."

Size is an important factor in this industry. Borders are more appealing because they are smaller--making them easier to apply. Consumers are more likely to change borders before they change sidewalls.

Today application of both sidewalls and borders are easier than a few years ago. Customers don't have to deal with paste thanks to the hang-and-peel and prepasted varieties. For prepasted, the customer only needs to wet the back of the sheet and hang. "This makes it so much easier for first time installers," said Robin Kelly, director of marketing at Imperial Wallcoverings.

The easier application and sophisticated designs make wallpaper more attractive. "Mass merchants have an enormous selection of patterns to choose from," said Lori Davis, marketing manager at Borden.

Borden manufactures the Martha Stewart line that coordinates to bedding from J.P. Stevens and is sold at Kmart. "We also have licenses with Wamsutta, WestPoint Pepperell and Springs," said Davis. One of its most popular licenses is Disney which coordinates with Wamsutta bedroom ensembles.

The patterns have moved upscale--especially in the border category.

Borden, FSC, and Imperial all offer a wide assortment of contemporary, country, novelty, traditional, and juvenile styles.

Packaging is also going through changes. "We sell our borders in flat packages so the customer can see the repeat of the design," said Davis. "It is the way of the future for borders because it is more attractive than the spools."

Wallpaper Sales Cover Many Departments

Wallpaper is not just part of the hard lines department anymore. Walk into any major discounter and wallpaper can be found in domestics next to bedroom ensembles, the bath shop and juvenile bedding. It is even displayed alongside dinnerware at Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target.

Multiple displays have wallpaper manufacturers cheering. Their products are not just next to buckets of paint. "Because of coordination, wallpaper and

wallpaper borders

are displayed throughout the store," said Cindy Enzweiler, sales and marketing director at Borden Home Wallcoverings.

One of Borden's first licensing agreements was with International China. "It is common that many consumers decorate their kitchens with wallpaper, she said. "The borders and dinnerware are a great match."

"When borders are displayed with a coordinated item, the border usually becomes an impulse item," continued Enzweiler. "Customers see the borders attractively displayed and buy them."

Sidewalls are planned purchases because of its application and size. Borders take less commitment and time. Most are peel and hang or wet and hang." The easy application makes them more attractive," said Enzweiler. "They are a wonderful coordinated accessory."

Bedding, bath and dinnerware manufacturers agree. At Wal-Mart, a fixture in the bedding department shows photographed rooms with sheets, window treatments, table rounds and coordinated wallpaper and borders. Borden's fixture at Wal-Mart shows nine large color photos and four to eight additional overhead room settings of coordinated product.

"The photography helps the customer visualize the finished room with all the components," said Enzweiler. "It's like looking at a catalog with everything pulled together."

One the point-of-purchase display in hard lines, the fixture is marked with information telling the customer where other coordinating products can be found. Likewise in the bedding department, the point-of-purchase display lets consumers know where the window treatments, table rounds, and additional borders are located.

Packaging also reinforces the product and company name. For instance, Borden has the Martha Stewart license at Kmart which features coordinated bedding and bath ensembles from J.P. Stevens. All of the components of the Martha Stewart line contain the same package design making it easily recognizable to the customer.

The fixture from Borden, at Wal-Mart and Kmart, holds 72 skus of wallpaper sidewalls and borders. It takes up a 4-ft. by 4-ft. space.

Wallpaper borders

are stocked in rolls and the new flat packs on the fixture. "The flat packs are its own billboard," said Enzweiler. "The pattern reads better in a flat pack than on a roll. It's easier to see the design and the repeat of the pattern."

"Flat packs can also be displayed on a gondola shelf or endcap," she added. "We also do a lot of business when they are displayed next to the cashier."

Borden has the Disney license. "Parents see this in the juvenile department and all of a sudden want to decorate their child's room." Borders range in price from $4.99 to $14.99 retail for a 15-ft. roll or a flat pack.

In many cases consumers buy more than one roll or flat pack. One problem that often arises is a shortage of stock. Borden, FSC Wallcoverings and Imperial have order programs at many home centers.

Since mass merchants are self serve, made-to-measure type programs are rare. But just as with mini blinds, order programs are quite possible. Caldor is courting the idea (See wallpaper story in this section) and the top three wallpaper suppliers are ready to bring their order programs to the discounters.