A Dorset business is taking a different approach to one of the more traditional areas of home improvement by bringing more of the carpet-buying process online.
Carpetly, which serves homeowners across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Ferndown, Wimborne and surrounding areas, was created after its founder questioned why buying carpet had changed relatively little compared with other areas of retail.
While consumers have become accustomed to researching products, comparing prices and making major purchases online, buying flooring can still involve showroom visits, separate measuring appointments, quotations and arranging installation.
Carpetly owner Alex Ayling believes there is an opportunity to do things differently.
He said:
The idea really came from looking at how much the way we shop has changed, and then looking at the carpet industry.
People are comfortable doing so much online now, but carpet has remained quite a traditional purchase. We felt there was an opportunity to make that process easier while keeping the local knowledge and personal service that is really important when you're making a decision about your home.
Bringing a traditional industry online
Rather than replacing the traditional elements of buying carpet altogether, Carpetly has been developing a model that combines them with technology.
Customers can research carpets and calculate costs online, while physical samples and home visits remain available for people who want to see products in their own surroundings or need help measuring and choosing suitable flooring.
Alex said the challenge has been finding the right balance between convenience and personal service.
Carpet isn't like buying something small online and sending it back if you don't like it,β he said.
It's part of your home and people understandably want to get it right. Colour can look different in your own room, you want to feel the carpet and there are practical things like measuring and fitting that need to be right.
For us, technology isn't about removing people from the process. It's about taking away some of the unnecessary complication.
Building the business in Dorset
Carpetly is being developed from Dorset, with its service currently focused on homes across the local area.
That local base remains an important part of the business as it grows, particularly because measuring, advice and installation ultimately happen in customers' homes.
Alex said:
We're building the business here in Dorset and learning a huge amount from the customers we're working with locally.
The interesting part for us is seeing where people want the convenience of doing things themselves online and where they still value having someone there to help.
We don't think the two have to compete with each other.
The business is part of a wider change in consumer expectations, with people increasingly expecting services connected with their homes to offer the same convenience and transparency they experience elsewhere.
For Carpetly, that has meant looking at each stage of buying carpet β from researching products and understanding costs to measuring and arranging installation β and asking whether it could be made simpler.
Alex added:
We're still a growing business and we're constantly learning, but the ambition is straightforward. We want to show that even a very traditional industry can evolve without losing the personal service people value.
About Carpetly
Carpetly is a Dorset-based carpet business serving homeowners across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Ferndown, Wimborne and surrounding areas.
The business combines online carpet buying with samples, home visits and professional fitting, with the aim of simplifying the process of choosing and installing new carpet.
