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Dive Brief:
DTC custom rug brand Ernesta last week opened its latest retail showroom in Summit, New Jersey, according to a company news release.
The 1,390-square-foot showroom becomes the brand’s fourth location in about a year. Other showrooms are located in New York City; Bethesda, Maryland; and Greenwich, Connecticut.
The Summit showroom, located just outside of Manhattan, is intended to serve both consumers and design professionals, offering a curated selection of high-quality wool, natural fiber and performance rugs.
Dive Insight:
The Summit opening continues a strategy by Ernesta to expand its product assortment and give design enthusiasts additional ways to experience the brand and its customized rugs.
“We’re thrilled to continue Ernesta’s expansion with the opening of our Summit showroom,” Jennifer Parker, chief sales officer, said in a statement. “There’s a strong demand we’re seeing from both design professionals and homeowners for a better, more personalized rug-buying experience. We built Ernesta to fill that gap — blending elevated design with hands-on service and customization — and it’s exciting to see that mission resonate as we grow our presence in key design-forward communities like Summit.”
The retailer added to its online business through the opening of three showrooms starting in April of last year with an 800-square-foot Upper East Side store in New York. That was followed by a similarly sized showroom in September in Bethesda and a 1,000 square-foot location in Greenwich in November.
Ernesta also launched a trade portal around the time of the Maryland opening, which allows design professionals exclusive access to the brand’s collection of customized rugs and offers their own self-service checkout.
Ernesta was created by Peloton co-founders John Foley, Hisao Kushi and Yony Feng. After it launched with $25 million in Series A funding in 2022, Ernesta initiated a beta program in May of 2023.