READYMADE CURTAINS FOCUS

I Love Curtains, a subsidiary of Eyecon Interior Solutions, is emerging as a tech-driven disruptor in the readymade curtains market.

Director Ange Melas told WFA I Love Curtains had been designed specifically to enable blinds specialists to enter the curtains market. 

A key feature of the company’s offering is Easy Made, a national three-step curtain ordering program with the specific aim of simplifying the curtain buying process. 

“Retailers are demanding the same ease of ordering of their curtains as they have had with their blinds,” said Melas. “A simpler process of selecting fabrics and tracks and having them manufactured and supplied directly from the wholesaler is the future of curtain manufacturing. This is something we at I Love Curtains have embraced and which has evolved as our core product. Curtain wholesalers have traditionally been referred to as part of a “cottage industry” supplying only a manufacturing service. We are now creating our own curtaining solution with custom sample books, offering a finished product.”

The company’s three step online ordering and tracking program is as follows: 

1. pick your fabric. 

2. enter details. 

3. place order. 

“At I Love Curtains we have put our years of curtain knowledge into selecting a core range of fabrics that’s suited to most retailers and consumers. Making this possible is the support of fabric houses like Zepel Fabrics, who have been pivotal to our success. This is a new era of marketing for the fabric houses of the world and they are also having to adapt to the changing sales dynamic of the industry; a sales dynamic more akin to the roller blinds industry.” 

“Blind manufacturers have been ahead of the curtain industry from a technology and process perspective. Easy Made has re-invented the system to catch up to where curtain supply and ordering processes need to be.”

Melas adds that there are also new fabrics being launched in 2020 specifically targeted to the Easy Made curtain market. “Companies that traditionally had nothing to do with curtain fabrics, are having to evolve with these new trends and supply the growing demand.”

“The Easy Made curtain program that we are offering fills a gap in the industry where retailers without the time or expertise in selling curtains can now do so. Your typical blind retailer can now sell curtains without the hassle of timely complicated calculations typically involved.” 

Melas says the current marketplace for Easy Made curtains is growing rapidly as more retailers see the benefits. “Typically, retailers that have never traditionally sold curtains have realised a need to do so, with a strong shift in the market back to curtains. Curtains have come back in a big way; not only S-Fold linen look sheers, but lined solid fabrics, triple weave solid and silk look textures are all supporting this growth and we are very excited about where the market is heading.”

The recent rise in demand for curtains has presented its challenges, he says. “The undersupply of skilled workers and operators in the industry is a major challenge for manufacturers. Skill and expertise have and will always be the point of difference between established and new suppliers trying to make the move into this segment of the curtain industry. This also presents opportunities for skilled people in the workforce to join and grow with these businesses. I Love Curtains has decades of expertise and the knowledge to help its customers, from sales to marketing and installation training.”

Melas foresees strong growth for this category. “There’s a definite gap in the market that Easy Made has filled. As the traditional expert curtain workrooms are becoming fewer and far between, Easy Made curtains has an opportunity to become the go-to for new curtain ordering.”

“In my experience, the key to success as a curtain manufacturer, first and foremost, is a comprehensive understanding of the product. Curtains are inherently difficult to manufacture and pose their own list of problems, unlike roller blinds, which have an easier manufacturing process and can be mass produced. Just as important are the sales service and advice from the manufacturer to the retailer. Having the right skilled people to assist in these areas will always be the challenge.”

“We are excited to see this part of the industry grow, as we feel it is the way of the future for curtain manufacturing. Having I Love Curtains be part of a new growing sector of an industry and helping pave the way is exciting. It’s not for every manufacturer, but for the larger part, retailer/manufacturer relationships will benefit immensely from Easy Made curtains.”

“The technologies being implemented and developed also play a huge role in this growth; not only machinery for manufacturing but also processes in the ease of ordering and tracking orders. This combination of technology, innovation and forward thinking is what I feel sets I Love Curtains apart.”