In the sunny showroom at Choo-Choo Carpets and Floor Coverings, there is a flipbook display of various multi-colored Shaw carpet swatches against the front wall. And another display of floppy Shaw carpet samples against another.
There are handfuls of other manufacturer-branded displays just like them in the shop, bearing names like Beaulieu, Shaw and Mohawk — the giants of the industry.
But the question — even among the makers of floor coverings — is whether average consumers go looking for the Shaw, or Mohawk or Beaulieu name when they walk into a place like Choo-Choo Carpets and Floor Coverings.
And in many cases, the honest answer is no, according to Curtis Smith, owner and president of the North Shore carpet retailer.
“They’re not sure if they want a pattern or a loop,” said Smith. “That’s the question they ask: I need some help. I need some carpet.”