Article: Optimism, realism mix for 2009: while the current economic climate is difficult, there is some belief things will turn around.(forecast: floor covering)

AS COMPANIES PREPARE FOR A TOUGH START TO 2009, rug manufacturers still remain optimistic about how this category could perform later this year, with some thinking business could pick up eventually.

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But they are also realistic, and say the retail environment is challenging. Consumers are still wary about spending, and the floor coverings priced at the lower end are the drivers now, vendors said.

With the new presidential administration now in place and the planned incentives and money to be invested into the economy, Lee Harounian, president of Harounian Rugs International, believes that "within the next three to six ...

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