A few members of the Rugs Direct + Lightopia team, from left to right: Ken Vick, EVP Sales; Mike Wagner, VP Performance Marketing; Nicole Brunner, Studio Rep; Myles Felsing, CEO; Mark Humburg, Controller; Sharon Gautschi, SVP Merchandising; Glen Rocheleau, Studio Mgr, Nadine Rocheleau, Customer Service Mgr (Photo: Business Wire)
WINCHESTER, Va.—Online rug retailer Rugs Direct has acquired Lightopia, an omnichannel lighting retailer for both residential and trade customers, for an undisclosed sum.
Myles Felsing, CEO of Rugs Direct, will be CEO of the combined company and Ken Vick, principal of Lightopia, will serve as executive vice president, sales.
The acquisition positions the combined company, with a partner catalog of more than 200 brands and a 400,000-member customer base, as a leader in the mid- to high-end home furnishings market and extends Rugs Direct’s reach into ancillary categories, Rugs Direct said. Lightopia represents brands focused on contemporary design, quality materials and responsible manufacturing, and helps clients solve architectural and decorative lighting needs utilizing the latest LED lighting technology. Lightopia has three retail locations and one warehouse in southern California and an online store at lightopiaonline.com.
“Category expansion is core to the long-term strategy of Rugs Direct, and we are thrilled to have Lightopia join us,” Felsing said. “We have recently seen success adding adjacent soft décor categories to our core area rugs assortment and see tremendous opportunity within the lighting category going forward. Our belief is that lighting often serves as a key starting point of an interior design or redecorating project, and area rugs are the finishing touch that ties it all together. Having two strong e-commerce brands in these cornerstone product categories positions us well for continued growth.”
“Lightopia is excited to partner with Rugs Direct and its strong marketing, merchandising and technology capabilities,” said Vick. “These are the ingredients we needed to grow so it’s a perfect fit.”
Felsing went onto say, “From early conversations with Ken, we recognized how well the companies were aligned culturally. Both have a passion for good design, a commitment to getting it right for the customer, and understand the importance of working together as a team. I am looking forward to thoughtfully integrating these two companies to take our category-focused brand-positioning to the next level.”
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