Carpetright is a British flooring retailer founded in 1988 by Lord Harris of Peckham, with its first shop opening in Canning Town. The company grew to become one of the UK’s largest carpet and floor coverings specialists, later adding beds to its product range. Following administration in July 2024, the Carpetright brand, intellectual property and 54 stores were rescued by rival flooring retailer Tapi Carpets and Floors Limited. [1]
Design and History
Carpetright’s visual identity underwent a significant shift in 2015, when the company began testing a new logo as part of a broader brand repositioning. The retailer’s chief executive at the time, Wilf Walsh, said the new logo was designed to be “much cleaner and more contemporary” and was trialled in four stores in and around London, including Clapham, Reigate and other locations. [2]
The 2015 identity change was part of a wider effort to move the brand’s focus away from price-led messaging and toward a more premium positioning. Carpetright stated that the new logo was developed “to give a more contemporary feel” and to attract customer groups in which the business had “previously under-indexed, without alienating our loyal existing customer base.” [3] The trial coincided with the launch of new concept stores featuring experimental shop fits intended to inspire customers and encourage sampling and discovery. [4]
Walsh explained the rationale behind the rebrand, noting that while Carpetright enjoyed high brand awareness and a strong reputation for value within its core customer base, encouraging new customers to consider the retailer required “a repositioning and updating of the brand.” The company had completed “a comprehensive review of our brand, sub brands, tone of voice and identity” before developing the updated positioning. [4]
Earlier, in 2010, Carpetright had also trialled a cleaner new fascia on three shops as it considered an overhaul of its logo for the entire chain. At that time, founder Lord Harris noted that the traditional logo did not reproduce very well on the “skinny” high street storefronts being tested. [5]
Following the 2024 administration and rescue by Tapi, the Carpetright brand continues to operate at 54 store locations, with some converted into Tapi stores and others remaining under the Carpetright name. [1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The company’s own communications from the 2015 rebrand describe the new identity as giving “a more contemporary feel” and being part of an updated brand positioning “more in tune with the contemporary retail market.” [4]
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