Sustainability and artisan design in a neat, durable package By Jess Schmidt

{Sponsored} Forty years ago, Ed Back stopped at a market in Bangladesh and saw plush pile jute rugs nothing like he’d ever seen before. A year later, he introduced them to the U.S. market under his company, Earth Rugs, primarily in big box stores. They were an instant success. After the makers stopped creating piled rugs and switched to braided rugs in 1996, Earth Rugs also transitioned to just selling hand-printed braided rugs. The unique rugs remain popular with independent gift shops around the U.S.

Jute is a vegetable fiber that Earth Rug artisans in Bangladesh spin into strong threads that they braid into durable rugs. It has been used for textiles for thousands of years due to how well it holds up and how quickly the materials grow. The artisan jute rugs Earth Rugs offers are a favorite of shoppers at Sherman’s.

Sherman’s is an independent small chain on the coast of Maine. The shops carry various styles and sizes of the artisan braided rugs, plus coasters and trivets in similar designs. The stores cater to both locals and souvenir buyers in the towns in which they are located, with books and gifts in Maine themes, as well as other beautiful designs.

The Bar Harbor location has them merchandised in attractive and rustic wooden crates, playing off of the eco-friendliness of the jute material. Shoppers come in and feel

welcomed to the display, which allows them to view the many styles Sherman’s carries and find the right one for their personal aesthetic or to give as a gift to a friend or loved one.

“I personally love them. There’s something for everyone,” said Mica Perruzzi, store manager of the Bar Harbor location. “There are different mats, coasters and so many options. Everyone will find something they like or something someone they know will love as a gift.”

In an era of eco-friendly products making a comeback in gift boutiques, these renewable-material rugs are a natural item to add to the list of sustainable products a shop carries.

To learn more about Earth Rugs and view its extensive catalog, visit www.earthrugs.com.

© 2020 Earth Rugs