Q&A: Ruggable UK and Europe vice president Clay Wertheimer on fast growth and its first foray into physical retail

Ruggable has only been operating in the UK for a few years, can you talk us through the growth of the brand and the progress so far?

“The brand was fully run and operated from the US first, just to ensure that there was demand in the UK and Europe. Our first milestone was putting boots on the ground in the UK, starting with myself, and building out the local team.

“It was just me for a while, but we are now up to about 20 people strong here in London, and it’s been very fun and exciting to see the team grow.

“The second milestone was moving our shipping from the US to the UK. We invested in UK production and set up a manufacturing site and distribution centre in Birmingham which has also grown. In our peak times, we probably have between 70 to 80 people who make the rugs and distribute them to customers. 

“Then we expanded our European footprint. When I started, we were in the UK and had a very small presence in Germany. We’re now also in Austria, France, the Netherlands and, as of three months ago, in some of the Scandinavian markets – Sweden, Denmark and Finland.”

How’s the progress in Scandinavia so far?

“We have our core markets in Europe, and they are definitely the UK and Germany. However, we haven’t focused quite the same degree in Scandinavia yet.

“Our launch there is a bit more about using the capacity of the plant, using the EU website and introducing Ruggable to as many folks as possible. I’ve been really pleased to see some of the early signs of interest compared to some of the other markets and more efficient marketing.

“I think those markets are used to being marketed from outside of their country as well as trying new things, so there’s been some good early traction.”

How has the reception been to the brand in the UK?

“The UK has been our strongest performing market. I think there’s enough overlap on US and UK sensibilities, so it’s been easier to get people to give us a shot and then come back for more.

“In general, Brits have a strong appetite for interior design, and people are house proud. They care about their homes and that’s definitely something that we’ve tried to cater to. They’re also interested in bold and brave designs, which we can offer as well.

“The other thing that helps with the UK is that it’s a nation of pet lovers, so there’s a nice fit there in terms of the market need.” 

What are the biggest challenges when it comes to growth here?

“One challenge would be that Brits are loyal shoppers. If we want to keep growing, we need to reach a broader set of shoppers that have a smaller set of highly trusted brands in their consideration, like John Lewis. That’s been driving our strategy to partner with them.

“The other thing is that we’re a very digital, native brand. That’s been really successful for our growth, especially during the pandemic onwards.

“But as we aim to reach more people, we are seeing an opportunity to expand into more traditional marketing channels. We did our first TV and brand campaign a couple of months ago in the UK and we’re proud of it.”

You’ve just partnered with John Lewis, do you have your eye on further partnerships?

“We’ve been really pleased with the early results of the John Lewis partnership. They were a natural fit given the audience they go after, coupled with their amazing reputation as a super trusted retailer in the market. They’re known for quality and great customer service, which are two things we want to be known for as well.

“But that has made us look ahead for some other retail partnerships in 2025. We also just launched on Amazon three weeks ago and got it live just before Black Friday, so we’re excited to grow that channel.”

What about physical retail?

“We’re actually going to test out an in-store presence with John Lewis. We first launched with them on their website, so we’ve got the ecommerce partnership going, but we’re now going to be at their Oxford Street location. It’s the first time I’ve done a physical store for Ruggable ever, worldwide. 

“The unique thing about our business model is that our products are made to order, which has a lot of pros to it in terms of the assortment we’re able to offer without having any waste.

“But a drawback is that the assortment is so wide that it’s hard to stock inventory on shelves. This will be a way for our customers to experience the rugs and touch and feel them, which is something we frequently get asked about.

“For the first phase, we won’t have all the rugs in store to pick up off the shelf and take home, but there’ll be a lot of information, lookbooks, etc, to inspire your decisions.”

With the two elements of your products, you’ve got a tricky concept to execute in store – how are you managing that? 

“It’s supposed to be more experiential than our partnership with Costco in the US, where the rugs are boxed.

“We will have some rugs on display so you can see both parts of the system, but we’ll also have some swatch books. We’re playing with different ways to display the swatches so you can get a taste of different textures, colours and designs.

“We’ll have a swatch wall that people can walk past and peruse, and then a couch on one of our rugs so you can see it in situ.”

You’ve been leading what is now a fast-growing US brand with a cult following in the UK – can you think of any other hot US brands we should be keeping an eye on?

“One that comes to mind is non-stick cookware brand, Our Place. They have a fantastic product that meets a lot of needs.

“It takes some of the stress out of cooking and simplifies it. I see a parallel with what Ruggable have done for rugs, and I also think their success is similar to ours. Fundamentally, we have a great product and if you have a great product, selling it becomes a lot easier.”