
Digital Lookbooks Transform The Rug Company’s Sales Strategy
Location: United Kingdom
Industry: Home Decor
Website: https://www.therugcompany.com/

87.7%
Cost reduction by transitioning from print to Publitas
13,811
Views on The Rug Company’s extensive product range
12.45%
Clickthrough rate (CTR) shows strong client engagement

"The Rug Company believes that true luxury is determined by respect for craftsmanship and creativity—our digital lookbooks allow us to express our ethos in an authentic way that resonates with our customers.”
— Holly Selby, Head of Digital Product

Turning Sales Meetings into Engaging, High-Impact Experiences
The Rug Company, a leader in luxury handcrafted rugs, is known for its craftsmanship, its use of sustainable materials, and regular collaborations with world-renowned designers. Founded in London and with showrooms worldwide, The Rug Company caters to a discerning clientele who value both quality and uniqueness.
Luxury brands need to stay dynamic and innovative to reach their audience effectively. To achieve this, The Rug Company transitioned from traditional print catalogs to Publitas’ digital lookbooks. This shift not only enhanced their luxury retail experience but also provided their global sales team with a powerful, interactive tool to deliver compelling trade client presentations and highlight the exceptional quality of their products.
The Challenge: Outdated Print Materials and High Production Costs
Before Publitas, The Rug Company relied on hardcover printed catalogs. While beautifully crafted, these print materials presented challenges: they were costly, required frequent reprints as collections evolved and became outdated, and couldn’t incorporate dynamic content like video. Printed catalogs also offered limited flexibility during sales meetings, lacking the immersive quality needed to captivate high-end trade clients and differentiate the brand.
Our printed materials weren’t able to keep pace with our evolving collections and rich video content—it was a static experience in a dynamic world."
— Holly Selby, Head of Digital Product
The Solution: Custom Digital Lookbooks with Publitas
Publitas digital lookbooks offered the customization and flexibility they needed. These digital lookbooks showcase The Rug Company’s entire luxury product range, using embedded video content and custom interactive overlays that enhance the storytelling experience for trade clients.
As Holly Selby, Head of Digital Product, says, these custom features make their lookbooks feel bespoke to their business and “far more useful” to trade clients.
“Our digital lookbooks have become a key tool for boosting engagement with our sales teams and website. One standout feature of Publitas has been its ability to seamlessly handle video content – presenting it beautifully across desktop and mobile. It’s a game-changer for creating slick, editorial-style campaigns quickly and efficiently.”
The Rug Company worked closely with Publitas’ services team to add a custom navigation button in their reader menu that links to a third-party Room Visualizer tool, allowing trade clients to view rugs in a virtual room setting. Publitas also developed custom product overlays and menu structures tailored to The Rug Company’s needs, adding value and personalization to the sales process.

This empowers The Rug Company’s consultants to create an experience that goes beyond simply showing products, engaging trade clients in a visually compelling journey tailored to their unique design needs.

Impact: Driving Meaningful Engagement And Cutting Costs By 80%
The move to the Publitas platform resulted in significant cost savings. Compared to printed catalogs, Publitas’ digital lookbooks serve 11% more users while reducing the cost per user by 87.7%. These savings have enabled The Rug Company to reinvest in creating a greater variety of digital lookbooks that covers multiple product ranges.
The Rug Company’s digital lookbooks have transformed the way their sales team engages with trade clients. Unlike static printed catalogs, the interactive features of digital lookbooks—such as embedded videos and custom product overlays—enable sales consultants to create dynamic, visually engaging presentations during meetings.
These tools allow the team to showcase the craftsmanship and quality of the rugs in a way that captivates trade clients, encourages deeper engagement, and facilitates more impactful conversations.
Publitas stood out for us because it was an e-commerce-focused platform that offered far more tailored functionality than alternative providers that would essentially display a PDF online. We could reduce the cost of our catalog without losing the benefits, while gaining access to valuable, interactive features."
— Holly Selby, Head of Digital Product

Engaging Trade Clients with Personalized Digital Lookbooks
The Rug Company’s digital lookbooks are more than just marketing assets; they’re essential tools for the sales team. Consultants use iPads to present these digital lookbooks in-store at meetings, enabling trade clients to experience the full range of products in an interactive format. The Rug Company includes its lookbooks in newsletters with animation previews, inviting trade clients to explore collections from anywhere.
This approach ensures that trade clients can access the same high-touch experience they would receive in person, bridging the gap between online and in-store experiences.
Extending the Luxury Experience and Sales Reach through Digital Lookbooks
Since adopting digital lookbooks, The Rug Company has gained several strategic advantages:
- Enhanced Sales Meetings: Consultants report that the interactive features and rich media significantly elevate the trade client experience, making meetings more productive and engaging. The digital lookbooks enable consultants to present the full range with interactive elements that capture trade clients' attention and aid in closing sales.
- Improved Brand Perception: By adopting a modern, flexible format, The Rug Company reinforces its image as an innovative luxury brand that values craftsmanship and high-quality experiences, positioning itself as an industry leader in digital transformation.
- Cost Savings and Increased Reach: By shifting from printed catalogs to Publitas, The Rug Company has reduced costs by over 87.7%, reaching more users.
A Modern Take on Luxury Retail with Digital Lookbooks
With Publitas, The Rug Company has successfully transformed its approach to trade client engagement, using customized digital lookbooks to bridge the physical and digital retail spaces. Their commitment to high-quality, personalized trade client interactions has redefined the luxury buying experience, making sales meetings more effective and elevating brand perception.
Publitas allows us to merge tradition with innovation, supporting our mission to craft not only rugs but an entire luxury experience."
— Holly Selby, Head of Digital Product
If you think your company can benefit from similar customer solutions please contact our Enterprise Team.