Persian Rugs from the Bazaars to the Web

    MADISON, WI, July 29, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Albert Borokhim did not plan to establish a longstanding business selling high quality Oriental rugs in Madison. While Albert's father was a successful rug merchant in Teheran, Iran for 35 years, Borokhim's vocational aspiration was to become a transportation engineer. He identified the University of Wisconsin--Madison as a premier engineering school, applied and was accepted, and graduated in 1972 with a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

At graduation, though, Borokhim was faced with a dilemma. How could he combine his love of his new geographic home with his realization that he had a deep knowledge of the Oriental rug business and preferred that profession to that of engineering? Borokhim decided to pursue his entrepreneurial dream in Madison. His father brokered a shipment of $8000 of Persian rugs on consignment and Albert opened his store on Monroe Street in 1972.

Over the ensuing 40+ years in business, Borokhim recognized that there is a strong market for high quality, handwoven, Persian rugs.....Kazak, Heriz, Kashan, Gabeh, Kashkuli, and Tabriz....with the primary focus being Bijar rugs. Today, Borokhim's Oriental Rugs has the largest selection of high quality Bijar rugs in the US which can be viewed and purchased online at http://orientalrugs.company. Moreover, the supply of these rugs is limited given the fact that there is a limited number of skilled carpetmakers who are capable of creating rugs of this quality. Borokhim's store on Monroe Street became a successful retail fixture in Madison as he developed a loyal local clientele, many of whom have purchased multiple rugs from him over the years.

By 2002, Borokhim recognized that the internet would change the face of retail trade and that future growth necessitated a presence on the internet. His store launched a basic website that year to communicate online basic facts about the store, its merchandise, and education about how to choose a high quality Oriental rug. This functionality was not unlike that utilized by most local business.

Borokhim's digital breakthrough came in 2010 when he upgraded his website to include a gallery where visitors can view a large portion of his handmade rug collection. With his near his entire inventory of Oriental rugs visually accessible on the website, this feature allowed potential customers to examine rugs closely and discern a high level of visual detail---attributes critical to the purchase of these premium, high quality rugs. The impact on his business has been dramatic: his business has doubled in the ensuing five years and fully half of that business is now transacted over the internet. Borokhim's customer base has expanded far beyond Madison and he has now sold rugs to customers in virtually every state, even Hawaii, as well as in Canada, England, and France. The store's website routinely appears in the top 10 rankings nationally for searches on Bijar rugs, handmade Oriental rugs, and Persian rugs. As Borokhim states, "I am truly amazed at the impact on my business by bringing this ancient commerce of rug selling into the digital age."

In August Borokhim will again enhance his website to provide a specialized feature that will enable potential customers to simultaneously examine high definition pictures of the rugs while Borokhim explains the features of the rugs. This enhanced website will also allow consumers to search more easily for rugs with the specific features, sizes, and colors which they seek. Given the premium nature of the rugs being sold, this enhanced website will help customers make informed decisions about which rugs to buy.

In an era in which traditional brick and mortar retailers are struggling mightily to maintain their customer base, Borokhim's Oriental Rugs is competing successfully. The business model is striking in its simplicity---feature high quality Oriental rugs with limited availability, market this merchandise nationally via the use of innovative digital capabilities, and place major focus on providing the customer with strong product knowledge and superior customer service. As Borokhim explains, "While the methods of selling these high quality handmade Persian rugs may have changed, the beauty and durability of the product is truly timeless."

Albert invites rug lovers from all over to now view an even larger collection of his timeless classic Persian rugs at http://orientalrugs.company.

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