ORLANDO, Fla. — Finding the gift for the person who seems to have everything can be a challenge. So can selecting the ideal present for important people in your life beyond family members and friends – such as your children’s teacher, the mail carrier and your fitness instructor at the gym. For a unique gift, you can give them an item they need with an appearance that fits their respective personality. That present is a personalized doormat. The Personalized Doormats Company (www.personalizeddoormats.com) is an online company that offers a wide variety of customized doormats for homes and businesses.
There are mats with basic designs that you can include your family’s last name (such as The Smith’s). The company features aluminum doormats, wooden doormats, rubber mats, digital photo doormats and even “Grand Entrance” doormats, which are larger than standard mats and are suitable for lavish homes with wide and elegant front doors.
“Every home needs doormats,” said Jill Mecca, who operates The Personalized Doormats Company with her husband, Alan Mecca. “Some people might think that doormats are not very exciting, but we think that they can serve as a conversation piece while keeping a house clean at the same time. By offering customers the chance to personalize their doormats, these mats become a more interesting part of their home.”
The Personalized Doormats Company does sell non-personalized mats with standard designs, but most of their customers prefer creating a doormat that is just their style, Jill Mecca says. Thus the reason it is no surprise that the company’s Write Your Own Mat series is generated substantial business. The selection of designs for this series is plentiful and includes dog breeds, college sports, animals, camo mats (for hunting and outdoors enthusiasts), leisure, sports, military, baby/child, religion and wedding categories. The industry doormats for commercial purposes are also popular.
The Write Your Own Mat series starts at $59. Sizes include 2 x 3 feet, 3 x 4 feet, 3 x 5 feet and 4 x 6 feet.
Earlier in 2009, the Meccas received a product sample that was intended for a logo commercial mat. The high quality mat made of synthetic coco-like fabric is manufactured in Europe and had not been widely used in the United States. The Meccas thought the mat would be ideal for residential purposes because of its durability, so they developed the brand name DuraCoir(TM) and added the DuraCoir(TM) Signature Series and the DuraCoir(TM) Inlay Elite Series to their product offerings.
“Commercial mats are typically a higher quality because they are built for heavy foot traffic,” Alan Mecca said. “Many residential mats that are sold are made of coco, but coco mats shed, fade and ultimately deteriorate because they are a natural material. DuraCoir(TM) mats don’t shed or stain, and they can be used outdoors. Once we introduced them, they immediately became top sellers.”
The Meccas call the Inlay Elite Series the workhorse of residential mats. The personalization and border are inlayed so the mat will not fade and the personalized message will not wear out.
The Signature Series mat offers the same polypropelene finish and solution dyed fabric as the Inlay, but features an added elegant touch. These mats are flocked instead of inlayed, which gives the artists more flexibilty with the finer lines, resulting in a more elegant appearance.
The Signature Series (with sizes 2 x 3 feet, 3 x 5 feet and 3 x 6 feet) starts at $89 while the Inlay Elite Series (with sizes 2 x 3 feet, 3 x 4 feet and 3 x 6 feet) starts at $99.
Customers can not only create a phrase for the mat – such as the one written for a violin instructor that said, “If noone is home, come right Bach” and featured graphics of musical notes – but they can also personalize the mat further by including the recipient’s name. For example, “Welcome to The Moores, where growing old is compulsory, and growing up is optional.”
The Meccas, who purchased The Personalized Doormats Company in 2007 and added their own niches – including the Write Your Own Mat series and the Design Your Own DuraCoir series – expect this to be their busiest holiday season. Their sales were up 15 percent this July compared to July 2008, and revenues are increasing each month.
“We are giving our customers more options, and most people find that personalized doormats are more appealing than stock doormats because they show more care and thought,” Alan Mecca said. “And it’s convenient because you can do your shopping online and have the gift shipped directly to the person.”
More information: www.personalizeddoormats.com.
