Celebrating 40 Years at Sloane’s Carpet Secret
At Sloane’s Carpet Secret, we’ve been serving the Denver community for 40 years. For almost half a century, we’ve been delivering high-quality carpet irregulars, saving Denver-area residents hundreds of thousands of dollars off of retail prices.
This year marks our 40th anniversary, so in honor of the occasion, we sat down with manager Josh Alban to talk about what four decades of service means to him.
40 years is a huge milestone! In a fast-moving and digital world, it feels like an even bigger accomplishment. What does the longevity of Sloane’s mean to you?
First, it means that even in a fast moving economy, certain things never go out of style. Quality products at substantial savings still means something to consumers in Colorado.
Second, it shows me that that integrity and customer service is foundational for any company. Customers just won’t put up with businesses that don’t treat them with respect and deliver fantastic service. We’re thriving after 40 years because we come to work every day with integrity and a commitment to customer service
How do you feel about the next 40 years?
I’m incredibly excited! I left my job in aerospace because I see huge potential for growth, and I take a ton of pride in bringing new energy to a family business that has a phenomenal customer base across Colorado. The possibilities for expansion are endless — geographic expansion to new locations and offering new products is how we will get there.
What’s your earliest memory of Sloane’s?
As a child I would roll around the carpet pads in the back of the warehouse. I was always amazed at how soft those pads were! My father, the owner of Sloane’s Carpet Secret, Scott Alban, was obsessive about taking naps in the afternoons. Everyone was forbidden from waking up the owner, but as a kid, I couldn’t help myself sometimes! I used to love waking him up with a tickle attack.
How has Sloane’s adapted to customer needs over the past few decades?
We really saw that “retail” was changing around 2005, so we fundamentally changed our business model in two ways that has helped our business and our customers at the same time
First of all, we stripped out the “frill” of a traditional retail showroom. Sloane’s Carpet Secret was the first carpet store in Colorado to serve customers from inside a commercial warehouse, cutting down on overhead and allowing us to operate at a fraction of the cost. We weren’t prepared for how much our customers would love the warehouse wholesale environment — customers love that it’s an authentic experience, and they feel like they’re getting in on a secret, which they are!
Secondly, we really invested in cultivating direct relationships with the world’s largest carpet mills. This sourcing channel cuts costs to customers by at least half, allowing customers to access premium carpet at massive discounts and giving Sloane’s a competitive advantage against big box chains and traditional carpet retailers, who are still saddled with high fixed costs.
What’s on the horizon for Sloane’s?
We love what we do and we want to keep getting better at serving awesome flooring at phenomenal savings. Those basics can’t change. Beyond that, we’re actively looking at opening up new locations in the fastest-growing parts of Colorado and expanding into product lines outside of residential carpet to serve our extremely loyal customer base.
We also want to be a great resource for realtors and home renovators. Replacing or upgrading the carpets is one of the biggest and easiest improvements you can make to a house, and it can really up the market value. We know how important it is to turn a house around quickly, and we want to be the best resource for that goal.
What do you want people to know most about Sloane’s?
I want them to know that Sloane’s Carpet Secret is committed to helping customers get the foundational element of their home — their flooring — right without breaking the bank. And we are 100% committed to doing that with a buying process that’s simple, affordable, low-pressure, and responsive to their needs. Hopefully our customers like knowing that they’re part of a Colorado family-owned business that has been serving Colorado for 40 years!
Are there any particular stories that stand out over the years?
As a company, we really care about giving back. Sloane’s has been contributing, volunteering, and sponsoring events for over ten years to a local charity, “SafeHouse.” The business owners have four granddaughters and believe strongly in creating a world without partner violence. A few years ago we had the privilege of donating carpet to SafeHouse’s amazing group home — it was a chance to bring our expertise to bear and make an important environment a little more welcoming.
What does being part of the Denver community mean to you?
The Denver community has been our home since the 1950s. Denverites (and customers from all over Colorado!) have been able to support our immediate family and more importantly our staff — twelve strong now — for 40 years. So we really appreciate our extremely loyal customer base and don’t take their business for granted. I moved my family home to Colorado last year in no small part because I see it as a way to serve the broader Denver family and ensure that local businesses not only survive, but thrive!