Buildings along Chicago Avenue in Evanston Photo: Nick Number / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
A shopper who wants to compare a dozen hand-knotted rugs in an afternoon has an unusual option in Evanston. Along Chicago Avenue, within a short walk, sit several Oriental rug dealers, a concentration that retail people say is hard to find elsewhere in the Midwest.
A trade with deep roots
The oldest name is Minasian Rug Company, at 1244 Chicago Ave., which dates its business to 1897. Carney Minasian, who co-owns the store with his brother, has described his grandparents as refugees from persecution in Armenia; Armenian families who arrived in Chicago without land often turned to the rug trade they already knew. Oscar Isberian Rugs, at 1028 Chicago Ave., traces to 1920 and is now in its third generation of family ownership. Later, dealers who left Iran added to the mix.
Other shops in the area in 2014 included Serapi Oriental Rugs at 1049 Chicago Ave., Cyrus Oriental Rugs at 949 Chicago Ave., Connoisseur Oriental Rugs at 1000 Chicago Ave. and Eli Peer Oriental Rugs at 1501 Chicago Ave. Others were scattered elsewhere in the city, among them Allegretti Rug Masters on Lake Street, Exotic Rugs on Dempster Street and Apelian Rug Co. on Central Street.
Competitors who share customers
Economists call this kind of grouping clustering, and it tends to work well for expensive goods that buyers want to compare in person. Jahan Azad, owner of Serapi, has said customers can see a wide range of styles within a few blocks, and that some travel from as far as the East Coast. Dealers also tend to differ in what they stock, so they cut less into one another’s business than outsiders might expect. Staff at Minasian have said dealers often invite neighbors to see new arrivals.
Most of the stores also offer services beyond sales, including cleaning, appraisal and repair. A handmade rug, cared for properly, can last for generations, which is part of why a repair counter matters as much as a showroom.
The cluster has faced pressure in the years since. Patch has reported on rising property taxes and developer interest as factors that make the future of the corridor uncertain.
Daniel Okafor covers business, startups and the Innovators section for The Evanston Edge.
