Demand for fresh, new products drove retailers and designers from across the western United States and beyond to the Las Vegas Market August 22-26, with exhibitors reporting good order books for immediate needs and future planning. The total number of visitors to the summer market – which took place a month later than usual – exceeded the number of visitors from the April edition of the market and accounted for about 60 percent of the number of visitors before the summer pandemic.
“Las Vegas Market has continued on its positive rebound despite recent setbacks in the country’s response to the pandemic,” said Bob Maricich, CEO of the International Market Center (IMC). “This week proved once again that the Las Vegas Market is the preferred western location for discerning buyers and brands to come together to do business.”
In addition to its core West Coast audience, Las Vegas Market attracted a statewide audience with buyers from all 50 states, with notable increases from the Northeast (32 percent), Southeast (19 percent), Southwest (10 percent), and TOLA (Texas.) . , Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas) (11 percent) regions. International traffic is recovering well with 60 percent growth from April 2021 and buyers from 42 countries. The number of visitors in the gift category was particularly strong, with a growth of 11 percent compared to the number of visitors in April.
Buyers are happy to be back
Product identification and the personal market experience were the main motivators for buyers at the Las Vegas Market in summer 2021, many of which returned to the market for the first time since winter 2020.
“There is no substitute for the live shopping market,” says Dirk Lorenz, owner of Fremont Flowers in Fremont, California. “If I use all of my senses while shopping, it’s a much better experience after a year, plus so much to get products through zooming and using websites.”
“The Las Vegas market is important because touching, feeling and seeing products is essential,” adds Mike Norris, buyer for Gallery Furniture in Houston, Texas.
Buyers were also excited for the full Las Vegas experience. “I love Vegas, I think it’s fun,” said Trish Mitchell, executive director of 4RKids in Enid, Okla. “We found a really good product that I don’t think anyone in our area has. I just can’t imagine that it won’t be huge. “
Lisa Ryan Whyte of Whyte House Design in Chandler, Arizona wrote of her first visit to the store on Instagram: “This was an eye-opening experience in the world of design, furniture and accessories. I loved trying all of the providers and finding some great options for my customers. “
Immediate and future needs bring buyers
In the gift, home decor and furniture sectors, exhibitors reported serious orders from buyers who not only completed their fourth quarter sourcing but also got a head start on their orders in 2022.
“The Las Vegas market has been consistent with high-quality, well-educated buyers and designers willing to place confirmed orders instead of taking notes or holding orders,” added David Gebhart, CEO of Global Views. “We saw customers from all over the US with the usual high concentration from the West Coast, as well as many from Texas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Florida. We were even able to welcome several customers from Canada and Mexico. “
“We haven’t seen the ‘catalog collectors’ in this market. Everyone who walked in had an intention to buy and the orders were really big as retailers shop deeper, ”said Sande Womack, head of the New Era Sales Team (NEST), which represents 55 lifestyle brands, including a new expansion in gourmet foods. “Our entire marketing campaign for this market was planned and pre-ordered for 2022, but a lot of people came in to see if they could still get Christmas 2021.”
Crossover with the simultaneous HD Expo and ASD also drove traffic to the Las Vegas Market. “We were able to woo some of the HD Expo attendees who came to the World Market Center, and once we have them in our showroom, we win them over,” said John Pigg, vice president of sales at Vanguard Furniture, who reported on donations Check out books on more than 2,000 designers in the market. “We’re very excited to be here because it’s an opportunity to meet a lot of customers who wouldn’t make it to High Point.”
Temporary exhibitions do business at the EXPO
The Las Vegas Market temporary exhibitions are gaining momentum at the new EXPO in the World Market Center, with exhibitors reporting strong shows and lots of new customers.
“With 60 percent new customers, we had the strongest first day in the history of our company on this market. I’ve never had such a response in a market before, ”said Carlos Arias, Founder and CEO of Inspired Peru, which imports handmade gifts and home accessories from Peru. “The quality of customers and buyers at the Las Vegas Market was really good. This is exactly what a brand like mine is looking for on the market: Customers who not only know what they are looking for, but who are also open to new products. “
“When we got to Las Vegas Market, our goal was to build some accounts in the west, people we can’t see in the south,” said Lori Newell, founder of Crave Candles based in Birmingham, Alabama. “We achieved that goal because we opened accounts in Utah, Montana, California and one here in Las Vegas.”
“We signed up at the last minute so we didn’t really know what to expect because we obviously had no more show practice. It definitely exceeded all expectations we had, ”said Danne Semeraro, founder of Sempli Glassware, who has worked with independent retailers, multi-location retailers, corporate gift buyers and restaurants and food service providers in the market. “I think moving into the impressive EXPO building is the best thing that could have happened to a makeshift in Las Vegas Market.”
“The buyers were thrilled to finally be able to see, touch and feel products and see people again. We were really happy to be at the Las Vegas Market and very grateful that the World Market Center is open, ”said Carina Santoyo, founder and owner of the handcrafted lifestyle brand Ceremonia. “We are very excited about the future of our wholesale business and our partnership with Las Vegas Market. We hope that we will come back for many years to come. “
The buyers shared the enthusiasm of the brands. “There were such cool new suppliers in the temporary exhibitions. We found some new vendors and we’ve come back to the people who know and support ZAG, ”said Judy Rancour, director of retail operations, Saint Louis Zoo and Zoo, Aquarium & Garden Buyers Group (ZAG) board president. “The EXPO is so much more impressive than I expected. The new room is fabulous, there is such a good atmosphere. “
Return of market events
The Las Vegas summer market marked the return of in-person events – with masking and proper protocols for social distancing – with heavy involvement in six trending market activities. Live seminars included IMC’s proprietary FIRSTLOOK and Ahead of the Curve programs, as well as sessions with thought leaders in design and retail. The ANDYZ, hosted by the Las Vegas Design Center (LVDC) and the California Central / Nevada Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), brought the design community together again to celebrate resilience and recognize excellence, with 11 winners in 10th Categories.
On-campus experiences showed the trends and celebrated the at-market experience. The First Look Display welcomed the buyers of the EXPO in Building C with appealing presentations of the topics: EARLY TO RISE, SPECIAL EFFECTS, HOME & AWAY and ’80s BEATS. The 54 finalists, including 6 winners, presented three market snapshot vignettes.
Local activity around Juniper was brisk, with buyers requesting pre-registration for JuniperMarket – IMC’s new digital e-commerce marketplace, due later this year. JuniperMarket Photo Booths also boosted energy by encouraging shoppers to share their market experiences via social media, with designer Olivia Stevens of Allentown, NJ and Ariel Richardson of ASR Design Studio of Escondido, Calif. Winning Juniper’s iPad giveaways. Juniper’s showroom and activations were busy with suppliers interested in both the marketplace and the JuniperCommerce suite of SaaS tools.
In addition, more than 20 shopping groups and trade associations held meetings, gatherings and shopping visits at the 2021 Summer Market.
