June Total Home & Gift Market:
Strong Attendance, More New Buyers, Big Inspiration and Orders
DALLAS – July 8, 2019 – The first market of the summer season, Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, delivered strong attendance, more new buyers and steady order-writing inside the only total lifestyle marketplace in North America. The seven-day show welcomed buyers from around the world to discover new exhibitors and best-selling brands, learn from industry icons and thought leaders, and be inspired by curated trend presentations and business intelligence.
More retailers from key states and regions attended the show as well as businesses attending for the first time. The result was high energy and strong order writing set against a backdrop of new exhibitors and unique products from makers and legendary brands. Showrooms reported larger average orders and total sales increases of more than twenty percent, especially among exhibitors with new products, new or expanded spaces, and/or special promotions.
Supported by new marketing programs and aggressive retail outreach from Dallas Market Center, the show had strong attendance by buyers from across the Central U.S. and a growing number of buyers attending from the West, Southeast and Northeast. June also saw an increasing number of new buyers.
“We created a summer market experience that successfully inspired and supported buyers seeking distinctive products,” said Cindy Morris, Dallas Market Center president and CEO. “Now more than ever our new and loyal customers choose Dallas over other markets because we present the best selection of the new, the unique, the sustainable, the handcrafted, and a variety of products retailers need to thrive. We look forward to business continuing in Dallas throughout the summer and fall as we support open-daily showrooms across home, design and lighting resources.”
Only Dallas Market Center presents the most comprehensive selection of brands across all major lifestyle categories including gifts, home décor, lighting, holiday and floral, housewares, gourmet, fashion, and artisan products. The influx of new buyers and steady order writing at the summer show was driven by this product diversity and demand for more unique products but also by a strong regional economy and a prime location with efficient travel options from across North America and South America.
· Lisa Juul, vice president of sales, Sullivans: “We had our strongest Dallas summer market in years. Our average order value was up significantly. Customers responded extremely well to our new collections and show promotions across both our all-occasion and seasonal lines, resulting in double-digit sales growth over the prior year.”
· Randa Crisler, vice president, Portico: “We had a fantastic show with a nearly 20% increase over June 2018. Buyers were thrilled with our ten new brands, and traffic was consistent.”
· Tracee Mathes, CEO and creative director, Swig Life: “We had our best Dallas show, ever! Traffic was good, buyers were spending, and our brand continues to skyrocket in popularity.”
· Patrick Ongena, co-owner, Patrick & Co.: “Patrick & Company is happy to say that we had a nice double digit overall increase at this past June Dallas Market. The buyers that visited our showroom were up-beat and placing orders. Our average dollar per order was considerably larger than last summer market. We are happy to report that Dallas has kicked off the show season with positive results.”
· Chuck Fraelich, senior vice president, sales and marketing, tag: “Dallas Summer Market was a great success for tag. Our showroom was filled with strong Fall/Holiday and Spring/Summer collections and designs. We doubled our bookings, wrote 35% more orders than last year and our average dollar per order was up over 40%. We opened new customers and reactivated others as they supported the depth of the line.”
· Cliff Price, owner, Cliff Price & Company: ““Overall it was a good show for us. Our customers were very optimistic about the second half of the year, orders were strong and we ended up 18% ahead of last year.”
· Donna Stevens with dstevens: “June was a great market for us; we beat our numbers from last year resulting in a very successful show! We had many new customers, including several just opening their business.”
· Shellee Peek of Ethan & Associates: “We enjoy year-round business in Dallas but June Market delivered new clients from outside our great state and country who came to see what’s new and place orders. We had a great show.”
· Linda Minjares, VP, textiles and rugs, Classic Home: “Market was a huge success—far beyond our expectations! Dallas Market buyers were looking for new products that put them ahead of the trends and on the radar of design-minded customers.”
· Tyler Howells, owner, Cozy Earth: “Dallas has been an amazing market for us. The buyers are quality, the networking opportunities are many, and as an exhibitor you have an opportunity to reach a new audience. It’s a fantastic opportunity.”
· Tim Reazor, Fifth & Cherry: “This past week’s show was amazing…[we] learned a tremendous amount about our consumers and earned more dealers than we could have ever hoped for. Thank you.”
· Shirley Kautman-Jones, owner of Country Home Creations: We love our Dallas buyers! Our customers tell us this show is easy to shop. Lots of exhibitors and showrooms all under one roof.”
· John Weil with Sand Straw: “You are bringing in the type of buyer that buys on the spot…they’re buying, and I’m getting [customers] that are a little different than our typical [customer].”
· Lori Schuman, Hammond’s Candies: “Not only did we generate a ton of new business at the Total Home & Gift Market, but we were able to bring back some valued customers who hadn’t purchased in a long time. We are delighted to be a part of this amazing marketplace.”
· Susan Hardin, The Little Birdie: “I go to 12 markets a year, [and] Dallas is my favorite because everybody is so friendly here from the time you walk in the door, and all of our customers, it’s just a whole different atmosphere.”
Headlining the show were dozens of new showrooms and temporary exhibits plus significant expansions and renewals totaling more than 325,000 square feet including start-ups and globally recognized leaders. Market events, showroom receptions, promotions, and seminars added to the show’s purpose to provide an in-person experience that motivates and educates.
Significant Buying Power Attends
Attendance data and the Retail Development team at Dallas Market Center confirmed that a record number of business organizations attended the summer show including more than forty retail buying groups, trade groups and associations. These groups create tremendous buying power and represent significant orders across all product categories.
First Smart Home Showroom in North America Opens
The grand opening of the first smart home showroom in North America, Smarter Living by Design, took place on Wednesday of the show. The open-daily showroom, anchored by Samsung, is located in Light + Design on Ten (WTC 10085) and includes a selection of best-in-class brands spanning home technology categories from premier lighting, sound and appliances to artificial intelligence.
Exclusive to Dallas: International Folk Art Market | Collection
In the World Trade Center atrium, the International Folk Art Market | Collection returned with more than 30 countries showcasing artisan products and sharing stories through their art. The exhibit included hand crafted jewelry, gifts, and home décor from Mexico, Uzbekistan, India, and other countries. IFAM's goal is to foster economic and cultural sustainability for folk artists worldwide and to create intercultural opportunities that unite the peoples of the world.
Gourmet Gold Winners Announced
The Gourmet Gold Specialty Food Awards, sponsored by Gourmet Insider magazine, celebrated exceptional manufacturers in the gourmet products industry exhibiting at Dallas Market Center. Food entries were judged based on taste, originality and packaging. Details are available here: http://dallasmarketcenter.com/press/gourmet-gold-specialty-food-award-winners-announced
StyleEyes Influencers and Market Seminars
The knowledge and taste-making skills of leading industry influencers were harnessed during the return of StyleEyes. The diverse group of 13 trend scouts from across the U.S. identified must-see and unique products and trends across the marketplace including gifts, home décor, lighting, holiday/floral and fashion. StyleEyes posts on Instagram achieved more than 2,000,000 total impressions of their discoveries, and the team gathered for a lively panel discussion chaired by Adam Glassman, creative director for O, The Oprah Magazine. Adam and his team of editors attended the summer show over multiple days to scout for magazine content and for Oprah’s Favorite Things. Last year’s coveted list included more than 20 Dallas Market Center exhibitors.
A full schedule of insightful seminars and discussions also took place, including a meet and greet with the cast of HDTV’s “Best in Show” Barrie Livingstone, Donna Moss, Dann Foley and Danny Russo. Daily seminars on WTC 12 offered valuable insights for growing a retail business from experts including Cris Willis, Ashley Morrow, Roxie Campbell, and Terry Sullivan. Retail expert Rawlins Gilliland offered popular discovery tours, while on the second floor of the Interior Home + Design Center a Design Bar featured holiday and floral demos from Edward Sajovic and from J Schwanke, who also offered educational seminars and tours.
Spark Magazine Highlights
The latest issue of Dallas Market Center’s Spark magazine debuted ahead of the summer show with a cover story on retail mavericks from across the U.S. Additional content included give-back brands, the allure of India, lighting trends, a photoshoot on denim, and must-haves from gourmet and housewares. Spark is distributed to 50,000 customers and is North America’s only lifestyle business magazine for retailers.
Dallas First in January 2020
Looking ahead, the January Total Home & Gift Market will take place on new dates, January 8-14. The calendar position as the first trade event in the U.S. means new opportunities for buyers to get a jump start after the holidays to see it first and buy it first in Dallas, an order-writing advantage to secure hot products.
The Total Lifestyle Market in June 2020
Ahead of the show, the market center announced that next year’s summer show will be a Total Lifestyle Market, transforming the summer market experience to better serve the changing needs of retail. Beginning in June 2020, a Total Lifestyle Market will take place across all product categories. This annual, summer-only trade event will unify for the first time all major markets and will create the largest lifestyle market event in North America. Total Home & Gift Market will be joined by Apparel & Accessories Market, KidsWorld, and Lightovation: Dallas International Lighting Show.
Unmatched Economic Power
The economy and the retail sector in the Central U.S., Dallas Market Center’s main trading territory, remain strong, anchored by positive reports in the state of Texas. According to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released this week, Dallas-Fort Worth led the nation in job growth in 2018, followed by Houston in third place. Taken together, the two metropolitan areas added nearly 225,000 jobs. In addition, more than 1000 new residents per day are moving to the state, supporting housing and services including retail and interior design and driving business inside Dallas Market Center.
The Dallas Total Home & Gift Market took place concurrently with Lightovation—Dallas International Lighting Show, the largest residential lighting show in North America and the primary buying venue for lighting retailers. The June edition of Lightovation included keynotes in The SMART Center, a new hospitality and education lounge, as well as the Showroom of the Year Awards, Market Choice Awards, and Light Stars, a special program honoring top sales people with a market experience.
Dallas Market Center offers buyers from around the world a complete lifestyle marketplace of best-selling and unique products in temporary and permanent showrooms, including the largest residential lighting trade event in North America; the largest and most successful open-daily design center; dominant trade events for gift, home décor, holiday and floral; and the nation’s most comprehensive apparel and accessories marketplace featuring the latest styles from East Coast and West Coast designers.
To make plans for upcoming markets, visit the Dallas Market Center website and download the Dallas Market Center and Lightovation Apps. Also, keep up-to-date on all information by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the DMC Daily Dose.
About Dallas Market Center
Dallas Market Center is a global business-to-business trade center and the leading wholesale marketplace in North America connecting retailers and interior designers with top manufacturers in gourmet and housewares, home décor, holiday/floral, gifts, lighting and apparel. Inside its dynamic, five million square foot campus, nearly 200,000 customers from all 50 states and 85 countries seek industry trends, business education and new products from exhibitors throughout the year via dominant trade events for gift, home décor, holiday and floral; the nation’s most comprehensive apparel and accessories markets featuring the latest styles from East Coast and West Coast designers; the largest residential lighting trade event in North America; and the largest and most successful open-daily design center. The marketplace is located in the strongest economic zone in the country. In addition, more than 80% of Dallas Market Center buyers report that they do not shop other market centers. To make plans for upcoming markets, visit the Dallas Market Center website and download the Dallas Market Center App. Also, keep up-to-date on all information by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the Dallas Market Center blog.
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