Dallas Total Home & Gift Market Opens Summer Show Season with Retailer Optimism and Ordering
Dallas Total Home & Gift Market Opens Summer Show Season with Retailer Optimism and Ordering
Friday, June 27, 2025
Dallas Total Home & Gift Market Opens Summer Show Season with Retailer Optimism and Ordering
DALLAS – Dallas Market Center opened the summer show season with retailer optimism and steady order writing across the marketplace during the Total Home & Gift Market, June 18-24, 2025, welcoming thousands of independent retail decision makers from coast to coast and internationally as well as a large number of major retailers and buying groups.
“We were extremely pleased with the show given the shifting economic and global trade conditions,” said Cindy Morris, president and CEO of Dallas Market Center. “Not only did retailers arrive in force but they were optimistic and eager to place orders especially with exhibitors who had in-stock items or new products. The consistent message we heard from exhibitors was that the show ‘exceeded their expectations.’ We have worked hard to stand with retail, oppose tariffs, and promote the in-person market experience as the best opportunity to have conversations, make informed decisions, and discover products that will make a difference for their business.”
Attendance included a large number of buyers who have never attended market in Dallas. This trend of attendance by more new buyers, which began during the pandemic, has remained consistent as retailers and interior designers choose Dallas. Those buyers cite convenience, ability to source across categories, travel cost, and safety as their main factors. These motivations were summed up by Karen Wooten with Hallmark in Mesa, AZ: "There’s something special about this market. We discovered at least three to five new vendors we didn’t expect."
In addition to welcoming retailers and interior designers, across the marketplace new showrooms debuted with an immediate strong return on their investment.
Fashion accessories company Julie Vos opened a new showroom in the Trade Mart and reported their results: “We had record-breaking sales, unprecedented attendance, and a surge of new business at both Dallas Apparel and Dallas Gift shows,” sad Marissa Alfano, vice president of wholesale. “The momentum and enthusiasm from our retailers exceeded expectations, marking one of our most successful market weeks to date!”
Ida Mae Home opened a new showroom in the World Trade Center and commented on their immediate results: “We were overwhelmed by the positive energy, excitement, and support we received from our buyers,” said Kristin Kiseljack, CEO. “Overall, great markets for us and we feel very positive about our position coming out of them.”
Among the showrooms that have been a part of the marketplace for years, the feedback was also largely positive.
“K&K Interiors had an awesome Dallas show,” said Mark Walls, vice president of sales. “We were up in sales compared to a year ago, and June 2025 was the largest summer show in Dallas history.”
Addressing orders and retailer attitudes, Chuck Fraelich, president of tag, commented: “This show was tag’s most successful Dallas summer show to date—both in terms of total booked dollars and the volume of orders written. Retailers came prepared: they valued transparent communication, prioritized in-stock inventory, and were eager for updates on their holiday orders.”
One persistent theme was exceeding expectations. Cynde Stewart, president of RAZ commented: “We really had no idea what to expect … but the show was up, our average order was up, and we opened dozens of new accounts.” Added Ginnie Brand, director of operations: “We repeatedly heard that we exceeded their expectations—and the ones who came were buying.”
The Portico showroom shared their positive results: “I never thought these words would come out of my mouth but we had our best June show ever,” said Randa Crisler, VP of Portico. “We had two weeks of markets between Apparel & Accessories then Gift & Home, and I firmly believe our success has to do with how hard we work to drive traffic and put on a party for buyers in Dallas.”
Other exhibitors noted the positive retailer attitudes in Dallas. Andy Bjorn, chief sales officer with Ivystone, said: “We had retailers with positivity and who were planning and buying for the second half. The more experienced retailers asked good questions while we also noticed that many retailers didn’t seem too worried about surcharges.”
The Temps at Total Home & Gift Market welcomed hundreds of exhibitors to remerchandised destinations inside the discovery zone for new products that will help retailers stand out. Veteran and new exhibitors commented on their experience.
Megan Mitchell of Reminder Nail Polish notes: “Before we came to Dallas Market, we were in 12 stores. After just three markets, we’re now in over 220. The Temps were key to our success." Added Brooke Laroe Phillips of House of Happy: "This is our first year showing at the Temps, and we were super excited to show off our products. We did some advertising ahead of market and it really paid off... being in Spark Magazine brought people directly to our booth." Attendance by Buying Groups, Major Retailers A number of high-volume buyers and key buying groups attended the show and walked the aisles to discover new products across gift and home categories inside permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits. The list of major stores represents more than 4000 doors. First-timers include Buff City Soaps, Hallmark Corporate, and Pottery Barn. Returning were Norman’s Hallmark, Buc-ee’s, Wal Mart, Von Maur, Dillard's, Furniture Mall, NFM, Brookshire Grocery / Reasor’s, Choctaw Casino, Hom Furniture, Big Cedar Lodge, The Paper Store, Winstar Casino & Spa, Mardel, United Supermarkets, Hobby Lobby, Tyler’s, HEB Grocery, Neiman Marcus, Michael’s, Gelson Markets, At Home, Container Store, and Omni Hotel. Buying groups included ASTRA Toy, The Good Toy Group (TGTG), Monograms America (MAI), HTI: Housewares Training and Information, GC: Gourmet Catalog, Museum Store Association, NAFDMA: North American Farmers Direct, SWBG: Southwest Buying Group, Wild Birds Unlimited, and ZAG Zoo, Garden & Aquariums. A highlight this year is the return of Purchasing Power Plus (PPP), back onsite for the first time in a decade—a strong win-back and a valuable addition to the market lineup.
Alicia Valentine, Buying Director for Southwest Buying Group enthused: “Best show EVER!! Vendors and members were soooo happy and we had fun!” Added Liz Smith with the Sugar Bowl Gift Shop in Stormlake, IA: "I have found more new vendors this year than I have in any market in probably five or six years."
Retailer Excellence Awards One of the most important values of the in-person market experience is community, and the 74th annual Retailer Excellence Awards united the industry to celebrate excellence. The event, held at Union Station Hall in downtown Dallas, welcomed hundreds of guests and honored eight retailers, including the home décor store category. Sales Representative of the Year winners were recognized, and the 2025 Manufacturer of the Year, DM Merchandising. The evening concluded with Doug Cofiell, CEO of Ivystone Group, receiving the Gift for Life Industry Achievement Award.
New Website Launches Dallas Market Center launched their new and improved website, which has the most advanced search tool in the industry, mobile FastPass for easy entry, personalized planning tools, exclusive resources, and more. During Total Home & Gift Market, staff assisted retailers activating their account and showing the exciting new features on the website.
Style Eyes Trandspotting
The Style Eyes returned for summer as the program leveraging the knowledge and taste making skills of social media influencers for their insights and discoveries. Designer Presley Busenbarrick (@presleypierce_) served as Style Eyes for June Total Home & Gift Market. Presley owns Presley Pierce Interiors, a cheerful boutique in Atchison, Kansas, offering curated home décor, gifts, and accessories.
Spark Magazine: Summer Issue More than 50,000 customers received the summer issue of Spark magazine, the stylish pre-market publication highlighting trends, what’s new inside the market center, and insights from makers and influencers. For June, the magazine focuses on top lighting trends featuring natural materials including stone, Palm Beach versus Palm Springs design style, and design trends for the home, along with features and profiles exploring gift and fashion. The magazine is available on the Dallas Market Center website.
Planning Ahead: Upcoming Markets Future markets include August Apparel & Accessories Market, August 12-15; September Total Home & Gift Market, September 16-18; Dallas Design Week, September 16-18; October Apparel & Accessories Market, October 21-24; and January Total Home & Gift Market, January 7-13, 2026.
Dallas Market Center partner hotels offer competitive rates to support buyer travel budgets. Dozens of hotels, many within walking distance of the campus, are offering updated rates as low as $144. Rates valid until 2 weeks prior to Market, based on availability and are subject to change at any time, so please reach out to Market Travel online via the Dallas Market Center website or by calling 214-744-7444.
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, Instagram, LinkedIn and the DMC Blog.
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 home décor, furniture, gifts, lighting and fashion. 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 world’s largest western marketplace, opening in 2021; the largest residential lighting trade event in North America; and the largest and most successful open-daily design center. 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 Dallas Market Center blog. ###