Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM NOVEMBER 2021 10 "We found a really good product that I don't think anyone in our area has. I just can't imagine it not going over huge." Lisa Ryan Whyte of Whyte House Design in Chandler, AZ posted about her first-time visit to market on Instagram: "This was an eye-opening experience into the world of design, furniture and accessories. I loved checking out all of the vendors and finding some great options for my clients." IMMEDIATE AND FUTURE NEEDS BRING THE BUYERS Across gift, home décor and furniture, exhibitors reported serious order-writing from buyers not only completing their sourcing for the fourth quarter but also getting a head start on their 2022 ordering. "The Las Vegas Market was consistent with high quality, well-educated buyers and designers that arrived prepared to place confirmed orders rather than write notes or hold orders," added Global Views CEO David Gebhart. "We saw customers from all over the US with the usual heavy concentration from the West Coast as well as many from Texas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Florida. We even welcomed several customers from Canada and Mexico." "We didn't see the 'catalog collectors' this market. Everyone that came in had the intention of buying, and orders have been really big with retailers buying deeper," said Sande Womack, principal of New Era Sales Team (NEST) which represents 55 lifestyle brands including a new expansion into gourmet foods. "Our whole marketing campaign for this market was planning and pre-booking for 2022, but we had a lot of people coming in and seeing if they could still get Christmas 2021." Crossover with the concurrent HD Expo and ASD also drove traffic to Las Vegas Market. "We've been able to court some of the HD Expo attendees who have come over to World Market Center, and once we get them into our showroom, we win them over," said Vanguard Furniture Vice President of Sales John Pigg, who reported giving look books to some 2,000+ designers at market. "We are thrilled to be here, because it's an opportunity to see a lot of customers that would not make it to High Point." TEMPORARY EXHIBITS BUILD BUSINESS IN THE EXPO Las Vegas Market's temporary exhibits hit their stride in the new EXPO at World Market Center, with exhibitors reporting strong shows and many new accounts. "We had the strongest first day in the history of our company at this market with 60% new accounts. I've never had that kind of response in any market before," said Carlos Arias, founder and CEO of Inspired Peru which imports handmade gift and home décor from Peru. "The quality of the customers and the buyers at Las Vegas Market has been really good. That's exactly what a brand like mine is looking to find at market: customers who are not just knowledgeable in what they're looking for, but also open to the new products." "Our goal when we came to Las Vegas Market was to build some accounts that are out West, people that we cannot see in the South," said Lori Newell, founder of Birmingham, Alabama-based Crave Candles. "We have accomplished that goal, because we've opened accounts in Utah, Montana, California and one here in Las Vegas." "We signed up last minute, so we didn't really know what to expect, because obviously, we've been out of show practice. It definitely blew all the expectations that we had SUMMER '21 LAS VEGAS MARKET

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