Direct from Market: Atlanta
By Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 7/14/2008 3:30:00 PM
July 14, 2008 — Buyer traffic picked up over the weekend at the Atlanta Gift & Home Furnishings Show, with longer lines in the registration area and busier escalators and elevators. Still, vendors were saying they felt traffic was down. And a few told Gifts & Decorative Accessories that they noticed they were not seeing as many of the smaller to mid-size retailers, but were gratified that also among the absentees were the personal shoppers. The serious buyers were at this market. “The ones who came are ready to buy,” Gary Briggs of Aunt Sadie’s told Gifts & Dec, echoing the phrase we heard more than once.
Many vendors reported that they were experiencing solid sales despite the fewer bodies, with some saying that sales were up from last market. And a few even reported “record-breaking” sales. Benno Duenkelsbuehler of New Creative said his company's sales were up 40 percent. Nevertheless, not all painted a rosy picture; some vendors said “it's a little slow,” and one admitted “it is horrible.” While several showrooms cited the opening of the temporary exhibits siphoning off attendees, the aisles in the temporaries themselves were more lightly trafficked.
And vendors weren’t the only ones reporting differing views when asked, “How’s business?” Comments from retailers to Gifts & Decorative Accessories ranged from “Horrible” to “We’re holding our own” to “Business is great.”
Next market will see big changes in the temps, as Building 2 West Wing opens — the formidably large space saw a sneak preview at a well-attended party on Friday, and signs dotted through the market buildings promised new locations in the new space for various temporaries divisions.
The Attraction of Youth
In a market the size of Atlanta, it can be easy to miss something or someone interesting or important, especially when there is no publicity, press kit or signage to tell you about it. Sometimes it takes someone else to say, “Have you seen/heard about …? You really must.” Such was the case with Freckles, Buttons and Beads. While riding the escalator, we were stopped by a rep and told, “There is an exhibitor in the showroom across the way from us, whom you really must go see.”
|
|
Entrepreneur Meredith Whitaker of Freckles, Buttons and Bows |
That is how we met Meredith Whitaker, a charming 9-year-old entrepreneur, who was debuting her jewelry and hair accessories company, Freckles, Buttons and Bows, in The Wolf Company showroom. With a mature presence, she talked us through her line, which is a fresh looking collection of rings, bracelets, hair bands and hair clips made from layers of buttons, ribbon, and felt flowers. The items are geared primarily for her tween age-group, but are such that they also have broader appeal,
Like many good ideas, Meredith’s road to business began simply; she made her first items for her own pleasure and to answer a personal need. Explaining how she developed her hair bands, she noted, “All the hard hair bands you can buy always hurt my head, and my friends said the same thing. So I developed my own out of ribbon. They stay in my hair and don’t hurt.” When she began wearing her hair bands and other designs, her friends noticed and asked her to make some for them. Thus a business was born a year ago and has slowly grown beyond the neighborhood. And in a wonderful spirit of giving back for one so young, Meredith is donating a portion of the proceeds from her sales to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
On the Green Wave
As more proof of the green trend reaching into mainstream lines and not just those that brand themselves as eco-chic, Gently Spoken’s line will be 100 percent green by 2009, George Christ, vice president of sales, told Gifts & Decorative Accessories. The company’s introductions are already printed on eucalyptus paper, a quickly renewable resource, and as the popular Eat Your Peas titles are republished they will become eco-friendly as well.
|
|
Russ Animalz |
Another mainstream company, Russ Berrie, launched two new eco-collections, one in plush with natural dyes and the other, a line of small wooden toys from Australia. The company plans to add an additional green baby line in future.
In response to the growing demand from customers for green product that meets a higher standard of earth-friendliness, Whimsy Press debuted Mixed Greens, a collection of gift wrap and card packs made from 100 percent recycled paper content, tote bags made from recycled cotton and plastic, and organic cotton onesies packaged in biodegradable clear bags.
Half the Sky Designs known for its Rebagz brand of eco-friendly bags, introduced two new styles: the Pop Top bag and the Life is a Circle bag. The Pop Top bag is shaped somewhat like a binocular case and is made from woven recycled juice packs. The Life is a Circle bag is a drum canteen shaped bag made from recycled rice bags and has an adjustable shoulder strap. There is also a new laptop carrier that is appointed with a well-thought out internal compartment area. All the bags are handmade.
Speaking of Bags and Such…
|
|
Carry Eco from TokyoBay |
Eco shoppers of all types abounded at market — some more eco-friendly than others. Mixed Bag Designs debuted its line of workhorse, all-purpose reusable totes made of polypropylene in bright colors and chic patterns. The low, affordable price points were as appealing as the designs. And a portion of the sales will be donated to environmental causes.
TokyoBay brought in the CarryEco bag line. The polyester-like fabric is made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles. The patterns are fun and bright, and the bags fold up small and tuck into their own pocket. And En Bags is another line of “city shoppers” — lightweight polyester bags in bright colors and stylish patterns.
Jane Marvel has a whole new collection of stylish bags and travel accessories done in her own fabric designs, which are fresh and contemporary. The bags are lightweight, waterproof, easy to clean and vegan. And all the bags, with the exception of pouches and accessories, come with a free gift inside.
Bungalow introduced four new patterns and three new forms of practical containers and storage accessories in the Scout line. Two of the three new shapes are designed with the working woman in mind. The new Mini Deano Office is a study file tote that makes it easier to transport hanging files and file folders between office and home or to business meetings. The Mini Deano Office has sturdy hard sides and bottom. And once at the office, the files can go into the new Hang-10 Bin. To promote and support breast cancer awareness, the company has taken its signature pink gingham pattern Deano totes in two sizes and affixed them with a special Scout label with a pink ribbon. Bungalow will donate 30 percent of sales of these totes to breast cancer awareness programs across the country.
For Home and Garden
|
|
At Home with Jim Shore exclusively for Crazy Mountain |
In a bold move in this difficult economy, Crazy Mountain made a big splash at market with the launch of the “At Home with Jim Shore exclusively for Crazy Mountain” collection of home decor. The introduction was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony that opened a new showroom to showcase the line. The showroom is adjacent to and connects into the regular Crazy Mountain space. Randy Eller was on hand to help artist Jim Shore do the ribbon cutting. The collection consists of small accent furniture and decorative accessories developed from the sketches that Shore has made over the years. It was his dream to one day create a collection of home accessories that blend the elements of traditional folk art into designs that fit within the tastes of more contemporary lifestyles. The line, presented in a series of vignettes and product stories was well received. It struck a chord with gift and accessories buyers familiar with the name and work of Jim Shore, but also attracted a new customer looking for something new and well-priced in home decor. The collection will be shown later this month at the Las Vegas Market.
|
|
New Creative |
Unlike Crazy Mountain, a majority of manufacturers were playing it on the safer side and not taking too many risks with product introductions. This summer, there were many line extensions, but we were told that come January there will be plenty new to see. New Creative introduced the Storybook collection, a line of garden accessories based on storybook characters, including The Little Mermaid and Puss in Boots. The pieces are available in four finishes: stone, bronze, faux wood and verdigris. The company also expanded its National Geographic line with the Coastal Collection. Wicker furniture and outdoor art in four designs of shells round out the collection.
Deco Breeze known for stylishly cooling the house is now warming things up. The company introduced a selection of decorative heaters that feature a safety switch in case they fall over. Also new is a collegiate line for students and sports fans.
Caffco International signed a deal with Hen Feathers to introduce a selection of garden accessories. The pieces are clean and classic and include planters, fountains, hanging wall planters, statuary and stools in a copper tone.
|
|
Barreveld |
Barreveld has teamed up with the New York Botanical Gardens to create a garden-inspired collection of decorative accessories. The line includes lanterns, glassware, pottery and statuary all inspired by the gardens.
|
|
Home, James! Collection |
The home, James! Collection is now distributing pieces from the National Museum in Beijing. The horse figures from the Tang Dynasty are based on pieces on display in the museum. The company also introduced a collection of scented candles based on architectural periods of history from the National Gallery of Art's collection of books. Included in the line are Vendôme, Shanghai, Kilkenny, Alhambra, Canterbury, Firenze, Luxor and Jaipur.
For Kitchen and Table
Michael Aram introduced more than 100 new products this market. The Impala collection has an African safari feel and features antler accents, such as antler handles on trays. Hasta Collection is a hand formed collection using the repousse technique and done in stainless steel. The designer's floral enamel pieces are really taking off according to Sebastian Herald, so Aram added a vegetable collection in fall colors like purple and amber. The line includes a romaine leaf, mushroom patch, rhubarb servers, okra bread platter, artichoke platter and more. The designer also entered a new category: candles. The candles are meant to be bought as extensions of the existing collections. They are poured in glass, feature three wicks for an even burn and are topped with a lid that features a decorative element from one of the lines.
Andrea by Sadek introduced two new patterns in its Vera Bradley line. Both are brown based. Puccini takes on a mod look and Cafe Latte is more Moroccan inspired.
Boston Warehouse’s Animalhouse line of whimsical housewares puts a little fun into kitchen cooking tasks. The handles of these kitchen tools are fun animal shapes such as penguins, whales, etc. The Pirhana pizza cutter is particularly popular. The Animalhouse line will be expanding into office accessories with the same whimsy animal approach. Also, the company is already showing some of its Summer ’09 everyday line for outdoor entertaining. New for Boston Warehouse is a more upscale line of patio and garden entertaining accessories called Green Garden. It includes ceramic serveware and lighting accessories.
Artist in Residence is a new division for Mariposa. The first collection is designed by Shelly Bradbury and features a wide selection of serveware done in coated nickel and brass — a first for the company.
Holidays Shopping
Demdaco’s Spring Wishes collection of figures and other decorative accents, includes vintage-inspired animals and accessories. The company’s Christmas line, Caribou Canyon, was so popular, it expanded it to everyday. The pieces are made from resin, but are designed to look like wood. The line includes frames, boxes and plaques with inspirational sayings.
Perhaps because it appeals to this burgeoning green consciousness and lodge-traditionalists alike, rustic Christmas looks featuring woodsy browns continued to be spotted throughout the Mart; particularly at Silvestri which, under its new owner Demdaco, is focusing on “environmentally inspired” products made with natural materials and looks. The company is also concentrating on tightly edited collections which make sense to the retailer and consumer without overwhelming them. Silvestri also told Gifts & Dec that, in spite of the challenging economic climate, the company finds that its larger and pricier statement pieces, which go for up to $50, are selling as well or better than smaller standard, lower-priced glass or paper ornaments.
|
|
Peking Handicraft |
But despite the ubiquity of Christmas product at market, rustic or otherwise, it’s not the only holiday bringing in the big bucks. According to Peking Handicraft, Halloween is actually bigger than Christmas in some of the giftable textile line’s catalog accounts, in part because the market isn’t so saturated with product. “You can get Christmas anywhere,” the company’s spokesperson explained.
Bright Lights
Paul Stewart/Stand’s product lines continue to grow. In addition to producing and selling his own designs (his chic Flatlinks cuff links that fold flat for storage), he is working with a lot of young industrial designers in Brooklyn, NY, where he is based. New this market from Urbano is a practical storage solution for plastic grocery bags that doubles as a waste basket. Its simple clean styling will blend with any kitchen decor from modern to country. And Sterling Turquoise’s stylish bottle stopper topped with a large turquoise chunk comes with its own display stand that turns it into a decorative accessory when not in use.
|
|
Maura Daniel |
Lamp manufacturer Maura Daniel lets the customer create their own lamp. The company’s Lamp-in-a-Box line allows the shopper to choose the base and the shade and go home with their own signature lamp. And an added plus, everything is made in Los Angeles. The company also introduced Scent-on-a-Lamp, a scented ring that is placed on the top of the lamp over the finial that scents the room whether the lamp is on or not.
A line of simply illustrated clay charms from Soda caught our eye at the Keena booth. The charms are porcelain pendants that are etched with original drawings. They come in three sizes and can be used as gift tags, as well as a fashion accessory. They are handmade and come with a natural suede cord.
In addition to the Jim Shore launch, Crazy Mountain also presented several new licensed collections from Tim Coffey, Susan Winget and Lori Seibert. Tim Coffey’s Birchwood artwork of bird and natural images is done in a soft, appealing watercolor palette. In additional to Crazy Mountain’s signature candle warmers there are home office and stationery accessories, serveware and accent pieces.
|
|
Wish Candles from Dogeared Jewels and Gifts |
Dogeared Jewels and Gifts has added a lot more giftware back into its line, a category that the company had downplayed in recent seasons in favor of its very successful jewelry lines. The canvas shopper totes with slogans such as WWAGD (What Would Al Gore Do?) that it introduced a year ago to rave reviews has been expanded with new designs and statements. There is also a new candle line, Wish Candles. They are all eco-friendly with soy wax, recycled glass containers and recycled/reusable box packaging printed in soy inks. The company redesigned its jewelry cards to present a more upscale look that is more in line with its jewelry. Not to be overshadowed by the gift introductions, there is plenty new in the jewelry line too.
At Roman, we got to meet artist Gina Freehill, the talent behind the Peace by Piece giftware line, the Together Forever bridal line and the new Tender Embrace baby line. Tender Embrace is more about mom and dad than it is about baby. Gina took us through the line highlighting the special elements of the sentiments. The retailers who happened to be viewing the line at the same time were drawn to her personal explanation of the products. The design elements capture the idea of scrapbooking art. One of the central pieces of the collection is a shadowbox like gift that conveys the sentiment “I’ve become a father/mother.” It holds a photograph of the new baby and intended to sit on the parent’s dresser or desk top or hang on the wall.
In candles, notable new finds include the Tatine Collection's handmade Le Vieux Monde (The Old World) collection, featuring silhouetted historical artwork At the other extreme, Black & Light Co. showed for the first time ever a collection of hand-poured, rolled and silk-screened or engraved candles by artisan Bill Stewart in simple, striking geometric shapes. As the name implies, most are black and white, though a few colored options are also available. — Bessie Nestoras, Meredith Schwartz and Caroline Kennedy
We would love your feedback!
-
Direct from Market: Atlanta
Jul 20, 2011 -
Direct From Market- Atlanta
Jan 13, 2012 -
Direct from Market: Hong Kong
May 9, 2011 -
Direct from Market: New York
Feb 3, 2012 -
Direct from Market: Las Vegas
Sep 18, 2009
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
