Market Report: Los Angeles

If anyone was thinking that the Los Angeles gift market is becoming “regional,” we believe that they will have to stretch their vision of “regional.” Gifts & Decorative Accessories was in Los Angeles visiting the three venues that comprise summer market in California's fashion forward city: the L.A. Mart, the California Market Center and the Convention Center.

On the shuttle bus running between the convention center — the California Gift Show venue, which is run by George Little Management — and our hotel, we met two retailers who hailed all the way from New Zealand — Auckland, New Zealand, to be precise.

Thelma Dorricott, owner of Chambers, which is located in the Ponsonby section of Auckland, was in Los Angeles with her daughter, Erin Santoro, to purchase new “American” inventory for her two shops. The shops — located a few doors apart on the same street — are distinguished from each other by merchandise. One is Chambers Home & Living and the second, Chambers Linens & Gifts.

Dorricott told Gifts & Decorative Accessories that she has come to the summer market in Los Angeles several times in the past few years and was generally pleased with what she's found at the California Market Center, the L.A. Mart — which is operated by MMPI — and at the convention center.

The merchandise purchased at market, Dorricott told us, has enabled her to totally differentiate Chambers from her competition. “It's well worth the money it costs to make the trip,” she told us, adding that her stores are destinations for the 2 million area residents. “Our products really set us apart from the other stores around,” said her daughter and store manager.

For the complete Los Angeles gift show report, visit www.giftsanddec.com and click on “Direct From Market.”