Direct from Market: Atlanta
By Caroline Kennedy, Bessie Nestoras and Meredith Schwartz -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 1/13/2009 10:19:00 AM
Traffic continued to build steadily throughout the weekend at the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market. Mixed reviews of any show seem to be the norm these days — and Atlanta is no different. Some vendors reported a slightly quiet market or average show, and others said it was busy and found sales and traffic a pleasant surprise. “Yesterday was nice,” said Mary Groghagan of Do Not Disturb, “better than July.” Several showrooms were buzzing with large crowds including Demdaco, Global Views, Andrea by Sadek and Vera Bradley. Ron Knutson of SPI said, “Traffic has been very good. We were jammed on Friday afternoon.” And Clay Vordenbaum from Danielson Designs said, “We had our biggest opening day at any show we’ve ever had.” Overall, while the majority of reports noted good sales, many admitted that buyers were being cautious or conservative in their order-writing.
Rocco DiSpirito
The Celebrity Factor
The celebrity factor is sure to create buzz at a market, and Atlanta was not lacking in star power to draw crowds. Celebrity chefs Virginia Willis, Rocco DiSpirito and Tyler Florence drew large crowds to their cooking demos. Rocco had his audience figuratively “eating out of his hands” as he engaged the audience by moving out from behind the cooking area to move among the assembled gathering while he talked about cooking. He exchanged banter with one audience member and showed to all the photos she had brought with her from a previous encounter in New York.
Market-goers also flocked to hear a presentation by celebrity designer and party planner Colin Cowie. He drew a nearly overflow audience of somewhere around 300 to his presentation on entertaining with style. And Barry Dixon unveiled his new collection of rug design, signed books and participated in a presentation to discuss accessorizing living spaces.
And buyers love to meet the artists behind many of the products that they buy and sell. Jim Shore is a market staple and was seen in the Enesco showroom and elsewhere. Kate McRostie appeared to launch her new collections with several of her licensees: Creative Co-op, Certified International, C&F Enterprises, CounterArt and Cape Shore. Buyers lined up out the door to meet Paul Brent, appearing on behalf of Calypso Studios. Emerson Quillin signed martini glasses at Tumbleweed Pottery; Dan diPaolo appeared at Certified International; photographer Harold Feinstein signed bags featuring his floral photography at Coyne’s & Company; and Deb Strain and Paul Brent each signed flags at Custom Décor.
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Kool & the Gang |
Showroom Openings
There were showroom openings and expansions all over the market. Designer Greetings opened its first showroom, which is located just off the escalator on the sixth floor of the new West Wing. Neighboring new showrooms include Demdaco and Silvestri by Demdaco. The look of the showroom is unique — it looks as if one is walking into a real CardSmart card store. One buyer, we were told, upon discovering the showroom as she emerged off the escalator, walked in and remarked, “This is just what I’ve been looking for. Let’s talk.” The company introduced its new line of musical greeting cards, the “It’s Music to Me” line, that features fun and popular songs in a range of cards for everyday occasions.
Demdaco and Silvestri moved out of their previous showrooms (Demdaco from Building 2 and Silvestri from Building 1) to brand new spaces opposite each other off the escalator on the sixth floor of the new West Wing. The co-location makes it easier for buyers to shop both divisions with greater ease.
Atlanta-based Anna Griffin Inc. opened its first showroom this market. When asked what precipitated this move, company owner and designer Anna Griffin noted, “I asked myself, ‘what can I do this year to help sales?’ From a brand-building outlook, you need a home base to show the entire line. We’re based here in Atlanta, so it made sense.”
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Synergy Sales owners, Kevin Anderson (left) and Gene Markham, cut the ribbon to open their expanded showroom, while Lisa Cednick looks on. |
And gourmet housewares showroom, Synergy Sales Associates which has its showroom on the eighth floor of Building 2, took advantage of the gourmet area being relocated to the eighth floor of the new West Wing — right next door! They broke through the back wall and expanded the showroom, which now straddles the old Building 2 and the new West Wing. In the Sunday edition of the Atlanta Market Dailies, we misidentified the photo, shown here of the Synergy ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Trending Up: Palm Beach
This market vendors looked to Palm Beach for inspiration. Graphic designs in pinks, greens, blues and yellows were seen throughout the showrooms. Pomegranate expanded its textiles collection to include a selection of giftware. Journals, trays, leather accessories, ice buckets, boxes, napkin sets and totes are among the introductions. They are all done in bright yellow and green and feature geometric motifs.
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Art in Motion |
Baekgaard’s new collection includes patent leather totes, passport holders and more in bright pink, yellow, orange and blue.
The look was also spotted in a display at the Art in Motion showroom. The company paired floral wall blocks with white lattice mirrors.
Maximal Art also introduced a jewelry collection called Palm Beach. The line features gold jewelry with floral shapes and pink and green accents.
Two’s Company also looked to Palm Beach for inspiration. The showroom displays were bright and tropical incorporating the oranges, pinks, blues and greens in its designs.
C&F Enterprises’ Serendipity collection also takes on a beachy look in white and green. And the new Trina Turk collection at Peking Handicraft features pillows and rugs in keeping with this trend.
Trending Up: Water Bottles
Another trend spotted at the show was a proliferation of aluminum or stainless steel water bottles, in response to both eco backlash against disposable bottled water (for both landfill and shipping fuel reasons) and health concerns about the BPA found in many plastic bottles, reusable and single-use alike. Giftable versions tend to feature artwork and slogans with green, fitness or inspirational themes, such as the ones introduced by Crazy Mountain.
Manners and the Art of Conversation
Lucky Feather introduced DishTips, a line of melamine manner plates. There are four plates in the collection and each plate offers an etiquette reminder with the sentiment providing the graphic on the surface of the plate: “Eat with your mouth closed”; “Sit up straight”; Elbows Off the Table” and “Napkin on Your Lap.” Each plate retails for $8–$10. No matter how well mannered we may be, these reminders can’t hurt …and they make a wonderful teaching aid for families.
And speaking of good manners, Truly Mom is highlighting its “Thanking Out of the Box” collection of thank you note sets that include eight different cards with envelopes and a gel pen packaged in a gift box. There are two sets for kids, one for girls and one for boys, that also include a guideline as to how to write a note.
How else do you teach manners? How about with a game. Blunders is a fun board game for kids that also teaches them manners and etiquette in different situations. The game is intended for kids ages 5 to 10, and can be played by two to eight players. Players help the story characters improve their manners through a variety of challenges from true/false questions to charades. It’s a fun way to learn.
Conversation starters are not a new thing, but Penny Stones from CMD Gifts offers a different way to get the talking started. Penny Stones are a collection of 21 glass stones with discussion points. The tactile element of holding the glass stone stimulates thinking and helps to stimulate the conversation. And when not in use, they make an attractive accessory in a bowl or in their own clear tote bag. There are five topic editions: Original, Tween/Teen, New Parents, Love and Marriage, and Faith-based.
Fashion Favs
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Freckles, Buttons and Beads |
Last market (July 2008), we met Meredith Whitaker, a 10-year-old entrepreneur of Freckles Buttons & Beads who had just launched her her line of fashion accessories by and for the tween set. Her collection consists of bracelets, ribbon hair bands, button rings, and now handbags. Her Pursenality Bags are eye-catching and sure to be strong sellers with the younger set. Made of brightly colored felt with ribbon straps and clusters of felt flowers, they are fun, yet sophisticated.
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Suburban Silk |
Suburban Silk has expanded its men’s accessories to include cuff links that coordinate with the company’s ties, as well as journals and canvas and leather bags that feature numerous pockets and can be carried in more than one way. The company also introduced a selection of totes for women that are reversible. The bags feature a zipper on both sides, so that the user always has an inside zipper. The bags can be monogrammed and come in red toile, black toile, brown giraffe and a black and white zebra print. Also new are soap leaves. Soap is pressed into an actual leaf; the user washes their hands as usual and the leaf breaks down and all you’re left with is the spine, which simply goes down the drain.
Candle Warmers
Candles Burning Brightly
Firenze Luminaries from Northern Lights Candles have the sculptural appeal of a vase but they actually hold fragranced wax in an inner glass cup permanently joined to the holder and capped with metal trim.
Also in candles, Candle Warmers offers are more modern take on its candle-warming lamp called the Contempo, which will be available to ship in March. Macy's has already expressed interest.
Gary Briggs of Aunt Sadie’s Candles reported that the company’s biggest seller at the show is its new tin container featuring an image of president-elect Barack Obama. A “hope”full sign?
Department 56
Happy Holiday
Following the niche trend of festive crowns for special occasions, both Midwest and Department 56 offered festive and silly holiday headwear, including organic wool elf hats from Midwest, novelty Christmas trees and a headband with dangling mistletoe from Dept. 56. Also notable at Midwest are vintage newspaper-inspired accessories in the Wendy Addison line, and a bright colored retro-future collection called Robots and Rockets. While Dept. 56 offers an elegant partridge-in-a-pear-tree story in ivory and gold.
In the holiday temps, standout offerings included Snowfall lights — clear, glass look tubes contain a line of tiny lights which turn on in sequence to mimic snowfall.
Scentsicles scented holiday 6” sticks hang on the tree as holiday ornaments. They come in Christmas Morning, Grandma’s Kitchen Candy Cane, Gingerbread Man and Christmas wreath scents.
What Else is New? Plenty …
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Children's tea sets at Sadek |
Shore is still big at Andrea by Sadek. The company introduced several new pieces with a coastal theme. Seahorse plates, shell bowls, nickel plated seahorse candleholders are all part of the introductions this market. Within the Vera Bradley collection, the company introduced Purple Crunch and Pink Cupcakes. And in the Williamsburg line, garden was the main theme. Sadek introduced a wide selection of tuliparies and other vases for floral arrangements. Also part of the company’s Williamsburg collection is a children’s tea set in three sizes.
Eastern Breeze is now working with artisans in South America, including Guatemala, where its collection of masks is made. They are hand carved and come in three collections. The new Galavant traveling stationery box is the perfect addition to a writer’s home. It is made of leather and features drawers and slots for papers and other desk accessories.
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Kelly Rae Roberts Collection at Demdaco |
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Nest's linens and bedding |
Wine bottle gift tags take a new twist with Adorne Bottle Bijoux. These are gift tags and decorative accents — jewelry for the bottle — all wrapped up in one. The beaded, spiral wire wraps around the neck of the bottle like a bracelet, with the greeting tag at one end like a charm. There are four different collections with different greetings and space for a personalized greeting.
T-Hee Greetings has a fun offering for coffee drinkers and party hosts. Its new Hot & Sassy line of paper coffee cups with coffee-related sayings on them such as "My blood type is Dark Roast." The cups have a built-in "comfort sleeve" that makes them easy to hold, and they come complete with sipping lids to keep the beverage warmer and to minimize spills while partying. They come eight to a sleeve with lids.
Sterling Tea is one of the exhibitors in the new market section on the Gourmet floor of the new West Wing. Brenda Sterling Meyers custom creates and hand mixes her own blends of tea. When developing new flavor blends, Meyers trusts some of her established customers to do taste tests to help refine the mix before adding it to the line. She was excited about being in the market area just down the aisle from the Gourmet Kitchen. In addition to her custom blended teas, Sterling Tea also introduced a tea-infused cookie mix. The shortbread based cookie mixes are complete except the butter.
One of the more fun products that we discovered this market is a line of Mother’s Day cards from Flickback Media. These cinecards are a greeting card and a DVD all in one. The card includes a DVD greeting with a story line sentiment illustrated with old movie clips that are captioned like old silent movies. They are fun and entertaining and different. There are nine different styles.
All New Materials, known for importing the quirky French plush line The Deglingos, debuted Super Zeros in the High Design section. Each plush creature has an exceptional skill balanced by a phobia or weakness, so they even out (hence the "Zero" of the name). A children’s book is expected to follow.
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