For Immediate Release January 26, 2010
Contact:
Off-Price Specialist Show Pre-Registrations up over 15% from 2009
Tight Supply yet Growing Demand for Off Price Goods explain part of expected increase in this February’s Show Attendance
While the show management is pleased with its marketing efforts over the past couple years, they attribute a good part of this spike to two conflicting trends – the limited availability of off price goods due to lower volumes of manufacturing in the past year, and the growing demand for these same fashions from retailers seeking better margins in today’s value-driven market.
“We’re there in good times and in bad,” said David Lapidos, Senior Vice President for the Off Price Show. “We have experienced growth in attendance over the past couple years because of the declining economy. Now that apparel manufacturers have lowered their volumes in response to these conditions, it makes the demand for off price fashions more competitive. This is why more retailers – both big and small – are coming to the #1 source for off price goods – our show.”
“People (i.e.
manufacturers) are playing it safe,” said Ben Macabee of McQueen’s Wholesale in
The Off Price Show is growing on the other side of the aisle as well, with 33 more exhibitors and 80 more booths than last year’s February Show. There are also 40 new exhibitors, many of them focusing on the hottest selling categories like costume jewelry, scarves and other accessories, dresses and formal wear for women, basics, hats, printed tees and footwear.
“We view Off Price as an ideal market for cashing in on these trends,” says Sammy Mosseri of new exhibitor Pan Oceanic. The New York-based group is 4 companies in 1, each specializing in eyewear, children’s branded accessories, scarves and footwear. “We plan on making a big splash at our first show.”
Lapidos asserts that the combined increases in attendance in exhibition sales stem from a more educational approach to the show’s marketing efforts.
“In 2008, our message was ‘on trend fashion, below wholesale prices’ to emphasize the quality of goods in our niche of the industry and de-construct the myths about off price as merely schmatta. In 2009, we launched the ‘This is Off Price’ campaign which included re-branding our magazine with the same name so that we could integrate our marketing and publishing communications to educate all retailers on what they can’t afford to miss.”
Exhibitors like McQueen’s are benefiting from the show’s marketing campaign. “We close out a young men’s line called Apokolypse that is in great demand,” said Macabee. “Retailers that find us at the show are very excited to get these branded products at 50-75% below wholesale. We’re doing great in tops bottoms and the whole nine yards.
In conjunction with the quarterly magazine’s 2010 Resource Guide, the show launched the new website –THISISOFFPRICE.COM to reach even more merchandisers searching for wholesale clothing, accessories and footwear, while communicating the latest news of the trade in a more timely manner.
“We are in the immediate goods business,” said Lapidos. “So the website allows us to report the real hard news of our trade – THE DEALS – as soon as we learn about them. It is a terrific benefit to our vendors and retailers.”
The new online magazine also includes a “cool new” digital version of the printed quarterly, with links to advertisers and vendors who are covered in the editorial. The website, like the re-branded magazine, is show-focused, since management feels that the bi-annual show is the pulse of the industry.
“You look at our success in the face of tough times and you can make a case that our show is the nerve center of the off price world,” said Lapidos. “More buyers are figuring out that they have to be here to score the best values in the fashion industry AND develop the relationships with our vendors in order to get deals year-round.”
While the lean supply of off price goods is a contributing factor to the sharp rise in buyer registrations, the show management also believes that their overall success stems from their “educational message.”
“The top 2 sources buyers and
new vendors are citing for finding us are word of mouth and the internet,”
Lapidos reported. “They are referred by
suppliers, buying offices and they are finding us on the top of the search
engines. We even have leading discount
retailers coming from South America and
The next Off Price Specialist Show takes place February
14-17, 2010 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, HallG, in
Notes to Editors
Meetings, interviews
and tours can be arranged for media by contacting
For additional information and updates on all Off-Price Specialist Center shows, markets and magazines, visit us at www.offpriceshow.com.
Trade press can also find relevant information on retail trends by visiting www.offpriceshowrooms.com.
Upcoming Off-Price Specialist events with confirmed dates include:
Off-Price Specialist Show
February 14-17, 2010
Sands Expo & Convention Center, Hall G
Off Price
May 2-4, 2010
Gotham Hall
Off Price Specialist Show
August 15-18, 2010
Sands Expo & Convention, Halls A & B – new bigger & brighter venue!
The
Off-Price Specialist Show is organized by Tarsus Group plc (TRS.L on the