Stylish and Moderate Sell Well at MAGIC

A rough economy made for an often tough business environment at the MAGIC Marketplace. However, opportunities were ripe for those with fashions appealing to stressed retailers.

Arif Noor said he opened 150 accounts at the MAGIC Marketplace, where he debuted his stylish yet moderate-priced line, Clothing For Modern Times. The Canadian retail chain, which has its American headquarters in Los Angeles, launched its wholesale business at MAGIC.

“It was the right value for the product,” he said at his 2,000-square-foot booth. He sold dresses he wholesaled for $17.50, compared with others who would wholesale a similar dress for $30, he contended.

Retailers TJ Maxx, Dillard’s, Macy’s, Scoop, Fred Segal, Arden B. and Metropark shopped at MAGIC. A statement from MAGIC management said the number of vendors had increased 17 percent compared with the same show in the previous year. New vendors increased 50 percent. “Overall, it was a great show for all, and we’re excited for February,” said Chris DeMoulin, president of MAGIC International.

However, the poor economy did make an impact on the show. Barbara Fields owns and operates veteran company Barbara Fields Buying Office, which covers the juniors market. She said for the first time in her career, she left MAGIC one day early because 50 percent of the brands she typically shops for her buying service did not show up.

“I was majorly disappointed.” she said. “We’ve always been a major supporter of this show. But vendors were not showing new merchandise. They were showing ’at once’ goods.”

Alicia Estrada has exhibited at MAGIC for more than 14 times, but she estimated that retail traffic was the lightest she has seen. “MAGIC is the best show, and nothing compares to it,” Estrada said. “But I was shocked at how light traffic was.” MAGIC spokeswoman Kathleen Flaherty said vendor exhibition was up in the juniors section and that WWDMAGIC’s buyer traffic was up.

Fortunately, slow traffic did not necessarily mean slow sales for Estrada. She said sales increased 10 percent for her Los Angeles–based company, Stop Staring Designs Inc., compared with the August 2008 MAGIC show. Much of her sales came from retailers making reorders for Stop Staring’s retro-chic styles. They were ordering everything from Immediates to Spring 2010 fashions.

“People buy what is tried and true in a bad economy. People are going to buy what they know works for them,” she said.—Andrew Asch