Offprice on the Move
There was a new location and increased business during the latest run of the Offprice show, which ran Aug. 15–18 at the Sands Convention and Expo Center in Las Vegas.
The show, which features below-discount, off-price fashions, moved to Sands’ second-floor ballrooms, the former site of the Project trade show, which is best known for its pricey, premium denim. Previously, Offprice was held on the ground level of Sands. Offprice Executive Vice President David Lapidos said his show’s vendors were glad for the chance to stretch their legs in the show’s new site, where they enjoyed amenities such as free Wi-Fi.
“High ceilings, fabulous lights—all the vendors were happy,” Lapidos said, describing the ballrooms’ spacious area. The most recent show hosted 1,152 booths in the 115,000-square-foot ballrooms. It was a slight increase from the August 2009 Offprice show, which offered 1,124 booths. Show spokesperson Don Browne said 10,120 people walked the show. Retailers shopping the show included Duckwall-Alco, headquartered in Abeline, Kan.; Bealls, based in Bradenton, Fla.; Citi Trends, based in Savannah, Ga..; Fred’s Inc. of Memphis, Tenn.; Canada-based Giant Tiger Stores LTD.; Plano, Texas–based JCPenney; Ross Stores of Pleasanton, Calif.; and New York–based Shoppers World.
Vendors showed increasing amounts of women’s footwear and jewelry, according to Browne. Daniel Menendez, owner of New York’s Portland Merchandise Corp., said values and low prices were the most important considerations when shopping. “Our buyers weren’t looking for anything in particular, but we found plenty of great values,” he said.
Offprice will debut a new show, Taste of Offprice, Oct. 4–5 at the California Market Center during the Los Angeles Majors Market. It will feature 170 booths offering off-price fashions during the market.—Andrew Asch
