California Apparel News

Agenda was one of the first trade shows out of the gate in 2011, attracting nearly one-third more buyers and expanding its reach to snow brands and more surfwear.

At the show, held Jan. 6–7 in Anaheim, Calif., the floor was busy with buyer traffic and order writing.

Chris Josol, an Agenda vendor, was surprised at the show’s robust energy and business. “Agenda is supposed to be a preview show. But everyone was writing. We made our money back at this show,” said Josol, managing partner for the Los Angeles–based 722 Figueroa showroom, which represents menswear lines SLVDR and Copy. He estimated his showroom’s business jumped 25 percent compared with last year.

Jason Bates, a vendor for WeSC, a streetwear brand of apparel and footwear, estimated his sales mushroomed 35 percent over last year’s show.

And Don Brown, senior vice president of Sole Technology Inc. in Lake Forest, Calif.—which encompasses several brands of apparel, footwear and accessories for snowboarders and skateboarders—said business was good. “We were busy both days from open to close,” Brown said. “I’d say it was probably the best trade show we’ve been to in a long time.”

The show’s timing, in many ways, was perfect because it was held right after a solid holiday retail season. Retailers posted a 3.8 percent increase in same-store sales in November and December, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. The good holiday news was making retailers optimistic if still cautious.

Matt Pindroh, owner and founder of the Liberty Boardshop in Brea, Calif., said consumers let their guard down and spent a lot during the holidays. He said it will take some time before consumers return to spending again. “The next six months are going to be very tough,” Pindroh said. “We’re going to take chances again on Back-to-School.”

Vick Tran, a buyer for Huntington Beach, Calif.–based e-commerce retailer 80’s Purple, felt he could start to take risks because the economy is showing signs of improvement, but he will also stick to the tried-and-true. “At the end of the day, we’re still going to sell what we know—brands like Obey and Insight, brands we have carried season after season.”Filling a void?

Estimates of buyer attendance at the show rose to 4,500 buyers, compared with 3,500 during the August show in Huntington Beach, Calif., according to Aaron Levant, who co-founded the Agenda show.

Retailers visiting the event included specialty chains Active, Zumiez, Urban Outfitters, Pacific Sunwear and Tilly’s; boutiques American Rag and Fred Segal; e-commerce retailers; and a host of core skate shops that included True Clothing from San Francisco, Bodega from Boston and 35th North in Seattle.

Leading skate, street and lifestyle brands such as Obey, The Hundreds, Vans and Volcom exhibited at big booths. For the first time, the show hosted snow vendors. Twenty-five snow brands, including Burton and 686, exhibited at the show with the hope more would show up next year.

However, the big surf brands such as Billabong, Hurley, Rip Curl and Quiksilver’s core collections didn’t exhibit. They were showing their Fall 2011 collections at Surf Expo, held Jan. 6–8 in Orlando, Fla.

“Surf was introduced to Agenda two years ago,“ said Levant, noting that 300 brands were at this show, compared with 140 last January. “Next summer, the majority of the major surf players will be at the show.”

The variety of vendors and retailers had many wondering whether Agenda would fill a void left by the closing in November of the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo, which was held twice a year in San Diego. ASR had been the dominant action-sports trade event on the West Coast since the 1980s.

Dave Patri, a vendor and president of Santa Ana, Calif.–based Life Distribution—parent of brands Ambiguous, Split and Split Girl—said Agenda was making all of the right moves to be ASR’s heir apparent. “ASR became a regional show,” Patri said. “This is a regional show as well. [Agenda] is inexpensive, and it is easy to get in and easy to get out.”

Agenda debuted in 2003 as a trade event for streetwear and skateboarding. As it found more success, it competed with ASR for vendors and buyer attention. “We spent a lot of time going neck and neck with ASR,” Levant said. “Now, Agenda does not have to spend its time fighting.”

Rather, Agenda will seek to attract more of the traditional ASR vendors to the show without sacrificing or changing Agenda’s skate and streetwear character, Levant said.