Majors Shopping WWDMAGIC
This season, WWDMAGIC moved from the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center into the Central Hall, where exhibitors reported a good turnout by department and chain stores, as well as boutique retailers.
Sales for affordable-fashion brand CMT tripled compared with its debut at the August 2009 WWDMAGIC, said the brand’s vice president of wholesale, Elizabeth Bishop. Retailers such as Macy’s, Nordstrom and Von Maur shopped the show.
Bishop also noted there seemed to be an increase in attendance from foreign buyers from Japan, Russia and Mexico.Bishop said she thought the number of buyers from single-unit specialty shops seemed to decline compared with last August.
Boutique business, however, was key for Alicia Estrada, president of Stop Staring! Designs Inc. Estrada also reported a good show at WWDMAGIC—thanks to boutique buyers. She estimated her sales increased slightly compared with the same show in the previous year, even if the show’s overall traffic seemed lower.
Estrada reported hearing buyers complaining about the unclear signage on the show floor. Instead of labeling collections of booths “contemporary” or “young contemporary,” as has been the case with previous shows, WWDMAGIC categorized different brands under the monikers “Loft,” “Studio” and “Plaza.”
“A lot of people said they were looking for Stop Staring, but they couldn’t find the contemporary section,” Estrada said.
Veteran retailer Diane Merrick described the recent MAGIC Marketplace as the best organized in her memory—specifically because men’s and women’s sections were separated into different buildings. For the upcoming season, Merrick, the owner of the Los Angeles–based Diane Merrick boutique, said leggings would continue to be highly popular as well as bubble skirts and anything sequined.
The already-big MAGIC claimed more space to Las Vegas during the most recent show. According to a prepared statement, the show covered more than 100,000 square feet of new floor space, which was a 16 percent increase over the same time in the previous year. MAGIC offered a total of 750,000 square feet of exhibiting space.
The show also estimated 1,300 new exhibitors did business at the show, with a total of 3,200 exhibitors. There also was a 9 percent increase in attendance of first-time buyers and 13 percent increase in overseas buyers.—Andrew Asch
