Men's Retail Remains Challenging, but Opportunities Exist
Even though men’s apparel sales in the United States inched up 3.3 percent in 2010, specialty-store owners have been on a challenging journey this year.
That was the word at the recent West Coast Trend Show, a menswear show held July 30–Aug. 1 at the Embassy Suites LAX North near Los Angeles International Airport.
“Most businesses are flat,” said Ken Haruta, the show’s organizer and a menswear rep himself. “Some have shown increases, but they are up and down. Nevertheless, the stores seem to be cautiously optimistic.”
Buyers cruising three floors of hotel suites packed with 90 representatives carrying 260 lines were echoing that sentiment. “Things are not good. I think it is the effect of the economy,” said Hooshang Seda, owner of Quest, a 1,000-square-foot casual-menswear store in the heart of Sausalito, Calif. He yearns for the boom-boom times of 2004 and 2005, when his customers had a more carefree attitude about spending. Now his customers seem to be more interested in novelty items and special merchandise.
Even retailers in affluent areas such as Malibu, Calif., haven’t been immune to a lackluster economy. “We are hoping for a better day,” said Gene Ford, owner of Malibu Lifestyles, located in the tony Malibu Country Mart. “People even in affluent areas are less likely to spend when their stocks are upside-down.”
Ford was one of the 199 registered buyers shopping the twice-a-year, three-day show. This year, buyer attendance was up 32 percent over last summer, Haruta said, in part because some retailers are cutting expenses and traveling to more local shows instead of shelling out big money to go to menswear shows in New York and Las Vegas.
Malibu Lifestyles’ Ford was at the show to see the latest collections from the companies from which he already buys. That gives him more time at the various trade shows in Las Vegas to branch out and search for new clothing lines.
With retailers looking for newness and novelty, manufacturers were shuffling their lines to give it to them.New to the show this year was Jams World, a 47-year-old line of men’s casual shirts from Hawaii. Lorrie Simsen, the line’s sales manager, was surrounded by a blast of bright colors hanging from rolling racks that filled the suite where she was set up for business.
She was pleased with buyer activity at the show. “We are pleasantly surprised,” she said, noting she had opened a few new accounts. “Retailers are cautious, but they are looking for and excited to see new things.”
Jams World provided that newness with its art-driven collection. The company’s president, Pua Rochlin, travels around the world looking for textile artwork that can be made into rayon fabric manufactured in Japan and cut and sewn in Hawaii. “We are doing only eight to nine prints a season,” Simsen said. “We are cut-to-order, so once it is sold, there’s no more of that design.”
Also new to the show was Ramblers Way, an almost 2-year-old high-end line of men’s worsted wool tops made completely in the United States from the wool that comes from Rambouillet sheep in Colorado, New Mexico and Montana to the natural dye house in Maine, where the company is headquartered.
Chris Chappell, the West Coast representative, said the show had been rather slow for him because not many people knew him or his product. “Not everyone knows me, but I will do this show again to have more presence in the marketplace,” he said.
His line of fine wool henleys, polo shirts and pocket tees carried an upscale price tag. A short-sleeve polo wholesales for $110, and a long-sleeve turtleneck had a $100 wholesale price tag.
Unique product is what drives John Faul and Ralph Odenberg of Red Zone Agency in Newport Beach, Calif. They do well at the show with Red Jacket, a line of vintage baseball T-shirts, hats and fleece garments that can be found at Fred Segal and high-end resort gift stores.But recently they started representing a new boardshort and swimwear line called Onia, which is Hebrew for “ship.”
The high-end line from New York carries a sophisticated waterproof nylon swim trunk that could double as a walking short. It wholesales for $52. “This suit goes from the pool to the bar and back to the pool,” said Faul, holding up a sage green trunk. The swimwear line is also big on prints. Onia recently partnered with Liberty of London, known for its art fabrics, to do Liberty of London swim trunks for men.
Onia also has a less-expensive men’s line called Trunks, which is dazzling with its range of artful and colorful prints. Swim trunks wholesale for $19.
In the last year, more contemporary brands have found their way to the West Coast Trend Show, searching out more established men’s clothing stores to expand their territory beyond contemporary retailers. That was why Ricky Chan, men’s West Coast sales representative for Hudson jeans, was making his first appearance at the show.
It went well for him. He opened seven new Los Angeles accounts interested in the line’s array ofprimarily denim pants. They wholesale for $70 to $95. “Retailers are loosening up and willing to take more chances than a year ago,” he said. “And we are trying to be fresh in offering new denim and new styling.”
