Fashion Market Northern California Finds Retailers Working Hard for Their Money

SAN MATEO, Calif.—After 12 years of owning a smallwomenswear store in Grass Valley, Calif., Debbie Dejesus packed up her merchandise,purchased a used white delivery truck and hit the road.

With the interiordecorated like a colorful closet, the 2006 Ford E350 truck is stocked with fun and casualclothing that sells for between $25 and $200.

Recently, the mobile merchandisequeen cruised to a hair salon in Grass Valley, parked her truck and watched ascustomers at the beauty palace wandered in and out of the boxy vehicle forthree hours, perusing the merchandise and buying items they thought would gowell with their recently coiffed hair.

“Having abricks-and-mortar store is so expensive. Rents are high, and I wanted to makeretail more fun,” said the petite retailer turned truck driver/boutique owner,noting that people are amazed to see a 5-foot woman behind the wheel of a vehiclethe size of a FedEx truck.

Her new mobilemerchandising business, which roams between Grass Valley and Sunnyvale innorthern California, is called La-Te-Da. Dejesus, whose twin sister, Leesa, and mother,Elizabeth, help out sometimes, said she got tired of being in a store for eighthours, waiting for clients to show up. “Our customers are busy people, so wedecided to go to our customers instead of them coming to us,” she explained.

Her new venture isjust getting off the ground. She networks with people to be invited to eventsor locations where customers are in the shopping mood. She recently drove tothe Sierra Knolls Winery in Auburn, Calif., to sell her clothing and has also parked in front ofa mortgage company in Grass Valley that employs people she knows.

Dejesus plans tochange out her merchandise often, depending on her driving pattern and locationstops.

Currently, she isstocking a lot of maxi-dresses for summer and carrying various lines instead ofgoing heavy on one label. She was at the FashionMarket Northern California, heldJune 24–26 at the San Mateo County Event Center, searching for unique clothing and special piecesthat have color and are whimsical. She placed an order for some Johnny Was merchandise,the Los Angeles brand known for its bohemian look, embroidery and brightcolors. “I want my truck to be something special,” Dejesus said.

Finding somethingspecial wasn’t difficult at the five-times-a-year market, which moved its venuein 2008 from San Francisco to San Mateo. The show has grown steadily ever year.This Fall II season was no different.

Suzanne De Groot, theshow’s executive director, said there were 199 booths at the show this season,compared with 179 last year. Attendance was about the same.

But sales reps at theshow said buyers were scarce and those who did show up were placing orders forImmediates and fill-in items after brisk buying at the previous Fashion MarketNorthern California in March.

“This market is alittle off,” said Arlene Henry, whose Arlene Henry Showroom is located in the Gerry Building in downtownLos Angeles. “Attendance is down.

I don’t know where people are—on vacation orattending school graduations. There are a million reasons.”

This was the secondtime that Wendy Cardona set up a booth to sell the Charlotte Tarantola and Camellia lines, which sherepresents. The Los Angeles–based Cardona, who works out of a showroom in The New Mart, said she didwell at the March show but things were different this time. “Volume-wise, ithas not been the greatest,” she noted.

Millie Troll, who owns The Luxe Showroom at the Gerry Building and is a consistent exhibitor at the show,concurred—even though her booth was right by the front door. “It was not thatgreat,” she said.

Ups and downs

But there were pocketsof optimism and signs of brisk business for others. Jeannette Palmer, a repfrom Newport Beach, Calif., and a first-time exhibitor, was having greatsuccess with a new line called SWYT Culture, a women’s and children’s shoe label based inBeverly Hills, Calif. The collection, pronounced “Sweet Culture,” was launchedby Maggie Finneran.

The ballet-like shoescame in vibrant prints and colors and had whimsical touches, such asrhinestone-studded butterfly-shaped bows on the toes or pastel and whitestripes. “All the great stores I wanted to see were here,” Palmer said, tickingoff a list of California stores, including Bunny’s in Santa Cruz, AmeliaClaire in St. Helena, In Her Shoes in Palo Altoand Finn in SanFrancisco. “Twenty-three buyers stopped here, and I got orders from fourdifferent accounts. Then there were people who said they would follow up.”

Business was fairlypositive for Shana Landa, whose Landa Sales is located at The New Mart. She had three linesthat were right on trend for the Anthropologie crowd. Her Nick &Mo sweaters had a crocheted lookto them and wholesaled for $28 to $68. Her Yumi dress line from London had European-style printsand wholesaled for $35 to $100. Doing quite well was a new brand of burnout andmineral-wash tops and dresses called Luv 4 Anouka, with tops wholesaling for $10 to $30.

“I opened six or sevennew accounts, and then I saw another six or seven accounts that I have seenbefore,” she said. “Retailers are being careful and selective.”

Over at thetriple-wide booth manned by Fred Postal, who has had a showroom in the California Market Center in Los Angeles for more than 30 years, business was positive. “It has beenvery, very good for me,” he said, surrounded by his colorful, art-influencedlines, which included Adore, Cupcake, Ela and Carol Turner Collection. But he admitted that store owners are stillbuying cautiously and wisely. “Business is challenging at the moment,” heobserved. “We know the economy isn’t great. People [store owners] are beingmore thrifty with their buys.”

Store owner SylvieVidal was definitely buying more wisely. Even though her Sylvie Vidal Unique Boutique is inCarmel, Calif., catering to an affluent woman between the ages of 45 and 65,she was shopping with a budget that was down 15 percent from last year.

Many of her customers aretied to their stock investments and pension-fund payouts. To draw customersinto her store, she has started emailing them photos of outfits pulled from herstore shelves and rounders or calls them when new items appear. “We’ve starteddoing more one-on-one with our clients, and we’re looking to be more nurturing.They want special treatment,” she said. “And they’ve responded well.”