California Apparel News

A new trade event that helps vendors get rid of old inventory or overstock got a small start at the same time buyers were flocking to downtown Los Angeles for the LA Majors Market.

Surplus at Majors, held Sept. 26–28, carved out a tiny space with only five exhibitors participating in the first show.

The California Market Center advertised the show as an event that would cater to major department stores, chain stores and discount retailers. But traffic was almost non-existent in the no-frills exhibit area, located behind some eighth-floor showrooms.

Three shoe exhibitors, one apparel company and one handbag vendor had a lot of time on their hands to get office work done and catch up on emails.

“We have had a few customers but not a lot,” said Ed Goetz, the West Coast sales executive for Mia Shoes, based in Miami. “We have seen four or five customers in two days.”

But Goetz had landed a few orders.

Todd Home, the West Coast territory manager for three shoes brands—Coolway, Freestyle and Musse & Cloud—had seen only two retailers in two days. He called his time at the show a “good office day,” but he hadn’t written any orders.

He decided to do the event because he was offered a free display area.

Brett Peters, an account executive for the past four years with Rocket Dog, was a little more upbeat about the event. Plus she didn’t have to travel far for the show. Rocket Dog’s headquarters are located one block away.

By the second day, she had seen four to six mid-size West Coast retailers and placed a couple of orders for “decent amounts.”

Peters realizes that the show still needs a lot of tweaking to improve the idea, but she will be back. “I always try a show three times before I make a decision,” she noted. “It’s new and they [the organizers] are trying to assess what happens.”

The only apparel exhibitor at the show was Focus, a 27-year-old womenswear brand based in Vernon, Calif.

Susan Pomponi, the West Coast sales executive for Focus, said the company decided to participate because the apparel manufacturer was updating its line and wanted to get rid of some old inventory that doesn’t fit in with the company’s future plans.

She had seen about four buyers in two days but written no orders. However, Pomponi was optimistic about some appointments she had made for the third day of the show. The organizers did advertise that this was an appointment-driven venue.

Vegan handbag maker Melie Bianco, based in Pico Rivera, Calif., decided to participate in the show when it was offered free booth space, said Lizbet Quiroz, who was at the Melie Bianco booth. She said it was a very quiet show with little traffic.

While all five participants thought the show concept was “awesome,” they all agreed that it needed to be better planned.

Signage on the eighth floor to direct buyers to the exhibit area wasn’t very good and exhibitors felt there had to be more marketing to attract more people. “It was put together rather quickly,” Pomponi said.