For Immediate Release                                                                                                        February 22, 2010

 

Contact: Don Browne                                          262.754.6910          dbrowne@offpriceshow.com                                            

 

More New Buyers & Big Retailers, Plus Active Order-Writing at

Off Price February Show

Success for Vendors & Retailers Show Signs of Optimism in the Market

 

BROOKFIELD, WI – The Off Price Specialist Center announced today that their February Off Price Show was another huge success with a 3% increase in attendance and an 8% rise in the number of exhibitors and booths.  The 10,200 retailers and merchandisers in attendance were open to buy with great enthusiasm, especially on the show’s second day.

 

“I guess your attendance is up because it’s 2:00 PM and I haven’t had time for lunch yet,” reported Steven Riback of S.R. Shirts & Stuff in Montville, NJ, during the show’s second day.  “I wrote 60 orders already today.”

 

 “I had the best single day ever at an Off Price Show,” said Jerry Paley of Vine Products in West Haven, CT.  “And I’ve been doing the show for 10 years.” 

 

According to Michael Bachar of LA-based Boulevard, “It was a crazy day.  This has been the best show ever!  The big guys came!  The little guys came!”

 

Many of the show’s exhibitors experienced “greater than normal” writing activity from the largest retailers in the trade.

 

“Major buyers spent more time with us and were trying more of our product,” said Mark Manshoory of Gazoz of LA.   “I dealt with more division buyers than I have at other shows.”

 

“The larger buyers are looking for value, value, value, and trusted vendors who will be there for them,” asserted Paley.  “They were ready to write if they saw the right deal.” 

 

Mitchell Meth, Vice President of Crestmark Bank, the official factor of the Off Price Show was pleased with the amount of business that their exhibiting customers did with the big stores.  “We also recruited several new leads from around the country.  These are both valuable indicators of a market showing improvement.  There is a lot more optimism from jobbers and retailers.”

 

“They (the larger retailers) were here.  They were writing,” said Buyer Tom Joyce of Building 19 in Hingham, MA.  “They were too conservative through Christmas.  They don’t want to make the same mistake for the rest of the year.”

 

The expansion in exhibitors and booth space was a welcome site for buyers expecting a lean supply of goods in the off price market due to reductions in volume from manufacturers in the past year.

 

“For us, the show was very successful,” said Glen Gammons, Corporate Merchandise Liquidation Director for JC Penney in Plano, TX.  “There’s been a lot of talk about the lack of goods in the off price market, and we found a new shoe vendor, a new kids vendor, a new men’s vendor and a new women’s vendor.  We were looking for Spring and Summer, and all of our buying needs were satisfied.  We found a lot of tops and bottoms at great values, which is what Off Price is known for having.” 

 

“I was surprised by the number of children’s exhibitors at the show,” said Sharon Brown of Shoppers World department store in New York.  “We should have brought our children’s buyer.”

 

“There were very strong deals here, but you had to dig to find the best stuff,” stated Joyce, who’s been attending Off Price since it started in 1995.  “I spent more time at this show than any other, and wrote with 3 new vendors.”

 

Riding the wave of success throughout the last couple of years, the Off Price management prepares for another milestone – a new home at The Sands for the August Show.  Though the relocation takes place in the same venue, Off Price moves from “Hall G” on the ground level, to the stately Halls A & B on the first floor.

 

“Now more and more people are getting it,” said David Lapidos, Senior Vice President for Off Price.  “So the growth of our dynamic market requires a more dynamic marketplace.  We are a rare exhibition of terrific values – our new venue will embrace that.”

 

The Off Price Specialist Center also announced that over 80% of the exhibition space for the August 2010 Off Price has already been booked.

 

To garner more buyer support for the August premiere, the Off Price campaign will make an appearance at New York Market Week with “A Taste of Off Price” (May 2-4, Gotham Hall, 36^th & Broadway).  A sampling of immediate goods by a selection of leading off price vendors is intended to whet the appetites of Market Week buyers who have yet to experience the largest off price show in the fashion trade that takes place in Vegas 3 months later.

 

“It looks to me that the Off Price Show is much bigger, but it’s well organized and the service from the show staff and exhibitors is still very personal,” Gammons commented.  “This show is ideal for mid-tier retailers, as well as for all retailers.  I feel that you always get a much better deal in person, so you should come to the show with the best deals – Off Price.”

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“It really feels like the Off Price Show is running on its own,” Said Paley.

 

The next Off Price Show takes place August 15-18, 2010 in a new and brighter location at the Sands Expo & Convention Center – Halls A & B – in Las Vegas.  It is the largest and only Off Price Show in the apparel industry, and is proud to be the official Off Price Show of Las Vegas Fashion Week.  The Show will be preceded by A Taste of Off Price, May 2-4, 2010 at Gotham Hall during New York Market Week.

 

Notes to Editors

 

Meetings, interviews and tours can be arranged for media by contacting Don Browne, Marketing Director, at 262.754.6910 or dbrowne@offpriceshow.com. 

 

For additional information and updates on all Off-Price events, visit us at www.offpriceshow.com. 

 

For the latest industry news, visit our online magazine at www.thisisoffprice.com. 

 

Upcoming Off-Price Specialist events with confirmed dates include:

 

A Taste of Off Price

May 2-4, 2010

Gotham Hall

New York

 

Off Price Specialist Show

August 15-18, 2010

Sands Expo & Convention, Halls A & B – new bigger & brighter venue!

Las Vegas

 

The Off-Price Specialist Show is organized by Tarsus Group plc (TRS.L on the London Stock Exchange), an international media group with interests in exhibitions, conferences, publishing and the internet.  Headquartered in London, and with offices in Paris, Düsseldorf, Shanghai and Milwaukee (home of the Off Price Specialist Center), Tarsus serves niche markets with trade events and online media.  For further information on Tarsus and the Off-Price Specialist Center, go to www.tarsus-group.com.