HIGH POINT — International Market Centers has postponed summer time dwelling furnishings markets to August in an effort to accommodate contributors’ COVID-19-related considerations about journey and commerce present attendance.
The Atlanta market, initially scheduled for July 14-20, will run Aug. 13-18, with short-term exhibitors displaying Aug. 14-17. Las Vegas Market will postpone to Aug. 30-Sept. Three from its authentic July 26-30 dates. Temporaries, which might be staged for the primary time within the Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas, are to be open Aug. 30-Sept. 2.
Las Vegas Market will supply the additional advantage of working concurrently with the National Hardware Show, which runs Sept. 1-Three on the Las Vegas Convention Center. Both markets will function new commerce present layouts designed to allow social distancing and site visitors management.
IMC modified the market dates after a Stax survey in April of some 180,000 consumers and 6,000 distributors throughout the furnishings, present, dwelling décor and attire classes indicated that sufficient consumers could be prepared to journey by the brand new dates and that retailers are in nice want of products as brick-and-mortar shops re-open throughout the nation.
Gift consumers represented 38% of respondents, furnishings 25%, dwelling decor 24% and attire 13%.
Bob Maricich
“We believe that with modifications to Atlanta market and Las Vegas Market’s timing and format, and implementation of rigorous health and safety protocols, IMC can deliver the markets our buyers need and are willing to attend,” mentioned IMC CEO Bob Maricich in an announcement of the brand new dates. “While we cannot currently gather in person, we look to meeting again at our markets this August.”
Looming stock wants
Sixty-four % of outlets responding to IMC’s survey mentioned current product from their current distributors was their high shopping for precedence, with 55% saying new product, however from current distributors, was their second precedence.
Twenty-four % of outlets surveyed by Stax mentioned they’d rapid stock wants, with greater than half saying they’d want extra stock inside three to 4 weeks of re-opening. By the time of Las Vegas Market’s new dates, 90% of survey contributors indicated they’d want extra stock.
“Most retailers expect to need inventory in the near term with a focus on core products with core vendors,” Maricich mentioned throughout a Zoomcast presentation with trade editors. “The discussion of new product from new vendors is well down their priority list right now.”
He added that many retailers had cancelled orders in gentle of COVID-19, “so a lot of product isn’t in the pipeline.”
That’s one cause IMC will format its markets to give attention to writing enterprise and order commitments, with regular programming equivalent to seminars and pattern options supplied on-line solely. The elimination of in-person seminars at markets additionally will improve social distancing and different security measures that might be in place. IMC additionally is not going to host social gatherings on the exhibits.
Physical markets nonetheless key
While digital initiatives are extra vital right this moment and can stay so, IMC’s survey indicated that in-person markets stay essential to greater than 50% of consumers in all classes: Fifty-six % of furnishings retailers surveyed and an analogous share of dwelling décor shops mentioned such occasions are “more important,” though 30% and 26%, respectively, mentioned they’d be much less vital.
“People are anxious to get back to market, but they have to feel safe and secure,” Maricich mentioned, noting that because the financial system reopens, digital platforms will stay an vital complement to brick-and-mortar commerce exhibits.
While they don’t see digital markets as a viable substitute for bodily markets, IMC’s survey indicated consumers are fascinated by instruments that can permit for added model discovery and extra environment friendly at-market buying.
Dorothy Belshaw
IMC Executive Vice President Dorothy Belshaw expects round 50% much less attendance than traditional at summer time markets however with an estimated 55% of normal shopping for energy.
“We expect attendance to be highly regional and mostly drive-in,” she mentioned within the Zoomcast, including the survey indicated retailers at the moment are prepared to drive six hours to a present vs. 4 hours earlier than the pandemic, which places Las Vegas and Atlanta nicely inside driving distance of main inhabitants facilities. “There’s a high degree of comfort in driving to market.”
Expanded security protocols
IMC’s COVID-19 response and remediation process drive is growing thorough and detailed protocols for market manufacturing designed to make sure the well being and security of all these attending its markets.
All back-to-business working plans are being vetted to confirm efficacy and determine finest practices by Dr. Carlos del Rio, who chairs the Department of Global Health, is a professor of epidemiology on the Rollins School of Public Health and a professor of medication within the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine.
Safety procedures on the markets are anticipated to incorporate the required use of private protecting gear, temporal monitoring, social distancing, occupancy management, and hand sanitizing/ cleaning and considerably enhanced housekeeping protocols for cleansing and disinfecting IMC’s amenities.
IMC is also collaborating with resorts and food-and-beverage companions to verify and talk particular protocols; planning new pre-registration necessities to allow contactless market entry; and making ready for arrival and departure methods to facilitate social distancing.
Comprehensive particulars round onsite well being and security protocols might be promoted prematurely of every market and might be up to date commonly here.
IMC will difficulty a white paper outlining particulars from the survey it commissioned with Stax, an unbiased world technique consulting agency.
“We recognize that our decisions do not impact just our business, but the business of the hundreds of thousands of manufacturers, sales organizations, retailers, designers, logistic managers, hotels, restaurants and more who are a part of our markets,” Maricich mentioned. “We approached our decision through sound research and will give our partners the same opportunity by releasing the results of our survey through a detailed white paper next week. We hope this survey can bring some clarity to the current state of the industry and allow for better planning as we all move towards recovery.”
Additional IMC present and residential markets by the top of the 12 months embody:
- Fall Design Week, Sept. 21-23 at AmericasMart Atlanta.
- October High Point Market, Oct. 17-21.
- Fall Cash & Carry, Nov. 3-5 at AmericasMart Atlanta.
Home Accents Today Managing Editor Thomas Lester contributed to this report.
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