OFFPRICE Show Scores Record Showfloor Size, Most Attendees in Four Years
February 28, 2013
Neon is a must-have color for spring, according to the buzz on the showfloor of OFFPRICE Show, the bargain apparel, accessories and footwear show that took place Feb. 17-20 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Owned by U.K.-based Tarsus Group, OFFPRICE was part of the Las Vegas's biannual Fashion Week, which included events at several venues across town, such as the Las Vegas Convention Center and Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.
The show has seen boon times during the recession, with both of its biannual editions being honored as TSNN fastest-growing shows.
This February, OFFPRICE continued to show strong numbers, with the number of exhibitors up about five percent to 525 and square footage breaking records at 130,000 net square feet. Attendance was the highest in four years, with 11,006 on hand to check out the latest styles.
"First two days were record-setters; they were fabulous," said David Lapidos, executive vice president of OFFPRICE.
This year, the show offered free shuttles to Magic Market Week at the LVCC and Mandalay Bay. To maximize their time on the floor, buyers also could participate in free tours led by David Abbate, a senior industry buyer, and make new connections with vendors, as well as learn how to negotiate the best deal. In addition, Buyers could create online wish lists that allowed them to create custom show itineraries.
On the exhibit floor, the buyers seemed cautiously optimistic and many still focused on stocking for spring to keep inventories low. Several commented on hard-to-beat value.
Attendee Ann Marshall, a buyer with AEM Enterprises, was shopping for bright colors for spring. She noted that budgets steadily are increasing.
The same sentiment was echoed by attendee Linda Mickel, a buyer with Old School Enterprises, who was impressed with the variety of product and felt like she needed more time. She said, “I found some deals that (were) better than what I had, so I’m happy.”
Exhibitor Richard Nelson, with Weinberg Hosiery Company, said, “The show was good. In fact, it was a little better than business in general.”
He noted that sometimes it’s hard to judge the quality of the traffic until later in the year. “Last time, we had a customer who placed a $500 order at the show, but between Augusta and December ended up placing over $9,000 worth of dollars. If we weren’t at the show, we wouldn’t have gotten it.”
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