News

The recently completed month of June was the biggest summer month of buyer traffic in more than 10 years, according to Dallas Market Center. The Apparel & Accessories Market, Total Home & Gift Market, KidsWorld, and Lightovation collectively welcomed tens of thousands of buyers from all 50 states. As well, the number of visitors to the marketplace’s more than 1 million square feet of open-daily Design showrooms continued to trend upward.

Highlighting the attendance data were the number of new buyers visiting the marketplace. From June 1-30, there was an extraordinary 75% increase in first-time buyers, a number never before seen by the market center. In addition, the marketplace welcomed more buyers from geographic regions outside of its core trading area of TOLA (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas). The marketplace saw a 31% increase in buyers from the West, a 44% increase in buyers from the Midwest, and a 58% increase in buyers from the Southeast compared with June 2019. Total attendance from these regions grew at a greater rate than in more than a decade.

“June was a highly successful culmination of the efforts we have undertaken over many months and a strong partnership with our exhibitors and reps to create a safe, inspiring marketplace,” said Cindy Morris, president and CEO of Dallas Market Center. “The word is out, and the momentum is incredible. We are a marketplace attracting buyers from across the country, and we are the new home for thousands of buyers—from Seattle to Miami. But business doesn’t stop; we have multiple trade events throughout the summer and fall as well as our unmatched daily traffic.”

Highlights

Apparel & Accessories Market saw a 48% increase in buyers and welcomed more buyers attending from across the country. At the same time, exhibit space was sold out with overflow exhibitors occupying temporary tradeshow space created to meet demand.

Total Home & Gift Market

Total Home & Gift Market welcomed more buyers than in several years including a new buyer increase of 40% and record-setting increases in buyer attendance from the Midwest, Southeast, and West.

Lightovation

Lightovation returned to a full format show and had attendance that was 90% of pre-pandemic levels. The home of lighting saw the debut of new and expanded showrooms from leading brands.

KidsWorld

KidsWorld saw a more than 50% increase in buyers, including retailers from 40 states.

Daily design traffic remains at historic levels as interior designers serve clients eager to upgrade furnishings and redesign spaces and as the open-daily Design showrooms balance immediate delivery needs with order-writing.

Buyers with significant influence and purchasing power visited the marketplace including single and multi-location retailers, buying groups, major stores, and interior design businesses as well as more than forty leading associations in housewares and gourmet, lighting, independent retail, interior design, toy, builders, home accents, gift, floral, holiday, spa, sustainability, and nursery and landscape.

“The major store buyers visiting in June, representing some of the largest volume retailers in the U.S., were eager to discover new products across every neighborhood of our marketplace,” said Eva Walsh, executive vice president of retail development and leasing. “We began outreach months ago to support their buying trips. The same is true for buying groups and associations such as GC Buying Group, Monograms America, HTI, Southwest Buying Group, Purchasing Power Plus, Boutique Hub, and many others.”

Getting a jump on new styles, filling depleted inventories, and efficiently shopping across lifestyle categories were the key reasons given by buyers regarding their decision to visit Dallas Market Center.

“The reason I choose Dallas is that there’s everything under one roof,” said Lisa Doss, owner of Muse Inspired Fashion stores in Tennessee, Louisiana and Florida.

Stacy Coleman with Saint Anthony Hospital Gift Shop in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma added: “We’ve gone to other markets in other cities in the past, but really came to find that we can find everything here.”

Exhibitors noted the business that took place throughout the month. “Ivystone welcomed buyers throughout the month of June,” said Monica Loving, vice president with the gift and lifestyle showroom. “Our apparel and gift/home shows were both very successful. We experienced significant growth at both.”

Supporting the comfort, health and safety of all attendees, the market center continues important health measures outlined via the plan available on the front page of the website.

For more information, visit www.dallasmarketcenter.com.