By Moe Lastfogel Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer ![]() Last month was the time for Buying Group Shows, and the events were awesome! Nationwide kicked off first in Vegas, followed by BrandSource in Orlando and Mega in Dallas. More than 2 million people were in Vegas during NMG’s show—thank goodness only 4,300 were at the event at the Sands Convention Center. Their largest show to date. The tempo was upbeat and buying was at a frenzied pace. Whirlpool unveiled their new line up of Maytag products and a new Maytag vacuum line. Also, new to NMG were outdoor products both in BBQ and furniture. Many manufacturers introduced new OLED and 4k products along with all of the toys to help with installation and integration. NMG also hinted on a headliner for their next show in Nashville, but more to come on who that will be soon. In general, every vendor and dealer I spoke with were very excited about this year and the changes in the economy. As usual, the BrandSource event in Orlando was no Mickey Mouse affair. Outdoor Source has grown tremendously as well as HES, their home integration and electronics division. Joe Higgins who recently retired from Whirlpool gave a very well received Keynote (second year in a row) reviewing his projections from last year which were spot on and his future projections. I was very impressed. I am writing this before attending the MEGA show but I expect it to be as equally exciting. On a sad note, John Colbert who has led the charge for Crosley Appliance and has been a good friend to many of us, passed away before the first day of the BrandSource show, falling ill the day before the event. He will be greatly missed by everyone he touched through his many years of dedication and service in our industry. Happy Retailing, Moe [email protected]
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By Moe Lastfogel Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer ![]() CES, World Market and Design and Construction week have ended. People on the internet, at the shows and post show press releases have said the same thing. The economy is back and the shows surpassed all expectations. Yet, there are still naysayers who are still wondering if they should participate or go to the shows still remaining this year or even next year. Well, you snooze, you lose. Numbers don’t lie (most of the time) and I’m excited to say that the shows were packed. As usual, my schedule didn’t allow me to see everything, but what I saw was over the top. New vendors and products and many new faces, not to mention the old ones. Design and Construction week was like a homecoming for me. At every turn, in the exhibit booths and aisles, I ran into someone that I knew. Not only our vendor partners, but from within the entire community that we work with; industry reps, designers, distributors and dealers were all present! It was a sight for these sore eyes to see so many people making the effort to be there, and that so many of our vendors were stronger than ever before and ready to do business. It was truly a milestone in the history of our industry. So what’s up next? Arch Digest in New York, as well as BrandSource, Nationwide and Mega Group buy fairs in March along with the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo (HPBE) and the International Home + Housewares Show. Are you going to any of these events? What are you missing if you don’t? A lot, if the previews I have seen are accurate. I expect attendance numbers and new retail opportunities will be above and beyond what we’ve seen in the past years. Go to Events page for links to all of the industry events happening this year. Then pick a show, plan your itinerary, pack your bags and please say hello if you see us at the shows. I’m excited and hope to see you there! |
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December 2021
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