Many of the intended readers of this blog may currently be participating in the ASD/AMD Show in Las Vegas this week (3/15-18).  I wish all of you the greatest success at an event that continues to be critical to general merchandisers in the US and beyond. For those of you interested in developing new business, as you may know already, there is a growing demand for home/gift, general merchandise and new categories by apparel retailers who are looking for that one niche product that will get new customers into the store and allow their apparel lines to sell themselves. Accordingly, our team at the Off Price Specialist Center is launching a new salon area at our August Off Price Show called “HOME.”  HOME @ the Off Price Show is designed to be a home/gift, gen merch and new product “incubator” for apparel retailers looking to add more excitement at their stores. It is a ground level opportunity for vendors in these categories to make a significant impact at the largest and perhaps ONLY Off Price Show in the apparel industry.  Our apparel “jobbers” or off price specialists (the newer, more politically correct term) have become known as heroes to struggling apparel retailers who have found excellent values at our semi-annual trade show – which is the offical Off Price Show of the multi-venue/concept Las Vegas Fashion Week. Home/Gift, Gen Merch / hard goods are not new to the Off Price Show.  My good friend Larry Manus (who is at ASD this week) has been bringing his hard lines to the Off Price Show since its inception in 1995.  “I meet entrepreneurs and savvy retailers who already got the message about the need for diversification.”  His New Jersey-based company, United Auction LLP, has been wildly successful at our show in hard goods, as has St. Louis off price specialist CWC Inventories.  And as long ago as 2003, when I was first involved with the Off Price Show as its outside marketing agent, I met candle and gift vendors in the second last row of the show who were doing cartwheels because they were writing orders like crazy from aggressive retailers looking for new products. Now that I have been more directly involved with the show for the past 5+ years, it doesn’t surprise me that there is a great fit for home/gift and gen merch vendors at Off Price.  Our concept is known to many of our seasoned buyers as “the treasure hunt” because you are sure to find 1-2 new products (not on your pre-show shopping list) that could make your whole season or year.  The show is not arranged by category because of the nature of the off price business.  Our vendors carry either all categories or they specialize in one or two, plus they may come across an opportunity in a new category or product line that they know (based on their years of experience) could be a winner for their retail customers or prospects.  For Home/Gift, Gen Merch and new category vendors, we are making a more centralized HOME salon area to accommodate our largest retailers (who serve on our retail advisory board) who have been begging us for this kind of centralized space so that they can go back to their offices and – mind you they are all CMOs, CEOs and other executive types) tell them about the great values they found in bed & bath, table top, home decor, gift and other non-apparel categories that could be real winners for their chain. I invite all who are interested to contact me at the Off Price Specialist Center at either 262.754.6910 or dbrowne@offpriceshow.com.  I feel that this is an exciting opportunity for these vendors to develop new business that happens right on our show floor.  If you need further assurance, talk to my good friend Jason Prescott, President of JP Communications, whose TopTenWholesale.com is an official sponsor and media partner for the Off Price Show and has been since 2001 (I think).  Jason is a real visionary who’s very big on building bridges online for wholesalers and retailers, and takes advantage of the onsite connections at the Off Price Show to transcend this message across apparel retail lines.  Thanks, Jason, for this wonderful blog and for all the great things you do to support our respective industries.

Sunglasses are that necessity item for most people. When the sun comes out our eyes can feel the strain. Retailers have great success selling sunglasses because of this reason. Another thing about sunglasses is they are easy to lose or break so customers are always coming back to buy another pair.

Fashion trends with sunglasses:

Many times people will purchase sunglasses to be in style. Fashions change often this is why you see so many different styles of sunglasses. At this time the ones that seem to be in fashion are the bigger plastic frames with the antique look, also the 80’s styles seem to be coming back the wayfarer styles and even the new shutter shades are in style.
We make it easy finding wholesale sunglass suppliers we have a full section on wholesale sunglasses listed at Wholesale U. We realize you can do an internet search in the major search engines like Google or Yahoo but we make it easy. We have a category for Sunglasses on our site. This is the easy way to find major wholesale companies offering wholesale discount sunglasses.

This Spring fashionistas from all over will be following the rainbow by looking to the crayon box for inspiration. This season’s runways were awash in bright, bold colors, a stark contrast from last season’s macabre obsession with all things dark and Gothic. This season, expect to see fashion mavens donning such cheery hues as deep hibiscus red, vermilion orange, sunflower yellow, tropical green, cobalt blue and vibrant violet.

Another blossoming trend this season is wearing large, graphic floral prints with everything from roses and pansies to retro-style daisies and everything in between. For those who are not feeling the large bold florals, mid-size and more delicate summery patterns are also a hit, as are any soft and delicate feminine accents like sheer ribbons and bows.

Retro styles from the 1970s have also come back full throttle, and this can be seen in everything from bold, geometric patterns to off-the-shoulder tops, bell bottoms, and even groovy platforms and leisure suits. Finding these and other styles can get pricey when shopping through most retailers, but that does not have to be the case.

Most of the trends showcased on last month’s runways can be found at ApparelShowroom.com, your premier source for wholesale women’s and junior miss apparel. They specialize in off price and high quality red tag clothing offering the lowest prices for the best quality on the market. Because their company is located in fashionable Los Angeles, Ca, they are constantly adding new merchandise to their inventory from hundreds of neighboring manufacturers and importers, and it’s always deeply discounted to ensure the greatest profits.

Apparel Showroom has a wide array of wholesale women’s clothing, including tops, dresses, skirts, pants, active wear, and even accessories. My favorite section is the page featuring discount wholesale dresses. This page showcases a wide selection of sultry styles, including some of the retro patterns mentioned before. Whether you’re looking for cool and casual or a style fit for a night on the town, Apparel Showroom will be sure to satisfy. They have a large assortment of the ever popular halter dress, svelte dresses with spaghetti straps, and even off-the-shoulder fashions. Check out Apparel Showroom today to spring into the sexy styles of the season. You won’t regret it.