Only 7.5% of Off Price Show Attendees are Off Price Retailers. Want to Know who the Rest Are – Maybe Some of Your Competitors?

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I was crunching some numbers for a report to our corporate leadership this week and discovered a startling statistic – only 7.5% of our Off Price Show attendees represent Off Price Retailers. This figure has become highly relevant to us because one of the main reasons buyer prospects (who’ve never been to our event) cite for deciding not to attend the Off Price Show is that “we don’t buy off price.” They, like many merchandisers out there still operate under the assumption that the off price market is dominated with shmada (i.e. ill colors, broken fits, rags).

Of equal astonishment to me is the fact that more than one third of our attendees – 36% to be exact – are boutique/specialty store owners and buyers! I knew there are a significant and growing number of boutique buyers coming to Off Price, but I didn’t realize that they were the largest category of buyers coming to our show. Now, do you think these fashionistas are coming for the shmada?

In an interview I conducted for our recently released Issue 12.3 of This is Off Price (August Pre-Show Planner), Sherri Zweifel of Euphoria (a unique boutique concept with two stores in posh Milwaukee suburbs) said that she comes to the Off Price Show to find quality non-branded accessories, home & gift, and ladies’ apparel that “are not mass-produced and can NOT be found anywhere else.” (SEE THE REST OF THIS FEATURE ARTICLE AT http://www.offpriceshow.com/magazine/2009_v12_i3/OPS_12-3_Euphoria.pdf). And by the way, you can also get quality high quality accessories and handbags in this growth category of our show. Leading brands for both men and women include Bass, Chinese Laundry, Claiborne, Geoffrey Beane, Michael Kors, MUDD, Nicole Miller, Nine West, Perry Ellis, Sean John, Steve Madden, and XOXO.

In the dress category, which continues to be a big seller in today’s retail, hot brands that you can find at our show include Anne Klein, BCBG, Calvin Klein, Chetta B, DKNY, Laundry, Ralph Lauren and Three Dots.

I think I’ve made my point as to why the boutique buyers are coming in droves. They are the #1 category of buyers coming to Off Price, followed by wholesalers/distributors (15%) who are hot for the below wholesale deals on branded basics, children’s and men’s and women’s apparel. Tied with the Off Price Retailers in 3rd place are the general merchandisers, who prefer our show over the other “GM” events because of the values and variety our 470+ vendors offer in one venue.

The rest of the attendee groups (each below 6% of the total delegation) indicate that I’ve only scratched the surface on the various categories our vendors have in stock that entices such a broad spectrum of merchandisers: amusement/water parks, army/navy surplus, casinos, convenience stores, discount retailers, dollar stores, farm supply, golf retailers, home & gift retailers, hospital/healthcare, importer/exporter, mail order, online retail, screen printers, sporting/camping retailers (seeking excellent varieties in outerwear, swimwear, licensed NFL, MLB and others), supermarkets, thrift stores and variety stores.

So come find out what your competitors may know already, OR may not know if you’re lucky enough. We live in the most value-driven consumer market in our lifetimes. Why not add the most value-driven trade show in the retail industry to your sourcing matrix?

Come check us out or at least contact me to learn more (262.754.6910 or dbrowne@offpriceshow.com). We look forward to helping you add more margins and more excitement to your store.