California Apparel News

The California Market Center’s gift and home section has been hit by vacancies and a stagnant marketplace, but the CMC’s owner is revamping its offerings for the sector.

Jamison Properties Inc. has made some substantial commitments in recent months in order to get the section back on track. The company recruited veteran gift industry executive Jon Weiglin about five months ago. It also tapped into trends and expanded Glow, a lifestyle show featuring products from up-and-coming gift, apparel and accessories vendors.

For the July 25–Aug. 1 gift market, CMC officials are rolling out the promotions barrel and giving away everything from free parking to Apple iPods to capture the attention of buyers, who will have three venues to shop, including the rival L.A. Mart and the Los Angeles Convention Center.

In addition, Weiglin has engineered a restructuring of the CMC’s 10C wing to create Country Corner, a “mart within a mart” concept focusing on country general store–type merchandise, which is a hot theme right now. The move so far has attracted a new tenant and prompted another to expand. The aim is to create destinations and excitement for retailers, Weiglin said.

At one point, the CMC’s gift and home section focused on creating a major cross-merchandising venue. But after previous owners from Hertz Investments, the Dallas Market Center and gift show producer DMG World Media sold the center to Jamison Properties, several key anchors and other tenants, as well as staff, left the building, some taking up residence at the L.A. Mart and other venues.

The company countered by hiring Weiglin, who spent 10 years as president and chief operating officer at the L.A. Mart. Weiglin sees a “unique opportunity” at the CMC. “With the new management firmly in place, they have the infrastructure, location and capital to go forward.”

Carol Lang, principal of the CMC’s largest gift tenant, California Marketing Associates, said that hiring Weiglin “was the best thing [Jamison] could have done.”

Weiglin expects to see growth from the West Coast’s pool of smaller entrepreneurs and innovators rather than from big companies. In addition, he and CMC General Manager John Kim and other key staff plan to continue cross-merchandising the center’s gift and apparel offerings. Los Angeles Fashion Week this October will coincide with the gift and home market show.

Weiglin said that “gift retailers are shifting away from mall stores into more lifestyle stores located in redevelopment areas and other unique marketplaces like [Southern California’s] Old Town Pasadena, Tustin, Orange, Montana Avenue and others.”

Concepts such as the Glow show address that trend by mixing apparel and accessories with gift products, Weiglin said. The show, located on the 13th floor of the CMC, features vintage and novelty handbags, T-shirts, jewelry and apparel from independent designers and companies on the upswing. Some products featured at the last installment featured metal-flake purses made from vintage auto upholstery and hand-finished denim and jewelry from South America.

Weiglin said that Glow and Country Corner, as well as a new rent structure he characterized as “extremely competitive,” should help to separate the CMC from its competitors. It also offers expansive permanent space accommodating large showrooms up to 6,000 square feet and more.

To add to the mix, Jamison also will be putting more into promotions. Free parking, iPods and Mobil gas cards giveaways will be parts of a promotion for an allotted number of buyers who place orders. In addition, In-N-Out Burger will be catering hamburgers, and Gloria Pink of Hollywood’s famous Pink’s hot dog stand will bring in 1,000 hot dogs for buyers.

For the Sept. 17–19 market, the California Market Center will host a customer appreciation event featuring chefs from Wolfgang Puck, giveaways to the Jonathan Salon and the Ivy restaurant, as well as Barneys spending sprees and other gifts.

“We want to make a commitment to the industry,” Weiglin said. “We have the right staff now.”

Some CMC tenants, such as Dusty Magrann of the Cr ystal Group Showroom, will take a wait-and-see approach. “They’re trying to create a resurgence,” she said of the CMC’s owner and management. “I can’t say it’s going to work, but we hope it’s going to get better.”

California Marketing Associates’ Lang was more optimistic: “They made some huge improvements. I’m sure it will turn around.”