California Apparel News

The aisles were crowded and buyers were lined up at many of the booths at the Aug. 17–20 OffPrice show at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

This season, the sold-out show returned to its 125,000-square-foot, ground-level space in the Sands.

Mark Hollinger of Normar Sales and Kouresh Mousighi of Loading Zone Inc. were pleased with the turnout at their shared booth, which drew many new buyers, including some from as far as Jordan, Spain and Puerto Rico.

“I’ll tell you, I’m thrilled,” Hollinger said.

The two Los Angeles–based businessmen were showing sweaters, jeans, bags and dresses, some produced domestically, but most imported, according to Hollinger.

“Our business is tough right now,” he said. “People are looking for something that generates business.”

Traffic was often elbow-to-elbow at the David’s Place booth, where Raelynn Harrod, a sales associate for the Los Angeles–based off-pricer, said she’d primarily met with existing accounts. But Harrod said about a quarter of the buyers stopping by the booth were new.

“People want a better price,” she said. “Primarily, people are looking for name brands, but I think for the most part they are looking for a better bang for their buck.”

The show featured 500 exhibitors, including 25 companies exhibiting at the show’s expanded Cash & Carry section. Organizers said attendance this season was up slightly over last year, when more than 10,000 qualified attendees walked the show.

“What we found is that many retailers came to Vegas ready to buy again and restock their shelves, because of that, shopping Offprice has become a must,” said Stephen Krogulski, the Offprice show’s chief executive officer. “Our show’s exhibitors deliver quality apparel at prices that often are impossible to beat. Retailers simply cannot afford to miss the show.”