Article Archive

This is Off Price. What you may have missed at our February 09 Show

This is Off Price has its very own "Deep Throat" who's been coming to Off Price since the beginning. He/she has been to some good shows, and some not so good shows. The recent February 09 Show was one of the best ever. Whether you were there or not, here are some quality items you may have missed.

A Retail Resurgence @ home How to Merchandise Home/Gift & New Products in Your Store by DICK SEESEL

The upcoming Off Price Specialist Show at the Sands Convention Center promises to be the biggest and most exciting ever. The off price industry has never been in a better position to take advantage of changes in the retail landscape and the economy. And your customers are looking to you for the latest ideas in fashion apparel and much more.

David Semel of Davids Wholesale owes his Success to Accidents, including a chance meeting at the Off Price Show!

Davids Wholesale/MODA (Booth #751 at the August Show) of North Miami Beach, Florida is known for having really good stuff at a reasonable price. For 20 years, the company has been serving smaller retailers for Fall/Back to School with excellent values in backpacks and other accessories.
40% of our business is in June and July, said David Semel, the president. We have stock on hand and we can ship out in a day or two. We have the best prices in the industry. Our price points are between $2 and $6.

Fall/Back to School Fashion Tips from our Leading Vendors & Buyers

David Semel, Davids Wholesale, North Miami Beach, Florida
Backpacks are always big. Were known for having really good stuff at a reasonable price. The Peace sign logo is really big right now. Theres also a growing demand for cell phone accessories, like the pouches that hold the phones, some with the shoulder strap a cell phone bag for ladies.

A Revolution in Below Wholesale Clothing

There is one element of success in retail that is often forgotten that you operate to love your core customer. How do you get them to leave with one extra item? If the average customer leaves with 4 items in their cart, how do you get them to buy a fifth? Often times, this is more cost-effective than trying to recruit new customers. Sure, you want to grow your message and reach new people, no doubt, but the first thing is to love the people who love you. Two-thirds of the battle is getting them to come to your store or your site. But once theyre in, what do you do to get them to come back?

United Auction LLP The Roots of Home & Gift at the Off Price Show

New Jersey based United Auction has been doing the Off Price Show since its inaugural event at the Debbie Reynolds Hotel in 1995. They have several divisions: Auction administration for trade shows (including Off Price); liquidation for major chain store and catalog company clients; and their core division that does closeouts from various sources including bankruptcy, insurance salvage and general wholesale liquidations.

Brand Names are the Name of the Game at Capico Accessories

New Jersey-based Capico Accessories (Booth #354 at the August Show) was founded in 1996 in San Francisco with one ambitious mission to be the ONLY supplier of branded off price goods in this category. This was an extremely unique concept at the time. It has grown with its reputation to become the largest wholesaler of handbags, belts, wallets and leather accessories in the United States. Their nationally advertised brands include Geoffrey Beene, Claiborne, Mudd, Tommy Hilfiger, Nine West, Michael Kors, Sean John, Steve Madden, Chinese Laundry and Nicole Miller. They also carry many chain store labels.

NOW IS THE TIME TO EXPAND. Great opportunities during troubling times.

Off-Price retail is bucking the current downward trend. With record unemployment and those still working worried about their jobs, more people are surviving by finding bargains in everything from food to clothing.

Its time to rethink the unwritten rules of partnerships between retailer, landlord, and vendor. Now more then ever, these relationships are important for everyone to endure these hard times.

The Education of Eddie Goldbaum How a market research principal started a sporting goods retail business and plans on opening mo

Eddie Goldbaums greatest passions are market research and baseball. His Burbank, CA based Area Phone Bank has conducted over 1 million surveys since he opened the business with his brother Buddy in 1981. His firm serves retailers and consumer brands, especially in sporting goods. One of his clients prompted him to open his own store. While doing his due diligence on retail business development, he discovered the Off Price Specialist Show, and that as Frost would say has made all the difference. In a special interview, Eddie discusses the critical importance of Off Price plus some marketing tips that have helped him become a retail professional overnight.

Off Price @ home Adding The Things We Love to Your Store A newly-integrated Home & Gift Expansion will help retailers add more

I like the idea of the Off Price Show expanding their Home and Gift presence. This has become a very hot field and would certainly make your Show even more popular. Now, there will be more deals in more categories.
Peter Hayes
Board of Directors
Big Lots

Hamrick's is pleased that more Home & Gift Vendors will be exhibiting at the OFF-PRICE Specialist shows. Our largest sales gains are coming from the Home & Gift departments.

Chuck Lewis
GMM
Hamricks

Magic Kids Says as much about their owners

Twins Ariel and Shimon Ovadia are like any other 26-year old kids living in New York. They like to play basketball with friends. They like to dine at a good restaurant, see a good show, and read a good book on their spare time. That they find any leisure time is amazing since they run Magic Kids a family business with fifteen full-time employees whose closeout division is the #1 source for kids NFL, NBA and Collegiate apparel. In fact, they are the only source for off price kids in this category.

The Art of an Exciting Buy 2 New York Buying Offices Share Secrets of their Successincluding how to shop the Show

Penny Rosenberger shares lifelong passion for fashion with students...Dianne Cohan Seeks the Exciting Buy First at the Off Price Show. New York Buying Service Asserts that Buyers Focus on Category Limits Creativity and Profitable Buys.

Stan Gellers Tribute

I know you!
The Off Price Apparel Industry Remembers iconic mens wear writer Stan Gellers, who died of lung cancer on March 21st at the age of 84.

Online Video Branding- The Most Powerful New Marketing Tool for Your Business

Professional Video shorts are the hottest new marketing format to promote a business online. It is the number one way to drive new business. The Off Price Show is proud to partner with LA-based CorpShorts to offer professional video services for your store onsite - at Off Price Values.

Ten Tips for Maximizing Opportunities at the Off Price Specialist Show

Lessons Learned from veteran Attendee and Retail Consultant Les Tepper

Dignity U Wear (DUW) to Display at February Off Price Show

As a result of the strong response from our special interview on philanthropist and Holocaust survivor Henri Landwirth from our last issue (2009 Resource Guide), the Off Price Show is proud to report that Dignity U Wear (DUW), the Jacksonville, Florida –based charity that collects brand new clothes for poor and needy children and families – will have a display at our next show.

Women’s Report

There are so many exciting opportunities in the women’s category. Fashion-forward, old reliables and durable favorites are all on display at the February Off Price Show. Ready to serve a category that is predicted to come back stronger starting in the Spring; our exhibitors give you a taste of what to expect at the upcoming show.

Footwear Report: Shoes Fill a Fashionable Niche

Along with handbags and accessories, shoes are the next best thing to looking your best without having to invest in new outfits. With over 30 exhibiting companies carrying and specializing in footwear, here are some tips and product ideas from the group to give you a head-start in this key category of your show planning.

Specialist Profile: FAP Footwear (Booth 5729)

F.A.P. Footwear (Booth 5729) of Houston, Texas has been an established footwear company for 23 years. Their company philosophy has been to give quality products at promotional prices in which the buyers don’t have to mark down their margins. Partner Al Sklar enjoys meeting people and selling good value products.

DLM Keeps Growing and Eve Nober Keeps Getting Younger!

At age 82, Eve Nober is far from slowing down, in contrast to the current economic conditions. DLM continues to grow with a greatly expanded inventory that serves customers of all sizes from all over the world.

Off Price Challenge - 1st Quarter 2009

This issue covers holiday items at a local mall in America’s most brand-loyal city. Denim, sweaters, accessories, tees, hoodies and formal wear with retail prices to compare with your store. Be sure to visit the exhibitors who carry in these categories to see how you can challenge your competitors even further.

A Special Interview with Henri Landwirth – Holocaust Survivor, Accomplished Hotelier and Founder of Dignity U Wear

How Retailers and the Rest of the Industry can Truly Profit by Supporting Charities like Dignity U Wear. Plus, Great Tips on Promotions and Customer Service from a True Giant of the Hospitality Industry.

Roundtable on State of the Industry

Leading Retailers give tips on managing the credit crunch, and what they are looking for from the Off Price Show in February 2009.

Jobber Profile: White Mountain Dry Goods

For K. (Kathleen) McQuade, a jobber and the co-owner of Dover, N.H.-based White Mountain Dry Goods Inc., off-price means good value and can also mean high quality.

Bermo Enterprises Celebrates 35 Years

A Special Interview with Ed Bernard, President of Bermo & Co-Founder of the Off Price Show

Outerwear Report

Our new Outerwear Report contains testimonials from our vendors on what’s selling in outerwear, and what retailers should look for at the February Show.

Goods on the Floor NOW!

Available IN-STOCK NOW Merchandise from Off-Price Show Exhibitors
To learn more about these items and their suppliers, call David Lapidos at 201.666.0535 or ask for him at the show!

L.A. Grand Emphasizes Trendy in Off Price

To Los Angeles-based L.A. Grand Clothing can also be fashionable and stylish. Instead of just hawking goods purchased from manufacturers to its retail customers at prices well below wholesale, the company also makes a concerted effort to educate its customers about fashion trends to help them know what to buy so they can sell more in their stores.

SR Shirts & Stuff: A Family Tradition of Providing Quality Brands and Values Continues at SR Shirts & Stuff

SR Shirts & Stuff LLC (Booth #643) specializes in brand name closeouts. They carry men's sportswear as well as top of line accessories.

Come Together: New Interactive Floor Plan for Off Price Helps Buyers and Exhibitors Connect Before the Show

To foster these purchasing relationships, the Off Price Show has introduced an exciting new interactive floor plan on offpriceshow.com to help buyers more effectively plan their shopping experience at the show.

From The Editor: This is Off Price: "Meet the Best Price"

By the time this magazine hits the streets, it will have been two months since the passing of my hometown's favorite son, Tim Russert of NBC's Meet the Press. As I write this letter to the Off Price community (three days after his death on Friday, June 13th), I cannot tell you in words the devastation I feel in my heart about the loss of this role model who had such a large impact on the American political landscape over the past 15+ years, and yet never lost touch with our beloved South Buffalo roots. Indeed, it was the values he learned from our blue-collar Irish community that made him a force to be reckoned with in Washington.

Magazine Issue Now Available Online!

You can now view the entire issue of Off-Price Apparel online. To see the latest edition, please visit Magazine and open the attached pdf.

Fashion Week in Vegas!

Twice a year in February and August, the fashion industry gathers in Las Vegas for a weeklong extravaganza where approximately 140,000 apparel buyers from throughout the United States and around the world can source product in all categories and in all price ranges.

B. Bronson: An Interview with Jerry Michaels

When I asked Jerry Michaels what his title was and how I should refer to him in this article, he replied, “I buy and I sell and I do other things. I’m not an owner but I have as much power in the company as an owner.”

The Jumpy Consumer: Lessons from the TJX Saga

This past March, San Francisco-based Javelin Strategy & Research released Data Breaches and Buyer Behavior: Moving PCI Compliance from Costly Burden to Competitive Advantage, a research report with findings that should have startled any retailer.

It May be Time to Extend a Hand of Thanks

Offering a sincere “thank you” is part of the repertoire of every successful retailer. These two words go a long way toward creating the customer’s final impression of you and your store as she walks out the door and heads home. And a “thank you” can also be the two words that draw her back to your store.

MANAGING YOUR BUSINESS: PEOs—A Remedy for Business Woes

Launching a new business takes courage and creativity. However, the addition of a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) to the small business mix can help to keep growth plans on track

SPECIALTY STORE FOCUS: Developing a Marketing Program for Your Store

A good marketing program is critical to the long-term success of your business.

JOBBER PROFILE: SOB Clothing Company An Interview with Danny Anavim

Yes, business is about competition and achieving success as measured by dollar volume and growth statistics, but for Danny it is also about having fun and growing with a group of people who share a sense of loyalty to one another and the business that supports them and their families.

FEATURE ARTICLE: Buying Offices—Your Eyes and Ears in the Marketplace

For retailers scrambling to keep up with the daily operational demands of their stores, investing in a “coach” can indeed bring impressive returns in terms of buying power, networking, fashion trend information, and, particularly for the more isolated smaller retailer, a trustworthy business confidante who offers encouragement and advice.

Search Engine Optimization Strategies for Wholesale Apparel Sites – Vol. 10, Issue 1

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the number one opportunity for 2007, according to MarketingSherpa’s 2007 Search Marketing Benchmark Guide, and wholesale apparel marketers are beginning to see the advantages of SEO.

TJ’s Tips: Cause-Related Marketing – Vol.10, Issue 1

Business charity used to be called “good will”; today it’s called cause-related marketing—and it works.

Jobber Profile: Briara Trading – Vol. 10, Issue 1

Bruce Gillespie, Ned Kaplin, and Larry Silverstein, principals of Pennsylvania-based jobbing company Briara Trading, take pride in their understanding of the retail market.

The Art of Shopping Off Price – Vol. 10, Issue 1

For apparel retailers, shopping the off-price markets has become a key business strategy in response to an increasingly cutthroat retail environment.

Using Online Resources to Source Product

Consumers are geared up to spend some serious cash this holiday season—and that means small retailers have a huge opportunity to end the year on a high note.

Crossing the Line... Recapturing Website Domain Names from Cybersquatters

What happens when someone registers your brand name as an internet address? Cybersquatters often register domain names containing the names of designers, models, actresses, performers, and other famous individuals and companies to draw consumer traffic to

Cheap Chic

Splurge vs. Steal or Lust or Bust—you’ve seen these features in many fashion magazines, typically a column illustrating a designer “look” next to a cheaper, sometimes really cheap, knockoff.