Mar 16, 2017

LA Mart to host vibrant Spring Gift & Home Market

Offering an impressive variety of product vendors, the LA Mart’s Spring Gift & Home Market is set to be the one-stop shop for buyers from Sunday, April 2 through Tuesday, April 4. The annual spring market, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Over the three-day event this year, is a prime opportunity for buyers to shop the largest wholesale mart on the West Coast. It will also kick off Spring Designer Week at the LA Mart Design Center, to be held from Sunday, April 2 through Friday, April 7.

The highlight of market will be a free seminar sponsored by LA Mart’s Gift + Home Association, “Redefining Slow: How to Pack Your Store During Slow Times.” Dynamic social media guru Crystal Vilkaitis, CEO of Crystal Media and Founder of Social Edge, will share best practices in an informative session packed with actionable strategies on Monday, April 3, at 11 a.m. “This should be an exceptional seminar,” said Frank Joens, SVP, general manager, LA Mart, “Crystal is a master at utilizing social media to get buyers to a store.” Lunch will be provided as attendees learn how to drive sales in the slow season through three proven campaigns that increase foot traffic. The seminar will also cover how to make social posts actionable; how to use free time now to plan later and how retailers can make customers love you and rave about your business. Vilkaitis will supplement the concepts using real-world retailer case studies to make this an inspirational takeaway for all buyers and attendees.

For buyers shopping for products they might have missed in the winter markets, the Spring Gift & Home Market delivers an impressive selection of Halloween, holiday, and Christmas products from a variety of veteran and emerging wholesalers. LA Mart is the only location on the West Coast to host gift and holiday product giants such as Katherine’s Collection, Bethany Lowe, One Hundred 80 degrees/ Glitterville, Vickerman, Seasons Designs and Joy to the World, in addition to hundreds more everyday and seasonal lines not available anywhere else in the West. “The Spring Gift & Home Market is the one-stop resource that all buyers and designers need for that all-important fourth-quarter buying and make their store a standout,” said Joens.

Buyers looking for a diversity of product selection from vendors large and small will find a fresh assortment of lifestyle products and accessories in a wide range of categories from personal care, tabletop, toys, stationery, general gift, home accents, gift books, children and baby, packaging, jewelry, collectibles, apparel, gourmet and more. In addition to a multitude of national brands, buyers can source a variety of made in California and made in USA lines from local vendors. New showrooms in the easy-to-navigate building will include Pick a Lane Entertainment, Teresa’s Room, and Tesoros Trading Company.

Buyers can take advantage of free and fast on-site registration and the two on-site restaurants as well as the gourmet food truck in LA Mart’s outdoor plaza. Early bird shoppers on Sunday, April 2, can pick up a free mimosa while they last. Offering easy on-off access to area freeways, the LA Mart site will offer free parking for all buyers and designers. Attendees can again avail of LA Mart’s Train and Taxi program whereby credentialed buyers and designers can get a $50 cash reimbursement onsite on a combined Amtrak train ticket and a Lyft or Uber ride from Union Station to the Mart.